《After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General》


 CH 1

    It was February, and there was a chill in the early spring air. The cold, moist air penetrated into the ground, making it even more frigid. Several jailors heated up some wine and sipped it to warm their bodies, but they didn¡¯t dare to drink too much. The guards in this prison were all criminals, and didn¡¯t dare to be sloppy in important matters.


    With wine warming their throats, there must be something to go with the wine for flavor, so the chatterbox was opened. From food and clothing at home to prisoners in the prison, they chatted one by one, and there was no telling who brought up the rumors outside recently.


    ¡°Have you heard? Two days ago, there was an abnormal natural disaster. Mount Tai shook and roared like thunder, and some people said it was a punishment from God.¡±


    This matter caused a stir in Beijing. The shaking of Mount Tai was a sign of the country¡¯s fate, and the new emperor was not a direct descendent. His mother was originally a palace maid without any influence, but he was the one who ascended to the imperial throne. Less than a year after being crowned, his reign had not yet been firmly established, and for such a celestial phenomenon to appear, it was feared that the heavens were dissatisfied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to talk nonsense about this business. Be careful, if it spreads, it will be a matter of losing your head,¡± one person whispered cautiously.


    ¡°Did the emperor go to pray for blessings?¡±


    This was the custom. Whenever there was a change in celestial phenomenon, the emperor would go to the altar and pray to heaven to show his sincerity.


    ¡°Why not, he just returned to court yesterday. It¡¯s just that when the big event was done, there were still some aftershocks, which made people panic outside.¡±


    ¡°Then why did the emperor return to court?¡±


    ¡°Because the guoshi[1] had made a calculation that to solve this problem, they needed ¨C¡± The man lowered his voice as he spoke, and the others quickly moved their heads closer to hear him say in secret: ¡°This issue is too absurd, they actually needed the Deputy Prime Minister and General Yan to¡­¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the gatekeeper outside suddenly ran in and announced: ¡°Deputy Prime Minister is here.¡±


    Several people¡¯s faces tensed up, and they quickly hid the jug and looked at the dark entrance with trepidation.


    The guard opened the door, a little light fell on the ground, and a pair of white boots stepped through the light to enter the darkness.


    The footsteps were neither light nor heavy, but they made everyone present nervous for no reason, fearing that if they breathed too loudly, they would startle this powerful person from the palace.


    No one knew the origin of Deputy Prime Minister Zhao Yelan. By the time the world discovered his existence, the competition for the throne had reached an intense stage. Several princes showed remarkable ability, but Zhao Yelan was hiding behind the third prince, helping him defeat the crown prince and other princes. The details of the bloodbath during this time were no longer studied, but the throne that did not conform to destiny had always been stained with blood. It could be assumed that this person had also done many dirty things behind the scenes.


    After the new emperor ascended the throne, he made no secret of his favor. He had been promoted to a noble position and been awarded with countless gold, silver, and jewels and was already the most well-known figure in the dynasty.


    It should be said that most of the common people just heard about Zhao Yelan¡¯s notoriety and cursed him in private, not having a chance to see the real person, but to these jailors in the prison, he was already an old acquaintance.


    The interrogation methods in the imperial prison were varied and cruel, and it could be said that there was torture everywhere. When ordinary people came in, just stepping through the door would make their legs tremble. As it happened, this frail and weak-looking Zhao Yelan knew more about torture than even the prison guards. During interrogations, it was as if the king of hell had come into the world, and even if someone could save their own life, they wouldn¡¯t be able to save their skin.[2]


    Before the person approached, a strong fragrance wafted through the cold, humid air. The jailors couldn¡¯t help but want to lift their noses and sniff a few more times, but for fear that doing so would offend their superior, they had to wait in place in a well-behaved manner.


    Presently, Zhao Yelan, dressed in brocade, stood in front of them and looked around arrogantly.


    A newly arrived jailor was a little afraid. He usually heard a lot of people mention the bad things Zhao Yelan did, counting them by the bucketload. Terrified and curious at the same time, he raised his head to take a fearful glance and his whole person froze in place.


    He saw that the visitor had a beautiful face and a pair of eyes like the bright moon, attracting people¡¯s interest for no reason at all, but hiding an inexplicable shadow that made it difficult to approach. Cold and aloof, with an indifferent manner, he was not like ordinary people and was incompatible with this stinking prison cell dimly lit by candles.


    He was actually even more beautiful than the first son of the capital, the jailer inwardly slandered.


    ¡°Zhao-daren,[3] who do you want to interrogate today?¡± The prison boss had seen him many times, and approached him respectfully to inquire. The forced smile on his face trembled, and his expression was stiff.


    Zhao Yelan frowned slightly, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and covered his mouth and nose.


    The prison boss immediately understood that this man once again disliked the wet, smelly environment. Every time he came here in the past, he always carried a different fragrance on his body. Those who were ignorant assumed he had just come out of a low-grade brothel.


    Putting on a show of fanning the surrounding air with his hand, he faced Zhao Yelan as he walked inside: ¡°I wonder if Zhao-daren has brought the token?¡±


    At these words, Zhao Yelan took out the emperor¡¯s token from his bosom: ¡°I¡¯m going to see Yu Junliang. You all wait here.¡±


    Everyone received the order, led him there familiarly, and then retreated in silence.


    The person in the cell was lying on the floor, disheveled. When he saw the person outside, he quickly got up, grabbed the bars with both hands, and said through gritted teeth: ¡°Zhao Yelan, you wronged me!¡±


    ¡°Speak prudently, Yu-daren. You and I work together, why would I harm you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled slightly. There was no trace of it on his face, but Yu Junliang was annoyed by his appearance.


    Back then, it was Zhao Yelan who came to win him over to the party of the third prince. He promised prosperity and wealth, but now he couldn¡¯t even keep his official position and was charged with treason by Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Where is the emperor, I want to see the emperor! I was wronged!¡± Yu Junliang shouted loudly, hitting the bars with both hands.


    ¡°Yu-daren, why bother? With a bright future ahead of you, how could you be so foolish as to conspire with the former crown prince?¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not conspiring! You clearly asked me to visit the former crown prince in Bieyuan!¡± The veins on Yu Junliang¡¯s forehead were throbbing, and he wished he could rush out and split his mouth. ¡°You villain, how dare you slander me! Wait until I get out, I will definitely not let you have a good death!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if there is such a day.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled and tossed a scroll inside. ¡°Take a look, ba. Read the whole thing.¡±


    Yu Junliang squatted down and unrolled the scroll. The crimes he had committed were counted in detail above, but he was not guilty of the ones that were punishable by ransacking his home and exterminating his family.


    ¡°What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°Did you think the emperor was ignorant to what you were doing?¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yu Junliang¡¯s hands trembled as he looked at the densely packed list of crimes, such as soliciting prostitutes and offering bribes. Even the nonsense he said after drinking was recorded in the scroll. His face was horrified: ¡°You, you¡­¡­but I never conspired!¡±


    ¡°But you did go to see the former crown prince, and you came back that night and read aloud, ¡®Xuanhe Palace, cold smoke and decaying grass.¡¯ Xuanhe Palace is now the emperor¡¯s library, don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°I just drank wine for a while and recited two poems casually! You actually sent someone to follow me to this extent, if you want to condemn me, you¡¯ll just frame me at will! I want to see the emperor!¡±


    ¡°The emperor is busy with other affairs, so he doesn¡¯t have time to come here to see you. If you sign the document now, you will save yourself the pain of interrogation and I will give your family a way out. After all, you have committed a serious crime of the Nine Clans,[4] ah¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan looked at him condescendingly, carefully appreciating his expression of pain and struggle. A smile slowly bloomed at the corner of his mouth.


    After a long time, Yu Junliang said in a hoarse voice: ¡°Where¡¯s the writing brush?¡±


    ¡°I came out in a hurry and didn¡¯t have time to bring my writing brush.¡± Zhao Yelan walked to the side, casually took a dagger from the torture rack on the wall, and threw it in. ¡°How about this?¡±


    With shaking hands, Yu Junliang drew blood from his fingertip, dripping it on the list of crimes.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, there is still one thing I don¡¯t understand. Can you clear up my confusion?¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°I chose to live in harmony with you, so why do you want to kill me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t answer until Yu Junliang became impatient. He looked at him with a pair of bloodshot eyes, like a desperate mad dog, but he was trapped in a cage, struggling in vain.


    Seeing his appearance, Zhao Yelan was slightly satisfied and opened his mouth: ¡°When the late emperor was still alive, he once put forth a charge of treason and punished the entire family of the Marquis of Anqing, involving more than 20,000 people. You were one of the executioners.¡±


    Yu Junliang was shocked: ¡°Are you a descendant of the Marquis of Anqing?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhao Yelan shook his head and approached to say, ¡°I am your father.¡±


    Yu Junliang was silent for a moment, and then flew into a rage, hurling insults at him one after another. Zhao Yelan listened idly, as if appreciating music. The corners of his mouth curled, and after that voice became hoarse, he reminded: ¡°Time is running out. I didn¡¯t expect Yu-daren to be thinking of me in his last moments, it¡¯s really a great honor.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, you must die a miserable death!¡±


    ¡°Then I will definitely take the respected wife and young children to visit you in the underworld together.¡±


    Yu Junliang lost his temper.


    The jailers waiting outside heard the yelling within and wanted to go in and see the situation, but they also feared that they would be convicted of making a mistake, which was not something they could afford.


    While they panicked, the voice inside finally stopped and they heard Zhao Yelan say, ¡°Come here!¡± They entered in an orderly manner and saw that Yu Junliang had committed suicide in his cell, with blood streaming from his neck.


    The prison boss was thinking that Zhao-daren¡¯s kung fu was getting better and better. He didn¡¯t even need to call the person in charge of interrogation, and he killed a person directly through the cell door, which was really high.


    After the jailer opened the door, Zhao Yelan walked in and picked up the blood-stained list of crimes. Covering his nose with a handkerchief, he walked outside without looking back: ¡°Clean this up.¡±


    The new jailer glanced at his back in terror. It was a pity that such beautiful hands really killed people invisibly, ah.


    It was not much warmer outside than below. As soon as Zhao Yelan walked out, a eunuch came forward to clothe him: ¡°Zhao-daren¡¯s body is weak, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°I have no further business.¡± Zhao Yelan coughed twice, and handed over the list of crimes to him. ¡°Take it to the emperor.¡±


    ¡°The emperor is in the side hall, and he called you to meet him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the mansion and change my clothes. It wouldn¡¯t be good if I offended the dragon.[5]¡±


    The eunuch saw a few drops of red on his shoe, and some wet blood on his hand from the list of crimes. He was wiping it casually with his head down, and with a strange sense of beauty. The eunuch gave a sharp smile: ¡°When you are finished, I will trouble Zhao-daren to make another trip.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled calmly. After sitting in the sedan chair, that smile immediately disappeared and he closed his eyes for a while before returning to the mansion.


    Although it was the end of the year, the weather didn¡¯t get warmer, and he feared the cold. After returning to his room and washing his hands, he sat by the charcoal stove to dry them.


    The servants came in to bring new charcoal and took the clothes he had changed out of to be washed. The sound of footsteps continued, but Zhao Yelan seemed to be in a trance, sitting still as he watched the faint flames struggling to emerge. Yu Junliang¡¯s last words still lingered in his ears ¨C


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, aren¡¯t you afraid? The hound is cooked after it catches the rabbit.[6] I only did a few things for His Majesty, and I ended up like this. How much did you do for him? How much blood is on your hands? Do you think you can live with peace of mind?¡±


    Live with peace of mind?


    Zhao Yelan smiled lightly as if mocking himself, and got up and walked to the table. He raised his hand to caress the golden silk item placed on top of it. The brilliant golden light was unique and unmatched. This was an imperial decree.


    An absurd decree.


    After a stick of incense, the sky was getting dark. He had just changed his clothes and was about to go out when he happened to meet Xiao Gao, a servant who had just returned with a basket in his hand that was packed with freshly picked pears. He hurriedly said: ¡°My lord, you are back. When you went out just now, people from the General¡¯s mansion came and said they wanted to talk to you about getting married.¡±


    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C


    The author has something to say:


    Opening the text, la. Long time no see. 66 red envelopes will be given to everyone in the comment area~


    ¡¾Knocks on the blackboard¡¿


    The cuties who pay attention to the correct three views can avoid it first. The characters are like this, don¡¯t abuse the characters and the author. A courtier must act like a courtier, he kills without batting an eye, greedy for power and money. Cruel, merciless, and black-hearted, abstaining from emotion has been his hobby for many years.


    Zhao Yelan: Are you polite? ?


    (Xuanhe Palace, cold smoke and decaying grass ¨C ¨C From Liu Kezhuang¡¯s ¡°Recalling Qin¡¯e Mei Xie.)


    Translator¡¯s Note: Hello, all! This is my first time translating this sort of novel, and the plethora of footnotes are already killing me. But! It¡¯s a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoy the story as much as I am.


    [1] The guoshi is the teacher of the state. ?


    [2] ²»ËÀÒ²½ÐÈË°ÇÁ˼¸²ãƤ: This is an idiom that basically means receiving major harm or a significant loss. ?


    [3] The suffix -daren (´óÈË) is a title of respect for male members of nobility. ?


    [4] A crime of the Nine Clans refers to killing nine generations, including the four above and the four below. In ancient times, entire families were wiped out if one member committed a serious crime. ?


    [5] The ¡®dragon¡¯ here refers to the Emperor. ?


    [6] To cook the hound after it catches the rabbit is to get rid of someone after he has served his purpose. ?

 CH 2

    Zhao Yelan paused, and his brow furrowed slightly: ¡°Yan Mingting has returned to Beijing so soon?¡±


    The border war had been chaotic for several years, and neighboring countries had continued to invade. Yan Mingting¡¯s family had two generations of generals, stationed at the border all year round. They had made great military achievements and had long become the stabilizing force of the Xuan Dynasty. Beijing received the good news last month that Mongolia, the most disobedient country in the north, had finally surrendered, willing to cede land and pay tribute for peace.


    At this point, the border was finally at peace. The Emperor¡¯s noble face was exultant, and he immediately ordered the army to return to court.


    Counting the days, there should still be a few days before they returned to Beijing.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the general who came, but the old housekeeper of the general¡¯s mansion, who is quite an amiable fellow. He came to discuss the details of your marriage. If you are not in the mansion, I will let him go back first,¡± Xiao Gao replied.


    ¡°He¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan was at a loss for words, and asked in confusion after a long moment, ¡°The people in the general¡¯s mansion just gave up like this? How can Yan Mingting be obedient?¡±


    Xiao Gao sighed: ¡°Can he be disobedient? This is an imperial decree, my lord. Let alone General Yan, you also have to act honestly and sincerely¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him, and Xiao Gao immediately covered his mouth.


    It was dusk when he arrived at the palace, and the setting sun fell on the red walls of the palace as it slowly sank.


    Zhao Yelan came to the side hall unimpeded. The man in the dragon robe was still reviewing the official memorial.[1] He had a well-proportioned appearance, sharp eyes, and majesty in his gestures. Zhao Yelan cupped his hands respectfully: ¡°Minister Zhao Yelan has seen Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Without outsiders, there is no need to be polite,¡± Zhao Xuan[2] said without raising his head. ¡°Come here, the ink is out.¡±


    Zhao Yelan approached slowly, picked up the ink stone, and skillfully grinded the ink.


    For a while, no one spoke, and there was only the faint fragrance of ink lingering around. After a long time, Zhao Xuan took the initiative to speak: ¡°Are you angry about the marriage?¡±


    ¡°This humble minister dares not.¡±


    Zhao Xuan glanced at him sideways, and the other party lowered his head and concentrated on studying the ink, showing no emotion.


    They had known each other for many years, after all, so how could Zhao Xuan not know that he had resentment in his heart? His tone softened: ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the guoshi would calculate such a divinatory trigram.¡±


    It was said in the divinatory trigram that the abnormal movement of celestial phenomena were changes in the eight trigrams. Yin and yang were out of balance, and lest society become disturbed, a person born in a yin year, on a yin day, at a yin time must be combined with someone who was born in a yang year, with a yang moon, at a yang time. Only then could the eight trigrams[3] be corrected.


    As soon as this trigram came out, all the officials in the court thought of Yan Mingting. Even though he seldom showed up in front of everyone, he was notoriously masculine, outliving his parents and younger brother. There were two marriages before, and the brides passed away one after another before the wedding. Even the dog at home died strangely. It was honestly terrifying.


    Although General Yan was a victorious general and was loved by the people, that didn¡¯t mean that they were willing to marry their daughters to him. Who knew if they would receive their daughter¡¯s body before she could enjoy the blessings of being the general¡¯s wife?


    What¡¯s more, General Yan was ugly, rude, and domineering, and no woman in Beijing was willing to climb that high.


    In the end, Zhao Xuan realized that Zhao Yelan was a person with a yin year and a yin day.


    ¡°General Yan has agreed to this marriage,¡± Zhao Xuan said.


    Zhao Yelan scoffed: ¡°The emperor¡¯s decree is difficult to violate. Even if Yan Mingting disagrees, does he dare to seize the loyalty of his ancestors to disobey the imperial decree?¡±


    Zhao Xuan stopped writing and closed the memorial: ¡°It seems that you disagree?¡±


    ¡°This minister dares not.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you dare? You went to the prison in a grandiose manner and let Yu Junliang commit suicide. I wanted to interrogate him more, but good for you, you directly let him die and hand over the criminal charges he personally signed.¡± Zhao Xuan gazed at him. ¡°How dare you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan bowed his head and replied: ¡°This minister has no choice but to apologize with death. Please, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What a joke, are you really asking for death? Others don¡¯t know, but how could I not know? Zhao Yelan, you want to live more than anyone else. No one cherishes life more than you.¡± Zhao Xuan sneered and took two steps closer, and said word by word: ¡°You rely on the fact that I have already granted you a marriage, and the whole world knows about your it. It is impossible to grant you death, so you dare to act recklessly!¡±


    Having been exposed, Zhao Yelan was even calmer, and smiled lightly: ¡°Then, thanking the Emperor for his grace.¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s expression was complicated, and after a long time, he sighed as if exhausted: ¡°Ah, sometimes being too smart is not a good thing.¡±


    Of course Zhao Yelan knew, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been given in marriage to a man haunted by a curse. No matter how much the emperor trusted him, he would also be afraid. On the one hand, he used him to eradicate dissidents, but on the other, he must also guard against his power.


    Now that the throne had been stabilized, he was no longer needed, but he still required him to bear some infamy.


    How could Zhao Yelan not know that compared to death, being given a marriage was considered a blessing in misfortune?


    Zhao Xuan said: ¡°In the end, Yu Junliang was going to be executed anyway, so why did you need to do this?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see him die in front of my eyes, and I couldn¡¯t wait a day, lest a long delay cause complications,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Zhao Xuan knew the secret, but still shook his sleeves angrily: ¡°You are getting more and more undisciplined and out of control.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took out a brocade handkerchief from his bosom, handed it to him, and said softly: ¡°This is woven by the embroiderers of Su. Giving this piece to His Majesty, ba, don¡¯t be angry with this one anymore. If you hurt your body, this minister will be very sorry.¡±


    Zhao Xuan looked down at the handkerchief.


    ¡°In the future, Your Majesty, please take good care of the body of the dragon, so that the descendents are endless and good fortune stretches for thousands of miles.¡± Zhao Yelan lifted the hem of his clothes, knelt down, and said loudly, ¡°Long live the emperor, long live, long live.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was taken aback. His brows furrowed even tighter as he watched Zhao Yelan raise his head. His face was like a crown of jade, and at that moment, that shallow black mole seemed to be able to speak, telling of its owner¡¯s unreconciled feelings and the wishes he couldn¡¯t voice.


    Zhao Xuan stretched out his hand, and when he was about to touch his cheek, he withdrew it abruptly and gave a faint sigh: ¡°Why did you have to be a man?¡±


    Zhao Yelan remained silent, lowering his eyes to suppress all emotions.


    It was time for dinner, and people from the Empress¡¯s palace came to invite the Emperor to have a meal.


    Zhao Xuan subconsciously looked at Zhao Yelan. Bowing his head, Zhao Yelan retreated.


    Before he left, Zhao Xuan heard his coughing and ordered the imperial physician to deliver some precious medicinal materials, and also gave him a newly acquired night pearl from the treasury.


    Back at Zhao Mansion, Xiao Gao immediately ran over, waiting upon Zhao Yelan to wash and eat. There was more food on the table than usual. Xiao Gao was afraid that he would be in a bad mood, so he asked the kitchen to prepare more. After eating, he suggested: ¡°My lord, do you want to go out while you digest? It is said that the new storyteller in Huichun Building is very good at telling stories.¡±


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who wants to hear it.¡±


    Xiao Gao rubbed his hands in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s true that I haven¡¯t been there in a while. Sir, aren¡¯t you feeling bored?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked up at the moon. Thinking that he didn¡¯t know how many happy days were left, he agreed.


    Xiao Gao changed him into thicker clothes, just in case. He brought another hot-water bottle, laid a cushion in the sedan chair, called a few maids and servants, and rushed to the largest restaurant in the city together.


    It was the busiest time in the night market. Zhao Yelan opened a corner of the curtain, looking at the people coming and going, calling out loudly to friends and companions, and the men and women meeting each other shyly in private.


    He turned his head sideways, glanced out of the corner of his eye, and a group of people in front of him caught his attention. There were five or six people in total. One of the women was beating the man next to her as he was helpless to fight back. The other people didn¡¯t intend to step forward and help, but instead watched while laughing and joking.


    The tallest man among them, with his back to him, was holding tanghulu in his hands and pointing out the woman¡¯s moves as she beat people.


    The sedan chair passed by the pedestrians. Zhao Yelan lazily lowered the curtain, not noticing that the person who was eating tanghulu suddenly turned his head.


    ¡°General Yan, what are you looking at?¡± The lieutenant general followed his line of sight and saw only an exquisite sedan chair, saying jokingly, ¡°Are you looking at some girl?¡±


    ¡°Did you smell a fragrance?¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s nose twitched.


    ¡°Chicken drumsticks! I smelled it earlier.¡± The woman stopped, and the beaten man finally stood up, covering his face as he said, ¡°Auntie, please save me some face in public, so many people are watching.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the smell of chicken drumsticks.¡± Yan Mingting opened his mouth, and then opened it again.


    Several subordinates were waiting for him to speak, and it took a long time before he opened his mouth to say, ¡°Achoo!¡±


    Several people: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Very pungent.¡± After speaking, Yan Minging bit off the last hawthorn berry. ¡°Let¡¯s go, ba, where is that most delicious restaurant you mentioned?¡±


    The lobby of the restaurant was full of guests, and the storyteller was telling stories about the supernatural. When the xingmu[4] was slapped, all kinds of strange stories floated out from his mouth, causing people to clap their hands in applause.


    The cheers downstairs were intertwined with the festive sound of wine bowls colliding, but the second floor room was in sharp contrast to it, quiet, secluded, and peaceful. There was a guqin in the room, and Xiao Gao was about to order a qin girl to come in, but Zhao Yelan stopped him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s listen to the story today.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Gao opened the door, threw a silver ingot at the storyteller downstairs, and shouted, ¡°Speak louder!¡±


    The storyteller¡¯s voice was indeed louder. He happily turned around, almost bumped into someone, and quickly apologized as he just went into the room.


    The moment the door opened, a scent wafted out.


    ¡°Achoo!¡± Yan Mingting, who had a keen sense of smell, subconsciously looked sideways and only caught a quick glimpse of a man in purple clothes, well-dressed, leaning lazily on a chair with his eyes closed to rest his mind. He wanted to take another look, but the door was already closed.


    ¡°General, are you suffering from a cold?¡± The lieutenant asked in a low voice.


    ¡°No.¡± Yan Mingting rubbed his nose, and walked into the next room.


    An hour later, the people downstairs gradually dispersed. The storyteller¡¯s throat was about to start smoking, and someone booed after getting drunk: ¡°Storyteller, you only talk about mountain spirits, but no one has ever seen them. Can you tell us about people we know?¡±


    ¡°What does the guest wish to hear?¡±


    ¡°I just want to hear about the marriage granted by the Emperor.¡± The man became emboldened by drink, and he dared to say any sort of nonsense while drunk. A dubious smile grew on his face: ¡°What kind of thing is this, a man marrying a man? What kind of hole method is used in the bridal chamber?¡±


    As soon as this remark was made, everyone roared with laughter, and no one noticed that the two private rooms on the second floor were opened at the same time.


    The storyteller said: ¡°Since ancient times, yin and yang have been in harmony, and everything is at peace. But there is no saying that there is anything wrong with yin and yin, or yang and yang. Since the great guoshi said it is possible, then it naturally doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, can General Yan put Zhao Yelan in order? Zhao Yunlan ordinarily does all sorts of evil. He was only granted a marriage this morning, and he went to the imperial prison in the afternoon to kill Yu Junliang, the Minister of the Ministry of Officials.¡±


    Everyone else started whispering to each other, and someone picked up on it: ¡°I have personally seen him kill people in the street. The blood splashed all over his body, and he was still smiling!¡±


    Zhao Yelan curled his lips and opened his eyes. ¡°The tea is gone.¡±


    Xiao Gao hurriedly poured tea for him. Hearing the people outside begin to criticize Zhao Yelan¡¯s crimes in turn, he was about to close the door angrily when he heard the topic change to another person.


    ¡°If you want me to say it, don¡¯t be afraid. According to General Yan¡¯s fate, Zhao Yelan might be suppressed before he passes through the door.¡±


    Everyone laughed and bluntly said that General Yan was evil-natured enough, and killing Zhao Yelan as soon as possible could be regarded as benefitting the common people.


    Xiao Gao heard someone walking next door and they seemed to be coming out, so he quickly closed the door and asked with a sad face: ¡°My lord, is General Yan really an evil star?[5] Will something happen if you get married?¡±


    A few people outside the door paused in their footsteps, and they couldn¡¯t be blamed for eavesdropping. They had really good ears and immediately guessed who the person in this room was.


    Yan Mingting naturally heard it too. He turned his head to look at the closed door, but couldn¡¯t see the figure inside, only hearing a cold and emotionless voice: ¡°Let¡¯s see who kills who first, ba.¡±


    The expressions of several subordinates were very delicate as they secretly looked at Yan Mingting. Yan Mingting raised his eyebrows, and was about to knock on the door when he heard the young man ask: ¡°Haven¡¯t you met him once, my lord? Is he really the same as in the rumors, with a hideous Rakshasa[6] face?¡±


    Zhao Yelan fell into silence, recalling the scene when he met Yan Mingting many years ago. The surrounding spring flowers were brilliant, but the person in front of him¡­¡­


    ¡°Indeed, unbearably ugly. I have never seen such an ugly person. It could be that he is the reincarnation of a pig spirit[7],¡± Zhao Yelan said flatly.


    Pig, pig spirit? !


    Several people outside the door opened their mouths wide at the same time, and then closed them tightly together for fear that they would laugh out loud, and looked at their general with trembling shoulders.


    The majestic general slowly clenched his fists, waved viciously into the air twice, then turned around and strode away.


    ¨C Damnit, he had never suffered such a serious injury on the battlefield!


    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C


    The author has something to say:


    Get them married in five chapters!


    [1] This memorial is official correspondence from the officials to the Emperor. ?


    [2] The Emperor has the same surname as Zhao Yelan, and it even uses the same character. This shouldn¡¯t be because they are related in any way, but there could be another reason for it. I haven¡¯t read far enough ahead to find out though! ?


    [3] I recommend reading up on the eight trigrams here if you want more details on this cosmology. ?


    [4] The xingmu (ÐÑľ) is a small hardwood block used by storytellers to smack the table in order to attract the audience¡¯s attention. ?


    [5] Lone star, or evil star (ÌìÉ·¹ÂÐÇ)  refers to the lonely star of Tiansha, a star that brings disaster. ?


    [6] Rakshasa (ÂÞɲ) is a Buddhist demonic poltergeist. ?


    [7] The term used here is actually closer to ¡®pig essence,¡¯ which is an insult that basically means someone is fat like a pig and full of themselves, but ¡°essence¡± here can also mean ¡°semen,¡± so interpret this insult as you will. ?

 CH 3

    The flow of people on the street gradually thinned, with the occasional officers and soldiers patrolling. When they saw a group of people squatting on the ground laughing uncontrollably, they came forward to ask what happened.


    Zhong Yuehong pointed to the only one standing, but the man with the sad face said: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just that a short while ago¡­¡­our elder brother was mocked.¡±


    Yan Mingting rubbed his face, shook them off, and strode forward. Those people hurried to catch up again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I promise I won¡¯t laugh.¡± Zhong Yuehong wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and then patted the other brothers. ¡°You stop laughing too.¡±


    The group of people laughed and laughed for a long time without calming down. Zhong Yuehong said with emotion: ¡°This Zhao Yelan can¡¯t tell good from bad, how can he tell blatant lies? As for the General¡¯s heroic face and appearance, the King of Lanling might feel ashamed when he sees it. How dare he say that you are the reincarnation of a pig spirit, pff ¨C¡±


    Yan Mingting turned around and glared at her. She immediately covered his mouth and laughed nonstop.


    The others laughed again, and He Cuizhang said: ¡°General, why didn¡¯t you just go in and let him have a good look? Has he really seen you? Was he talking nonsense?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s seen me,¡± Yan Mingting replied.


    Everyone went quiet, and then immediately scrambled to ask when did they meet, why did they meet, why didn¡¯t he say anything?


    Yan Mingting also did not expect that the person whom he met once when he was young would marry him in the end.


    Ever since he could remember, he had been taken to the frontier with his father and almost never stayed in the capital.


    There was only one time when his body was badly poisoned, his face was abnormally swollen, his eyes black and blue, and he had difficulty walking and needed support. The military doctor was at a loss, so his father took him back to Beijing to find an imperial doctor. While he was being treated at the mansion, he heard that the third prince had come to talk to his father.


    In those few days, the princes all came to look for his father and win him over, but the situation was still unclear and there were constant wars at the border, so his father was very worried.


    He was curious. Among the few princes, the third prince was not favored by the emperor, and his mother, an imperial concubine, passed away early. There was no support from any forces at all, so why come to grab that seat?


    So he asked his servants to help him have a look, but just as he walked into the courtyard, he met a frail young man, his face as white as snow, who coughed three times for every two steps. He couldn¡¯t stand watching it, and called for the person to stop. ¡°Who are you? Why did you come to the general¡¯s mansion alone?¡±


    The young man saw his appearance and was taken aback for a moment, then replied: ¡°This one is Zhao Yelan, he came with the prince.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Yelan.¡± Yan Mingting said this name once, spoke a few more words, and was urged by his servants to go back to the room and take medicine. He glanced at the man again, and ordered someone to catch a chicken from the courtyard and stuff it into Zhao Yelan¡¯s hands. ¡°Look how skinny you are, you would be blown away by the wind before you reached the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t go to war.¡±


    Yan Mingting ignored him and walked to the end of the corridor. When he looked back, the young man was stiffly holding the flapping chicken wings, not sure what to do, brows almost knit together. He happily went back to his room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the chicken was fried or stewed in the end,¡± Yan Mingting muttered.


    ¡°What chicken? You ate so much just now, aren¡¯t you full, General?¡± He Cuizhang asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Yan Mingting said seriously, remembering that there was still proper business to address. ¡°Go back early to rest and recharge your spirits. Remember to be careful when you go to court tomorrow, don¡¯t bring those vulgar words to the court and make people laugh.¡±


    These people had fought many battles with him, and the Emperor wanted to reward them for their merits, so they had returned to Beijing with him. There were still some of his subordinates who would continue to be stationed at the frontier, and he would also accept their rewards and make arrangements for their families.


    ¡°Then can we see Zhao Yelan¡¯s true face tomorrow?¡± He Cuizhang eagerly said. ¡°I want to see what the person who dared to make fun of our General looks like!¡±


    Zhong Yuehong was not very happy: ¡°I don¡¯t like him, didn¡¯t you hear what those common people said just now? How many bad things has he done? How can he be worthy of the General? Furthermore, the Emperor¡¯s arrangement was aimed at the General just to trap him.¡±


    Yan Mingting cast a stern glance at her: ¡°This is the capital city, so be careful when you speak.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong pouted: ¡°I hate the capital city. I still have to finish visiting relatives before I go back to the barracks. I¡¯ll be home soon, farewell, everyone.¡±


    The next day, Yan Mingting got up before dawn, changed his clothes, shaved his beard, and took in his image in front of the bronze mirror. He didn¡¯t look like a pig spirit at all. Only then did he go to court triumphantly. He not only wanted to see if Zhao Yelan¡¯s appearance had changed, but also wanted to show him that he surpassed the King of Lanling¡¯s attractiveness!


    That was what the soldiers said!


    Who knew that there were hundreds of civil and military people in the dynasty, and Zhao Yelan alone was the one he didn¡¯t see. It was said that he was on leave due to illness.


    Tsk, as expected, he was still the guy who coughed three times every two steps. He hadn¡¯t improved at all.


    The emperor lavishly praised the officers and soldiers, and also gave out promotions and rewards. It lifted people¡¯s hearts, and the subordinates all looked excited.


    When it was Yan Mingting¡¯s turn, the Emperor was stumped for words for a moment, his eyebrows squeezed together. Then he smiled and said: ¡°General Yan seems to be different from the rumors.¡±


    At noon, the sun finally did something to dispel some of the chill. Zhao Yelan was bored lying in bed, so he went to sit in the courtyard and bask in the sun.


    Xiao Gao had just come back with a basket on his shoulders, which contained freshly picked melons and fruits. He washed them and put them aside, picked up a pear and peeled it, and told him about the outside world: ¡°Several people at the restaurant had their tongues pulled out last night, and the government is investigating this matter.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took the pear calmly and asked, ¡°What did you find out?¡±


    ¡°Somebody traced us here.¡±


    ¡°The person?¡±


    ¡°Gone.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sneered: ¡°Knowing perfectly well that the mastermind was here, they didn¡¯t dare to come in and investigate?¡±


    Xiao Gao laughed: ¡°How could they have the courage? By the way, the emperor rewarded some more medicines, which have already been put into the treasury.¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°The treasury is a bit bright today.¡±


    ¡°The night pearl.¡±


    ¡°Is it also a reward from the emperor?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty treats you very well.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled meaningfully. A worthless handkerchief was exchanged for a night pearl, was there a more cost-effective business than this?


    Xiao Gao chose a few trivial things to say, and hearing that Zhao Yelan was drowsy, he was very worried: ¡°I know you want to hear something about the court, but my ability is small and I can¡¯t find out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, someone will come to talk.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Xiao Gao asked curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I also want to see who comes first.¡± Looking at the deserted courtyard, Zhao Yelan leisurely asked Xiao Gao to prepare some snacks and hot tea.


    Xiao Gao naturally prepared them according to his preferences, and when he came out with a plate of snacks, he saw that officials had already come to visit in the parlor. He put the things down carefully and left. His lord was very clever!


    ¡°Zhao-daren, did you catch a cold today?¡± The visitor asked in concern.


    ¡°It¡¯s just an old problem, Chen-daren. Please take a seat.¡± Zhao Yelan sat on the main seat and exchanged perfunctory greetings with him, a little impatient.


    Over the years, he had been laying down plans for the emperor¡¯s great cause, and he naturally also got to know a lot of people. After the emperor ascended the throne, he was deeply favored and trusted, and they more or less followed his example.


    The gift of marriage in the past few days had made this group of people a little scared, suspecting that he would completely fall out of favor, so they were all watching the situation and waiting.


    But this morning, the emperor said that Yu Junliang had died in prison, and the officials were surprised. He should have been executed in public according to law, but he had died quietly in prison like this. It was also rumored that Zhao Yelan had met him in the imperial prison, and once the two were connected together, it was known that this was Zhao Yelan¡¯s good deed. But not only did the emperor not punish him, he also cared about Zhao Yelan¡¯s health.


    In this way, how could they not know that Zhao Yelan had not fallen out of favor, and that the emperor was constantly concerned for him?


    It was reckoned that even if he was married to the great general in the future, he would still have influence inside the court.


    So as soon as he came to court, Chen-daren from the Ministry of Officials came to visit him with a small gift.


    ¡°Why did Chen-daren seek me out?¡± Zhao Yelan was too lazy to pretend at politeness with him, and got straight to the point.


    ¡°Well¡­¡­since Minister Yu died, the position of Minister of the Ministry of Officials is vacant¡­¡­¡± Chen-daren hinted.


    ¡°Chen-daren is already an official. According to regulations, is it your turn to take office?¡± Zhao Yelan said flatly.


    ¡°There are quite a few people who are greedy for this seat, ah. Although I am the left official[1], there is also the right official. What¡¯s more, the right official has been contradicting you at court meetings. If you let him take the position, it would be a great disadvantage to you¡­¡­Zhao-daren, you must speak a few words for this old minister in front of the emperor, ah.¡± Chen-daren cupped his hands. ¡°If there is anything I need to do in the future, just ask me to do it.¡±


    The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°I¡¯m well aware of the situation and will naturally intercede for you, but this is still the emperor¡¯s decision and I don¡¯t know what will happen in the end.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Chen-daren wiped the sweat from his forehead. ¡°As long as you give me a few good words, this matter will probably be settled. At that time, I will definitely prepare a big gift and visit in person.¡±


    Xiao Gao sent the left official away, and welcomed the person from the Ministry of Revenue. He refreshed the teacups again, and before leaving, he heard his lord say: ¡°I¡¯m well aware of the situation and will naturally intercede for you, but this is still the emperor¡¯s decision and I don¡¯t know what will happen in the end.¡±


    Several distinguished guests came to the house that afternoon one after the other. Xiao Gao was accustomed to it and kept busy, not stopping until it was time for dinner. He couldn¡¯t help squatting beside Zhao Yelan and giggling: ¡°My lord, you are really good at talking. If you keep running circles around these people, I will be able to recite that sentence.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him, then knocked him on the head. ¡°If you can¡¯t speak, you mustn¡¯t speak.¡±


    Xiao Gao covered his mouth with a smile.


    After eating, Xiao Gao carried over a basin of hot water for him to wipe his hands. Zhao Yelan was taking a stroll in the courtyard, devising plans while digesting food, when he suddenly thought of another thing: ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the person from the general¡¯s mansion come yet?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they come to discuss the marriage proposal yesterday? Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the old housekeeper sent someone to deliver a message, saying that the general is busy with household affairs, so he would not come over, and it¡¯s better to keep things simple when the time comes.¡±


    Xiao Gao wrung out the handkerchief and was about to hand it over, when Zhao Yelan stepped forward angrily and kicked the basin over.


    ¡°Simple? Why should it be simple?¡±


    Half the water poured out and the basin was still spinning on the ground. Xiao Gao hurriedly supported it, and said weakly: ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t want the publicity?¡±


    The basin was kicked over by Zhao Yelan again. He took the handkerchief and wiped his hands vigorously, his cold eyes narrowed: ¡°How dare he disdain me as if I¡¯m an ugly person? I, Zhao Yelan, have a big household and great influence. It is my first marriage, how can it be casual? Prepare the sedan chair, let¡¯s go to the general¡¯s mansion to see this old pig spirit!¡±


    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C


    The author has something to say:


    Yan Mingting: I am heroic and valiant, surpassing the King of Lanling!


    Zhao Yelan: You old pig spirit.


    Yan Mingting: Retreat! Retreat! Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!

 CH 4

    The general¡¯s mansion was not called the General¡¯s Mansion, but Dingguo[1] Mansion, the house bestowed by Yan Mingting¡¯s father when he was alive. But because the family had produced two famous generals, the common people were more accustomed to calling it the General¡¯s Mansion.


    Its master had fought on the battlefield all year round, and there were almost no people living there. Usually there were only some sweeping servants and the old housekeeper.


    Housekeeper Qin had been working in the general¡¯s mansion since he was a child. Perhaps he was getting old. He watched the little master follow the old general to kill the enemy since he was young, but before enjoying a day of blessing, he was given a legacy as an evil star by the people. Now he was twenty-seven. Other men at this age were already surrounded by children, and his family¡¯s general was still alone.


    As soon as the imperial decree of marriage was delivered to the mansion in these two days, he was overjoyed. But upon hearing that he was going to marry Zhao Yelan, he fainted from fright.


    There was no telling what the general thought, but after receiving the news, he sent a letter to him instructing him to take charge of household affairs and wait for his return.


    No matter what the masters were thinking, he always had to do his job well. He hastily ordered people to renovate the mansion, and it was really troublesome to tidy up this place that had not been inhabited for a long time.


    When people told him that Zhao Yelan was coming, he was almost unresponsive and then fell down from the ladder. He patted his trouser legs, trotted to the main hall, and saw the powerful official who was rumored to do all kinds of evil. Black hair and snow-white skin, willowy posture. He didn¡¯t look like a villain. He was clearly a fairy who went to the wrong place, right?


    ¡°Zhao, Zhao-daren?¡± Housekeeper Qin looked at him in astonishment. ¡°You came to visit late at night, what is it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned and took a look at his body. Housekeeper Qin lowered his head and followed his gaze, and finding that his clothes were stained with dust, he patted them hurriedly.


    ¡°Stop patting.¡± Zhao Yelan raised his hand and waved it, then took a few steps back to get some distance from him and looked around. ¡°Where is Yan Mingting?¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren is here to find the general?¡± Housekeeper Qin was bewildered, and said aloud, ¡°My lord, this is not in compliance with custom.¡±


    ¡°What custom?¡±


    ¡°Before the wedding, newlyweds cannot meet.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me the rules?¡± Zhao Yelan narrowed his eyes slightly, and when he saw him trembling, he turned his eyes away indifferently. ¡°You take care of the affairs of the General¡¯s Mansion?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± housekeeper Qin nodded obediently. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, my lord, when you pass through the door, the ledger will be handed over to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± Zhao Yelan gave Xiao Gao a meaningful glance.


    Xiao Gao immediately took out a thick booklet and handed it to housekeeper Qin. ¡°These are the daily food and clothing expenses for our family, please prepare them. In case there are some things that my lord doesn¡¯t need in the betrothal gift, in order to avoid waste, we will send the required betrothal gift list tomorrow. At that time, you can prepare accordingly and save yourself some effort.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin held the thick booklet, opened it tremblingly and glanced twice. Just like Grandma Liu[2] entered the Grand View Garden, he said in amazement: ¡°These¡­¡­these are just daily necessities?¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Xiao Gao said with a smile. ¡°The bride price should not be neglected.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big matter, and this one is not the master, ah.¡± Housekeeper Qin cried with a thick face. ¡°This is not a small sum. The General means for everything to be kept simple, just following formalities. After all, the General¡¯s Mansion is not that rich¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yan Mingting?¡± Zhao Yelan interrupted him to ask again. He turned his head to cough a few times, and the expression on his face was colder than when he first entered the door.


    Xiao Gao immediately urged: ¡°Our lord is not well due to the wind and the cold, and came all the way here. Why hasn¡¯t the General come out to receive his guests?¡±


    housekeeper Qin quickly explained: ¡°The General went to drink with his subordinates. Rest assured, my lord, as soon as the general returns, I will tell him about this right away¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned and left before he finished speaking. He sighed deeply, thinking that this was not a good thing, and that the General¡¯s Mansion would be very lively in the future.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan departed, Yan Mingting returned. Housekeeper Qin quickly informed the other party about this matter, and Yan Minging took the booklet, saying in surprise: ¡°He was just here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he also said that he would send someone to send the betrothal gift list tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Betrothal gifts?¡± Yan Mingting recalled the scene just now and suddenly smiled. ¡°Then I bumped into them.¡±


    ¡°Really? You saw him?¡±


    ¡°No, it was too dark for me to see him.¡±


    Just now when Yan Mingting walked out of an alley, he saw a sedan chair coming from the direction of the General¡¯s Mansion.


    Just when he was wondering, the sedan chair passed in front of him. As it swayed up and down, the corner of the curtain swung and a white neck could be seen by candlelight inside the sedan chair. Then a slightly annoyed voice could be heard: ¡°Add a few more agates and emeralds to the betrothal gift! Does he not have a lot of fine horses? Ask for a few more horses¡­¡­cough.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how can this be good, ah.¡± Housekeeper Qin was very worried. When he thought about the General marrying such a money-grubbing person, he wanted to kowtow in front of the old general¡¯s tablet and cry.


    It was said that good people were given good rewards, so how come the Yan mansion had always been sparsely populated, and now it was still in an unprecedented situation?


    ¡°Uncle Qin, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve worked hard these few days, so go take a good rest.¡± Yan Mingting patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°The matter of the dowry¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    It rained that night, and before the sedan chair arrived at the house, the rain fell on the ground like beans. Xiao Gao rushed to protect Zhao Yelan and return him home, but he was still drenched by the rain. Even after soaking in hot water, he was still a little dizzy when he woke up the next day, so he had to send someone and continue to ask for leave.


    He had punished the Minister of the Ministry of Officials in prison, and didn¡¯t go to court for two consecutive days. In the entire court, only Zhao Yelan dared to be so confident.


    There was a smell of medicine in the room. No matter how hard he tried to get rid of it, there would always be new medicine poured into his stomach.


    No one knew how long this body could last. He had taken medicine and didn¡¯t want to continue lying down, so he leaned against the window and watched the rain outside smashing a flower in the yard to pieces.


    A servant girl ran over holding an umbrella and wanted to straighten the stem, but upon seeing it, Zhao Yelan stopped her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch it.¡±


    The servant girl was puzzled: ¡°My lord, this is the flower you planted yourself last time.¡±


    ¡°Leave it alone.¡± Zhao Yelan looked at the few petals that were about to fall from the stem. ¡°Perhaps it deserves this fate, and it was lucky that it could survive until now.¡±


    The servant girl had no choice but to clean elsewhere, and she had to tidy up the mansion as soon as possible. There was going to be a wedding in a few days, and she had to decorate everywhere.


    Zhao Yelan sometimes looked at the rain, and sometimes glanced at the servants squatting under the eaves cutting paper, feeling a little irritable.


    He was in a bad mood whenever it rained.


    After a while, Xiao Gao ran back with a basket in one hand and an umbrella in the other, put the fresh fruit he brought today in front of him, and then went to the General¡¯s Mansion without stopping to hand in the betrothal gift list.


    Zhao Yelan looked at the things in the basket. It was another basket of fresh pears, big in size, juicy and thirst-quenching. But he had no appetite, so he just reached out to pick and choose and finally selected a pear with rotten spots. He broke it in half and took out a bamboo tube from within. Pouring out the note inside, he unfolded it, and a line of beautiful characters was revealed before his eyes ¨C


    The news of Yan Mansion was reported a few days ago. There¡¯s really nothing new, but I was lucky enough to meet General Yan yesterday. His appearance is quite different from the rumors. I only needed to pay a hundred taels of silver to get a portrait of the general made for myself.


    After reading it, he threw the note into the charcoal basin.


    Yan Mingting hadn¡¯t lived in the capital for a long time, and there was indeed very little relevant information that could be inquired about, but as for his appearance¡­¡­it had nothing to do with him. Not to mention that he had seen the other person¡¯s appearance with his own eyes, and he was really difficult to look at.


    The rain was getting louder just then, and his mood was even worse. He thought a little self-defeatingly ¨C he might as well be dead.


    But it was just a fleeting thought. He¡¯d had this idea many times, but ultimately, he always propped himself up with stronger thoughts of survival.


    ¡°Someone come, ah!¡± Half an hour later, Xiao Gao ran in from outside, yelling, and the others rushed over immediately, chattering nonstop.


    ¡°What¡¯s all the noise about?¡± It was raining less now, so Zhao Yelan walked to the door to take a look and saw Xiao Gao holding a chicken in his hands. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°The General asked me to bring it back.¡± Xiao Gao lifted the chicken a bit farther away with a sad face, a little afraid of this thing, and handed it to the maid next to him. The servant girl lost her grip for a moment and the chicken flopped to the ground, cooed a few times, and ran away shaking its chubby buttocks.


    ¡°What are you still doing!¡± Zhao Yelan said sternly.


    As if waking up from a dream, everyone rushed to catch the chicken, and in an instant, the courtyard was in chaos.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s face was darker than the dark clouds outside. He stepped out the door, looked around, and heard a sound getting closer to him. He turned around, and before he could see it clearly, he felt a fleshy object hit him.


    He looked down.


    ¡°Coo, coo, coo!¡±


    An old servant stepped forward to grab the chicken quickly, but the chicken was quiet for a moment, and then its buttocks bulged.


    ¡°Is this chicken¡¯s butt about to explode?¡± Xiao Gao looked terrified.


    The maids stepped back in worry and stared at the chicken curiously.


    ¡°No, it should be laying an egg,¡± said the old servant.


    Zhao Yelan stretched out his hand in the direction of the door: ¡°Throw it out for me.¡±


    As soon as the words fell, there was something warm on his slipper-clad foot. An egg had rolled onto it. It was warm.


    Zhao Yelan looked at the egg, then at the unclean chicken butt, and his expression changed abruptly.


    The others wanted to laugh, but they held back and quickly grabbed the chicken and egg to escape.


    ¡°A bath and a change of clothes!¡±


    Zhao Yelan soaked in the bathtub for half an hour, and the hot water was constantly refreshed, but his anger was not reduced.


    ¡°Did Yan Mingting say something when he gave you the chicken?¡± After changing his clothes again, he came to Xiao Gao to question him. He thought of the meeting many years ago, where the other party also stuffed a chicken into his hands and then hid to watch the joke, and only got angrier.


    ¡°The General said that your health is too poor, so he would send you a chicken for nourishment.¡±


    ¡°Poor health?¡± Zhao Yelan sneered angrily. ¡°Good, good, Yan Mingting. He¡¯s insinuating that I don¡¯t have the strength to restrain a chicken, right? Go and clean up the fallen flowers and willows in the yard and send them to that ugly, stingy old widower! Let him see what happens to things that die!¡±


    In the lobby of the General¡¯s Mansion, there was silence.


    All the military leaders who were still discussing amongst themselves stared at the pile of dying flowers and willows on the table. Drops of water soaked the tabletop.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°What do these mean?¡±


    He Cuizhang scratched his head: ¡°Let me make a bold guess, could the fallen flowers and running water show his intention to be merciless?¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°Then what about these willow branches?¡±


    ¡°Broken willows¡­¡­lovemaking?¡±


    Everyone looked sideways at General Yan with complicated expressions.


    General Yan stared at this pile of things for a long time, sighed, and worried: ¡°This isn¡¯t too good, ah. Could it be that a chicken made him secretly fall in love?¡±


    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C


    The author has something to say:


    Yan Mingting in Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes: Fat old pig spirit, ugly and picky old widower!


    Zhao Yelan in Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes: A strange man whose love was bought with a chicken.


    T/N: The egg scene was supposed to result in the egg landing in his hand, but I could not for the life of me figure out how the egg was supposed to roll up and land there. So Zhao Yelan¡¯s slippers were sacrificed.


    [1] Dingguo (¶¨¹ú) means ¡°to stabilize the country.¡± ?


    [2] This is a reference to the famous novel, ¡®A Dream of Red Mansions.¡¯ Grandma Liu was a woman from a peasant family, and was ignorant to the ways of the elite, which is what the author is portraying here. ?

 CH 5

    The Mount Tai landslide situation improved. After the aftershocks subsided, public opinion changed somewhat. From the beginning, it was a secret insinuation that it was a punishment from God, but now everyone was talking about the marriage between the General and the Deputy Prime Minister.


    Cut-sleeves were not prevalent in the Xuan Dynasty, but there was no harm in a rich and powerful businessman with special hobbies raising one or two men in the house as new playthings.


    According to the ancestors of the Xuan Dynasty, a man could not be a main wife, especially in the royal family.


    But now, Zhao Yelan would be given to Yan Mingting as his main wife. There were various speculations about it, and opinions differed, but what was certain was that no one was optimistic about this marriage.


    However, no matter how far the rumors spread, the Zhao Mansion and the General¡¯s Mansion were not affected in any way, and everything went on as usual.


    What Xiao Gao brought back from the General¡¯s Mansion was not only a chicken, but also a dowry booklet.


    ¡°Housekeeper Qin said that the General¡¯s Mansion has not been lived in by the master for a long time, and many things are too old to be used, so he hopes that the Zhao Mansion can bring some useful dowry over there.¡±


    ¡°This was clearly Yan Mingting¡¯s idea.¡± As soon as Housekeeper Qin saw him, he became an old quail and didn¡¯t dare ask him directly. Zhao Yelan took the booklet and looked at the sky outside. The rain had stopped at some point, and the dark clouds dispersed. He hadn¡¯t heard any news he wanted so far, so he could only go to the palace again by himself.


    After finishing the morning court, the emperor went all the way to the main hall to review the memorials. When he saw him coming, he asked: ¡°You didn¡¯t come earlier, but now you¡¯re here. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Zhao Yelan said bluntly: ¡°I want to protest the decree.¡±


    Zhao Xuan smiled instead of getting angry: ¡°When the Imperial decree was first issued, I thought you would resist it. Why wait until now?¡±


    ¡°This minister has dedicated himself to the Emperor, but General Yan is an intolerable bully.¡±


    ¡°How did he bully you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan handed over the booklet: ¡°This was delivered to the mansion by General Yan. How dare he make such a request? It is clear that he doesn¡¯t attach importance to Zhao Mansion and Your Majesty.¡±


    Zhao Xuan opened it and looked at it for quite a while, then laughed and picked up another booklet from the table: ¡°Does this look familiar to you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan replied: ¡°It was delivered to the General¡¯s Mansion by this minister.¡±


    ¡°General Yan handed this thing over to me after the morning court, and said the same thing as you. He also wants to protest,¡± Zhao Xuan said. ¡°Were you waiting for the news that I agreed with General Yan to call off the marriage? You couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so you came to me in person to withdraw your agreement?¡±


    Having been together for many years, they had long become familiar with one another¡¯s temperaments.


    Zhao Xuan walked up to him with a smile. The smile gradually faded, and he said in a low voice: ¡°You know it is impossible for me to rescind an order I have already issued.¡±


    As soon as the Imperial decree was issued, everyone knew that if you openly disobeyed the Emperor¡¯s order, it would only lead to death. The only option was to come at it from another angle, such as taking the initiative to make Yan Mingting think of retreating. It was best to come to the Imperial court to file a complaint and blame the other. Maybe there was still a chance.


    But Zhao Yelan also knew that this trick could be easily seen through by Zhao Xuan. Yan Mingting might also see through it, but if he still wanted to make a fuss, it depended on whether the Emperor was willing to turn a blind eye and take advantage of the stability of Mount Tai to cancel the decree.


    But obviously, Zhao Xuan was not just Zhao Xuan anymore. He was also the Emperor who kept his promises.


    ¡°That will be all for now, go back and rest. People from the Ministry of Rites will take care of the details of the marriage, and I will definitely let you get married in a glorious manner.¡±


    What a ridiculous marriage.


    Zhao Yelan sneered in contempt, but when he raised his head, his pitiful expression had returned to his face: ¡°This minister will obey the order.¡±


    Seeing his appearance, Zhao Xuan¡¯s voice softened unconsciously: ¡°Will you blame me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°This minister wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Then will you get along well with the General?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s mind moved slightly. The Emperor seemed to be asking casually, but he had to choose his answer carefully. The throne¡¯s biggest taboo was officials shielding one another, not to mention that he was going to marry Yan Mingting, who held an army in his hands.


    ¡°If Your Majesty wishes so, this minister will live in harmony with him,¡± Zhao Yelan replied very meticulously.


    Zhao Xuan smiled and patted him on the shoulder: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, you just need to be yourself after you get married.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°By the way, General Yan is very heroic, and he is a perfect match for you. It seems that you haven¡¯t seen him yet, right? He looks exactly the same as what I¡¯ve seen before¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°This minister has seen him.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was startled, and asked with a smile: ¡°Then what do you think of him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not like that.¡±


    Zhao Xuan laughed loudly: ¡°In the past few days, everyone in the court is praising him, and you just look down on him.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t stay for too long. When there was no hope of withdrawing the decree, he took his leave.


    Zhao Xuan watched him leave, his frail figure drifting away from the resplendent palace. He twirled the jade ring on his thumb and murmured: ¡°Eunuch Gao,[2] tell me¡­¡­he really won¡¯t blame me?¡±


    Eunuch Gao poured tea for him and said: ¡°Zhao-daren¡¯s life belongs to you, the Emperor. He has devoted himself all these years, and once blocked an arrow for you. There is no second person in the world who is so loyal. Now that you have found a good marriage for him, how could he blame the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah, his health has not been good since he was hit by the arrow.¡± Zhao Xuan subconsciously pressed that place on his chest. If Zhao Yelan hadn¡¯t blocked it for him back then, he might have been the sick man. He might have even died on that snowy night. He turned his head and said, ¡°Go to the Tai Hospital and find a new doctor with good medical skills, and take them to Zhao Mansion for him to have a good look.¡±


    Not long after Zhao Yelan returned to the mansion, people from the Tai Hospital came to check his pulse and prepare medicines. He listened sleepily to the sounds of people coming and going outside.


    After a good while, Xiao Gao came in with a bowl of medicine. Zhao Yelan frowned, put the medicine aside, and went to the study.


    Xiao Gao chased after him to the study room with the medicine bowl in his hands, coaxing and persuading him: ¡°My lord, please take a sip, good medicine tastes bitter. This time there is a new doctor, maybe it will make your illness better.¡±


    ¡°Leave it, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan unfolded a piece of paper, picked up a writing brush, and began to draw.


    ¡°My lord, take a sip first.¡± Xiao Gao didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of him getting angry. Just like an old hen, he kept making noises.


    After the medicine had cooled down, Zhao Yelan put down his writing brush and picked up the bowl. He closed his eyes and drank it calmly, then handed over the painting he had made on the table to Xiao Gao.


    Xiao Gao was overjoyed. When he took a closer look, the painting was clearly of an old hen.


    The wedding date was getting closer and closer, and the Zhao Mansion and General¡¯s Mansion were visibly busy. Although there were people from the Ministry of Rites to take charge of this matter, the two main participants still had to cooperate.


    They must be familiar with the procedures of wedding clothes, wedding banquets, and big gifts.


    Unexpectedly, even an old maid in the palace was sent to the Zhao residence, bringing with her many boudoir items.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan heard her mention consummation, he invited the person to leave his house.


    There were many things he needed to do, but he didn¡¯t want to hear such nonsense. He wanted to look at his account books. He had saved a lot over the years, and knew very well that he would never be cheaper than others.


    Xiao Gao came in with brand-new big red wedding clothes in his arms and saw him sitting at the table with a gloomy face. He stepped forward and asked: ¡°My lord, why are you unhappy?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him: ¡°You are very happy.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I think my lord will look very good in these clothes.¡± Xiao Gao trembled with joy, and Zhao Yelan¡¯s face turned darker.


    Xiao Gao hung his clothes aside and asked, ¡°My lord, what are you worrying about?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t make a sound. Even if he told him, he wouldn¡¯t understand. After getting married, it would be very difficult to hold the position of Deputy Prime Minister again, and it was not certain whether he could go to early court. The emperor didn¡¯t give his promise, so if he couldn¡¯t keep it, he would have to stay in the back house[3] like an ordinary woman.


    But he intuitively felt that the Emperor would definitely deal with it in this way, which not only restrained him, but also restrained Yan Mingting, killing two birds with one stone.


    He didn¡¯t mind staying at home for the rest of his life, being a wealthy idler. The idea was to live safely, but would those enemies allow him to do so?


    ¡°By the way, where is the basket?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Xiao Gao turned his head to get the basket. He couldn¡¯t figure it out, but thinking about the strange things in the basket, he handed it to Zhao Yelan directly. ¡°It¡¯s strange, there seems to be nothing unusual about these ones today.¡±


    There were only some snacks in the basket today, red dates, peanuts, longan, melon seeds. Ziao Gao scratch his head, completely confused: ¡°What do these things mean? My lord, you don¡¯t seem to like the food either, ba?¡±


    Zhao Yelan threw the basket out and said angrily, ¡°Clean all of these up.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the big wedding. There were officers and soldiers on both sides of the street, and some common people who watched with excitement lined up from the Zhao Mansion to the General¡¯s Mansion. The grand scene of the ten-mile red marriage procession could only be seen when the Emperor welcomes the Empress.


    The welcoming line was very long, and the sending line was even more so. There were many boxes hanging behind the sedan chair, and the heavy dowry was enviable.


    Zhao Yelan was sitting in the sedan chair. He was covered in red, holding a bridal veil in his hands that was embroidered with the golden word ¡°Happiness,¡± which did not match his complexion.


    The chattering voices outside carried into the sedan chair. Some guessed how much the dowry was worth, and some scolded him for stealing people¡¯s wealth¡­¡­He lazily closed his eyes to sleep, until the sedan chair was kicked three times and he heard the matron of honor say: ¡°Please receive the new bride from the sedan chair.¡±


    He woke up slowly, and saw a hand stretched out from outside the door curtain. It was a big palm with calluses all over the fingertips, the hand of a person who practiced martial arts all year round.


    Today¡¯s grand ceremony was presided over by the Emperor himself. All the officials had come to congratulate him, and Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to lose face in front of everyone, so he simply put on the veil. What the eye didn¡¯t see, the heart didn¡¯t grieve over. He reached out and took that hand.


    That hand froze for a moment, and then helped him down from the sedan chair. They stepped across the threshold of the General¡¯s Mansion together, and went to the main hall.


    Wearing bright yellow informal clothes, Zhao Xuan sat on the main seat and said a few words of congratulations. Standing on both sides were civil and military officials, each with their own thoughts, watching the couple together.


    ¡°The auspicious time has come, let us pray to heaven and earth.¡±


    ¡°Second, pay respects to the parents.¡±


    ¡°Bow to husband and wife.¡±


    After that, Zhao Yelan was led to the new house, but the person next to him who had been quiet all of a sudden sneezed: ¡°Achoo! Achooachoo!¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°General, bear with it,¡± the matron of honor whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve endured it for a long time, and I almost did it just now during worship.¡± Yan Mingting flexed his fingers and rubbed his nose.


    Zhao Yelan thought in his heart: Boor!


    After the bridal procession, Yan Mingting was urged to drink with the guests. Regardless of whether you had met this group of people or not, whether you were familiar with them or not, you had to save face in this kind of life. He dealt with the Emperor first, waited for him to leave, and then turned around to drink with those well-mannered colleagues


    The military leaders were each better at drinking than the one that came before, and it didn¡¯t take long to drink this group of civil servants to the ground. All that was left was a group of military officials fighting for wine.


    Zhong Yuehong was the only female military leader here ¨C although she could drink well, she was no match for so many people. She was about to change tables, and saw Yan Mingting sitting on the threshold, holding a bottle of wine in his hand as he drank from it from time to time.


    ¡°General, the moon is out.¡± Zhong Yuehong reminded him, ¡°Leave this to us, ba, you should go back to your room.¡±


    Yan Mingting sighed, propped himself up, and stood. Then Zhong Yuehong  whispered: ¡°If the General is not willing, why did he accept the decree? We have so many brothers, so just¡­¡­¡±


    Before she finished speaking, He Cuizhang appeared from behind and covered her mouth: ¡°Yuehong, this is the capital, be careful what you say!¡±


    Zhong Yuehong elbowed him backhand. ¡°I¡¯m just offended on behalf of the General, he went through life and death for the Emperor and finally won the battle, but in the end he gave him a man? And a person like Zhao Yelan, isn¡¯t this ruining the General¡¯s reputation for nothing? How will future generations judge the General?¡±


    The others were also silent, because she spoke out loud what was in everyone¡¯s hearts, and the soldiers were also complaining on the General¡¯s behalf in private.


    Yan Mingting raised his head and took a sip of wine, then said abruptly: ¡°I don¡¯t live and die for the Emperor.¡±


    Everyone was taken aback.


    ¡°I live and die for the people.¡±


    ¡°General¡­¡­¡± Hearing these words, several people became even sadder, and their eyes turned red one after another.


    ¡°This is what Zhao Yelan told me.¡±


    The people¡¯s tears froze in an instant, then retreated back in.


    ¡°When did he tell you that?¡± Zhong Yuehong asked curiously.


    ¡°When we met for the first time,¡± Yan Mingting recalled.


    Back in Beijing that year, the princes rushed to visit his father, trying to win over the Yan family¡¯s army.


    His father was at a loss. Because he didn¡¯t know when the poison in Yan Mingting would be cured, he wasn¡¯t sure how long his son would have to stay in Beijing. It might be for his entire life.


    The princes would definitely use Yan Mingting to blackmail him. The crown prince was licentious, the second prince was cruel by nature, the third prince was powerless, the fourth prince had no great wisdom, and the fifth prince was weak and naive. It was hard to choose one of them, and if he chose wrong, the entire Yan army might be buried with him.


    Yan Mingting bumped into Zhao Yelan, who was waiting for someone in the mansion, and asked him: ¡°Since you belong to the third prince, you also came to find my father?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see you, Major General.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s voice was not loud, but calm and unhurried.


    ¡°Me?¡± Yan Mingting felt this was very novel, as if he was also a big shot. There were countless guests in the mansion and all of them were looking for his father. Because of his poisoning, it was difficult for him to see outsiders, let alone gain publicity. It was only mentioned that he was going back to Beijing to visit relatives. What¡¯s more, he didn¡¯t expect to be rumored to be a famous ugly man in Beijing.


    ¡°Major general has been fighting alongside the general since he was a child and will be a first-class figure in the future. It¡¯s just that if a wrong decision is made now, it will not only be a loss for the Yan family army, but a loss for the entire Xuan Dynasty.¡±


    Yan Mingting said: ¡°So you want to persuade us to join the third prince?¡±


    ¡°No, I hope you don¡¯t join any camp.¡± Zhao Yelan shook his head.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you are fighting for the people, not for the Zhao family. Don¡¯t get involved in this conspiracy, you can continue to protect the people on your own.¡±


    Yan Mingting was stunned: ¡°But, if we don¡¯t make a choice, the Zhao family can kill our Yan family army at any time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you have to stay in the capital right now. What if you didn¡¯t have to?¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°Major General, the person who tied the bell on the tiger¡¯s neck should be the one to untie it,[1] but it depends on whether you have the courage.¡±


    Yan Mingting understood the meaning behind his words. The current dilemma was that his father would not disregard his life, so he was at an impasse.


    He talked with his father all night, and finally his father agreed that he would not treat him in Beijing and instead go back to the military camp, exchanging his health for the stability of the Yan family army and avoid stepping foot into this Imperial city that killed without spilling blood.


    Unexpectedly, a few days later, the third prince secretly sent the Imperial doctor in charge of his illness to the frontier. The old general accepted his favor, and only said that if the third prince came to the throne in the future, Yan Mingting must be obedient.


    The memory came to an abrupt end, and the details didn¡¯t need to be shared with this group of subordinates, so Yan Mingting just smiled helplessly: ¡°I¡¯m not happy about this marriage, and Zhao Yelan might also not be happy, so you should all stop talking like this.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong: ¡°Then why did you keep sighing?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting rubbed his chin. ¡°Zhao Yelan has always thought I¡¯m ugly, so when he suddenly sees my handsome appearance, will he faint in surprise? He was secretly in love, so wouldn¡¯t he be infatuated now? This is tricky, how should I deal with this relationship problem¡­¡­¡±


    Subordinates: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Excuse us, we¡¯re very worried about you.


    After handing over the courtyard to his subordinates, Yan Mingting passed through a corridor with red lanterns on both sides that made people blush and beam with joy.


    When he came to the door, he felt a rare nervousness. He straightened his clothes, smelled the scent of alcohol on his body and fanned it with his hands, and then pushed open the door ¨C


    It was empty.


    Yan Mingting blinked and looked around. Could he be hiding?


    He went in and carefully checked the beams, the wardrobe, the underside of the bed, but there was no trace of anyone.


    ¡°Servants.¡±


    Soon, a little maid ran over with a flustered expression.


    ¡°Husband¡­¡­Zhao¡­¡­where did he go?¡± Yan Mingting pointed at the room and didn¡¯t know what to call him for a moment.


    The maid hurriedly replied: ¡°Answering the General, your husband¡­¡­Zhao¡­¡­aiya, it¡¯s not good, he went to your storeroom!¡±


    ¡°Why did he go to the storeroom on the wedding night instead of staying in the room?¡± Yan Mingting strode toward the storeroom.


    The servant girl said: ¡°He took the gift list and went to the storeroom to count the gifts from the guests!¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C


    The author has something to say:


    The couple on their wedding night ¨C


    Yan Mingting: If he is stunned by me and falls in love with all his heart, what shall I do¡­¡­


    Zhao Yelan: Let me see, who gave too little gift money, who looked down on me? Assassination tonight.jpg


    [1] ¡°The one to tie the bell on the tiger¡¯s neck should be the one to untie it¡± means that the one who started the trouble should be the one to end it. ?


    [2] This is a different Gao than the one we know and love. Xiao Gao is definitely not two-timing with the Emperor! ?


    [3] Consider the ¡®back house¡¯ to be an official¡¯s family, a wife, siblings, etc. These people cannot be involved in court matters since there would be a conflict of interest if mutual family members banded together to accomplish a goal. ?

 CH 6

    The storeroom of the General¡¯s Mansion was useless. The General¡¯s Mansion, which sounded impressive, actually had pitifully little wealth. All of the reward money and salary was used to purchase weapons and reward the soldiers.


    This room had been cleaned up, and then Yan Mingting stuffed it full of weapons brought back from the frontier.


    The servants were afraid of the dangers these weapons might pose to the new master, and while guarding him carefully, they could only obey his orders and open all of the gift money and gift boxes received today for him to check.


    As soon as Yan Mingting walked to the door, he heard that cold and indifferent voice drifting out: ¡°The left official of the Ministry of Revenue has a hundred taels of silver, ten bolts of silk, and a sword, which is barely passable¡­¡­ the silk?¡±


    Yan Mingting pushed open the door and saw a servant opening a new box, which contained the received silk. Zhao Yelan leaned over to pick one up, rubbing the material with his fingertips.


    ¡°General,¡± the servant called out.


    Yan Mingting nodded. His eyes remained on the back of that red figure, but the other party didn¡¯t turn around for a long time, and even took the trouble to peruse the box.


    ¡°Cough.¡± Yan Mingting deliberately coughed to signal his existence.


    Only then did Zhao Yelan turn his head and reluctantly glance at him. He paused abruptly and tilted his head to look again at the person standing at the door, his pupils slightly dilated: ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the General,¡± Housekeeper Qin replied, wiping away his cold sweat. He quickly gave the maids meaningful looks and coaxed them away from the bridal chamber. In the middle of the night, the newlyweds gathered in the storeroom to count the gifts.


    Zhao Yelan went to the door and glanced at Yan Mingting suspiciously. Yan Mingting wore the same wedding clothes, but with a sense of wantonness. His body was like a longbow, strong and powerful, poised for action. His hair was all coiled on top of his head, revealing a broad and handsome face, valiant and heroic. The bridge of his nose was high and straight, and despite being exposed to the wind and sun all year round, his skin was still fair.


    Yan Mingting was satisfied to see the surprised expression on his face. Quite proud of himself, he lifted his chin slightly and was about to speak, when Zhao Yelan regained his calm appearance in an instant and turned around to order: ¡°Take those two pieces of silk to the tailor shop tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xiao Gao replied immediately, and took away the two pieces of silk in full view.


    Housekeeper Qin and the servants all looked at the General. Yan Mingting nodded: ¡°Give it to him, it¡¯s useless to just leave it here.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a sideways glance, then walked to the bridal chamber, closing it with a bang. Yan Mingting and the people behind him were blocked outside.


    ¡°General, you still need to drink the wedding wine,¡± the servant girl whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you all go back first, there¡¯s no need to wait.¡± Yan Mingting waved his hand and waited for everyone to leave before entering the bridal chamber as if nothing had happened.


    The two cups on the table were empty. Yan Mingting glanced at the person sitting by the bed and walked to the table on his own, lifting the jug and tilting his head to take a few sips. He said cheerfully: ¡°This is good wine.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him gloomily without moving a muscle.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s rest, ba.¡± Yan Mingting put down the jug, came to the bed, and moved to untie his belt.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Zhao Yelan shouted.


    Yan Mingting was taken aback: ¡°Undressing, ah, do you want to go to bed wearing such cumbersome clothes?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was going to give him a few choice words, but when he opened his mouth, he coughed involuntarily. He subconsciously grabbed his collar and tilted his head to cough into it non-stop. His face became even paler, and he closed his eyes tightly, not wanting Yan Mingting to see his shameful appearance.


    After a little improvement, he slowly opened his eyes. They were full of defensiveness and anger, but he didn¡¯t know if that anger was towards others or himself.


    After a pause, he looked at the cup that had appeared before him and glanced at the person in front of him suspiciously.


    ¡°Drink some water first, ba,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a while, then took it without speaking. The hot water soaked his throat, soothing it.


    Seeing that he had stopped coughing, Yan Mingting had just taken back the cup when he couldn¡¯t help but sneeze two more times. Zhao Yelan frowned.


    ¡°I say¡­¡­what on earth is that smell on you, ah? So pungent.¡± Yan Mingting asked. ¡°With a fragrance like this, I¡¯m going to sneeze every time I see you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked askance at him: ¡°This is the best perfume for tribute, it¡¯s only pungent if you¡¯re a fool.¡±


    ¡°How is it best for tribute, it only harms people.¡± Yan Mingting didn¡¯t believe it, and wanted to cover his nose again.


    What a puzzling custom!


    Zhao Yelan found it bothersome to look at him any more. He wanted to go to bed, but had to be wary of this boor in front of him.


    While he thought about it, Yan Mingting had already taken off his outer clothing. He sat on the bed and asked: ¡°Why don¡¯t you take it off?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes were like knives cutting into him.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t realize this, however, and even started observing his new wife.


    He had grown up amongst men since he was a child, and had seen millions of soldiers, but he had never seen a man like Zhao Yelan. He was said to be a formidable figure, yet he coughed after walking a few steps, was as weak as a weed, and could be blown away by a gust of wind. He was weak, and killing him would be effortless.


    Of all people, such a person was extremely good-looking, surpassing all the men and women he had ever seen. His skin was as white as snow and his clothing as red as blood, which surprisingly suited him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Zhao Yelan said coldly.


    ¡°Is it too cumbersome for you to take it off? These clothes are really troublesome, I can help you.¡± As soon as Yan Mingting stretched out a hand, he was hit by a pillow. He pressed the pillow back to the bedside and leaned forward, almost touching Zhao Yelan.


    There was a sudden bright flash followed by a chill at his neck. He froze, looked down at the knife against his throat, then raised his eyes to the pale Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Zhao Yelan coldly looked at the person before him.


    Yan Mingting looked puzzled. This was not a good attitude, ah. He asked doubtfully: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes were sharp as he held the knife firmly in his hand: ¡°Stay, behave yourself, don¡¯t move around.¡±


    The corner of Yan Mingting¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°You are the first to get close enough to me to threaten me with a knife.¡±


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t concerned, Zhao Yelan¡¯s pupils shrank slightly, and just as he was going to use force, his wrists were suddenly grabbed. Immediately afterwards, both hands were pressed against the bannister.


    Zhao Yelan struggled, but his opponent¡¯s strength was greater than his and he had no ability to fight back. He gasped violently, his chest heaving.


    ¡°Let me see what other good things you have hidden.¡± Yan Mingting touched his waist.


    Zhao Yelan said furiously: ¡°Yan Mingting!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Yan Mingting reached out and took a waist protector from him, difficult to penetrate with ordinary weapons. ¡°En, that¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was infuriated as he watched him throw the waist guard toward the door.


    ¡°Oh, and wristbands too?¡± Yan Mingting laughed and took the wristbands from his hands. ¡°This is a treasure from the Minister of Ministry Affairs and should be a wedding gift for me. It seems that you took a lot from the storeroom just now.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him, bold and self-righteous: ¡°What is the problem?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Just to warn you, these are of no use to you.¡± Yan Mingting weighed the wristband. ¡°Too heavy. You have thin arms and legs, and they will be difficult to wear.¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    Zhao Yelan had both hands free. While the other was lowering his head to study the wristband, he picked up the knife with a spurt of energy. As soon as he raised his hand, the other party easily grabbed his wrist without looking up and twisted it. He felt an immediate burst of pain.


    It wasn¡¯t over yet.


    He didn¡¯t know what kind of martial arts Yan Mingting did, but he was spun around for a moment and then sat in front of Yan Mingting with his back against his chest, making Zhao Yelan¡¯s face turn red and white.


    As he was about to fly into a fit of humiliated rage and start cursing, Yan Mingting held his hand and carved a word on the bed¡¯s bannister ¨C Early.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak and in poor health. From now on, get up early every day and do horse stance with me!¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡° ? ¡±


    After a lot of tossing, Zhao Yelan had given up on threatening his life and just looked at Yan Mingting as if beholding a fool: ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°Horse stance.¡± Yan Mingting let go of his hand. ¡°Your foundation is too poor. Since you want to practice martial arts, you have to learn from the fundamentals. For the sake of our marriage, I will personally supervise you. Ordinary people cannot enjoy this treatment.¡±


    Zhao Yelan endured and endured, but still couldn¡¯t hold it back. He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Who said I¡¯m going to practice martial arts?¡±


    ¡°That flowery and useless move you made just now, weren¡¯t you testing your martial arts on me?¡± Yan Mingting wondered.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡­you want to threaten me with this lousy knife? So that I will have a wedding night with you?¡± Yan Mingting turned pale with shock, covering his chest with both hands.


    Zhao Yelan was so angry that he threw the knife away: ¡°Who wants a wedding night with you!¡±


    ¡°It seems that he wants to practice martial arts.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was exhausted. He numbly took off his outer garments, wrapped himself in the blanket and turned over, showing his angry back.


    Seeing this, Yan Mingting smiled silently and lay down beside him.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Zhao Yelan sat up abruptly and said sharply: ¡°Who told you to lie here!¡±


    ¡°This is my bed, why can¡¯t I lie down?¡±


    Zhao Yelan only hated that the knife had no effect on him, coughing twice: ¡°In short, you can¡¯t sleep here!¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t sleep here, where else can I sleep?¡± As Yan Mingting spoke, he replaced the blanket for him. ¡°Why do you keep coughing, why don¡¯t you drink more water?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s body stiffened slightly, and he said, ¡°Get out, don¡¯t sleep in this room.¡±


    Unexpectedly, the other person not only didn¡¯t move, but instead leaned closer and closer to him and whispered in his ear: ¡°There is someone on the roof.¡±


    Zhao Yelan opened his eyes wide. To dare to secretly observe the wedding night at the General¡¯s Mansion, there was perhaps only one person who had such courage.


    He didn¡¯t say anything more, just got up and went to get some books from the room and put them in the middle of the bed, separating the two of them clearly.


    The room suddenly fell silent. Yan Mingting waved his hand to put out the candle flame, and it became pitch black.


    After a long time, Zhao Yelan noticed that he was lying down, well-behaved, and had no intention of overstepping the rules. Maybe this boor didn¡¯t know how to have a wedding night between two men, so he secretly relieved himself. He lay on his side for quite a while and couldn¡¯t help but defend: ¡°That was not a lousy knife, but a tribute from the King of Yunnan.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, paying tribute with garish and useless things. This thing can kill people on the battlefield in the hands of a talented person, but the jade inlaid on it can be sold for some money.¡± Yan Mingting said leisurely, ¡°Looking good doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s useful. I¡¯ll pick some suitable ones for you another day.¡±


    Zhao Yelan did not refuse. It was a fool¡¯s behavior to not take advantage of something, and he was not a fool.


    ¡°By the way¡­¡­aren¡¯t you wondering how I suddenly became so handsome?¡± Yan Mingting turned sideways, and he could still see that silhouette in the darkness.


    Since he returned to Beijing, anyone who saw him sighed that he was so different from what he was back then, and he didn¡¯t bother to explain why.


    But Zhao Yelan was only surprised for a moment, and immediately accepted the fact without giving him a chance to show off.


    ¡°It must be because of the poisoning, ba,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°The people who knew the inside story back then only knew that you were poisoned, but after some thought, it should be a poison that could even affect your appearance.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Yan Mingting smiled. ¡°This poison was so powerful that the military doctors were helpless, and I almost died. Fortunately, you sent someone to the frontier in time and saved my life.¡±


    ¡°It was the third¡­¡­a person who was sent by the Emperor,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°The Emperor didn¡¯t even know about my poisoning at the time. Only you had seen me. Regardless of whether your original intention was to use us or not, you saved my life anyway.¡±


    Zhao Yelan said nothing, and when he was about to fall asleep, Yan Mingting poked his back and asked: ¡°What did you mean by the flowers you sent me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Zhao Yelan said angrily. ¡°When did I send you flowers?!¡±


    ¡°Just a few days ago, you specially sent someone to the mansion with those willow branches¡­¡­were you, to me¡­¡­¡± While Yan Mingting was talking, he felt a little embarrassed to continue.


    He usually lived with a group of big men and rarely encountered women. Such a bold act of love really made people troubled and embarrassed.


    He sighed. Resting his arms on the pillow, he looked at the roof and said with a slight smile: ¡°You don¡¯t need to rush this matter. Wait for me to make mental preparations first. Although you are good-looking, I also haven¡¯t seen anyone¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It was just some useless trash.¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s smile froze: ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°There was no place to dispose of it, so I could only throw it in your house.¡±


    The ruthless answer caught Yan Mingting by surprise, and he said in a daze: ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°What do I mean?¡± Zhao Yelan asked indifferently. ¡°You thought it meant something?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Yan Mingting was speechless. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t reveal the fact that he had been self-indulgent, so he turned over and hummed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just thought those flowers were too ugly, especially ugly.¡±


    ¡°Not as ugly as you.¡±


    ¡°You speak without conscience, where is this general ugly?¡±


    ¡°Everywhere is ugly.¡±


    The two quarreled with their backs facing each other, falling asleep before they knew it.


    But Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t sleep well in a new place and a different bed, with a strange man beside him, and would wake up from time to time.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect that Yan Mingting would pick him up after he had finally fallen asleep to go practice horse stance!


    T/N: No¡­¡­no footnotes?! The universe can be so kind??

 CH 7

    The person who was still asleep heard someone calling his name, opened his eyes drowsily, and saw Yan Mingting¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t react for a while: ¡°Why are you here¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in my room,¡± Yan Mingting answered.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at the sky outside. It was as black as thick ink. He rubbed between his brows. ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Maoshi,[1] it¡¯s time to train.¡±


    Zhao Yelan closed his eyes, turned his back to him, and cursed inwardly. The world suddenly spun and he woke up abruptly to find that he was no longer in the warm bed. Instead, he was suspended above the floor, his body carried on a pair of shoulders.


    ¡°What are you doing! Put me down!¡± Zhao Yelan was fully awake and beat Yan Mingting¡¯s back hard.


    Yan Mingting said nonchalantly: ¡°We¡¯re going to stretch your lazy muscles.¡±


    Zhao Yelan kept calling his name, and the other party stopped at the door, turning back. He had just breathed a sigh of relief when the other party pressed him onto the bed, put on his boots and cloak, and then picked him up again.


    The guard at the door was startled when he saw the general carrying a man out: ¡°General, is there a thief?¡±


    ¡°Yan Mingting! Let me go, you hear me!¡± Zhao Yelan cursed, out of breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, not a thief, just the Furen.[2] Go get my horse and we¡¯ll go out.¡±


    As soon as Zhao Yelan landed firmly on his feet, Yan Mingting dragged him onto the horse¡¯s back. With a cry of surprise, he grabbed his arm in a panic, and then roughly pushed it away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move around, be careful not to fall.¡± Yan Mingting laughed. ¡°This fall would hurt so much, you might break something.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was frustrated: ¡°Isn¡¯t there a sedan chair in the majestic General¡¯s Mansion?!¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to sit on that thing? It has to be carried, and it¡¯s very boring, how can it be relaxing and comfortable? Hold on tight.¡± Yan Mingting grabbed the reins, clamped the horse¡¯s belly with his legs, and vanished on the wide road in an instant.


    The cool wind rushing by blew across Zhao Yelan¡¯s face, cold and painful. The speed of the horse was so fast that it was impossible to see the road ahead. He simply closed his eyes and listened to the beating of his own heart as he sat on the back of a fast horse for the first time. His body was not used to it, and he felt unspeakably nervous for fear of falling off.


    They went all the way without speaking.


    ¡°Here we are.¡± Yan Mingting stopped, dismounted first, and stretched out a hand to him. ¡°Come down.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him sharply. As soon as he stretched out his hand, he found that it was still trembling slightly and he retracted it again, holding the reins motionlessly, like a silent stone lion.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t come down, my subordinates will arrive soon.¡± Yan Mingting laughed.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s face turned cold, and he gave him his hand expressionlessly. Just as he stepped on the stirrups, he was easily carried down and his waist was measured, only to hear Yan Mingting sigh: ¡°Let me just say that you have poor stature, your waist is too thin, and you can¡¯t even subdue a horse.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyes, smiled slightly, and fiercely stomped on his foot.


    When the subordinates rushed over, they saw their general standing at the gate of the training field, hopping with one foot in his arms. They hurriedly stepped forward to ask what happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± Yan Mingting waved his hands and said nonchalantly, ¡°Let¡¯s all go in.¡±


    The group of people nodded, only to find that there was an additional person. His face was so pale, but his cheeks were stained red, likely from anger.


    ¡°General, why did you bring Zhao¡­¡­ah, furen here?¡± Zhong Yuehong was puzzled.


    ¡°He wants to practice martial arts to keep fit, so I brought him to train together,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Nonsense!


    Zhao Yelan was angry, but he didn¡¯t want to argue with others in front of a group of strangers and lose his elegant demeanor for no reason.


    The soldiers in the training grounds had already stood up in an orderly manner. Yan Mingting led the group of people inside and heard a loud shout: ¡°General!¡±


    ¡°This is the capital, not a camp, so don¡¯t wake up the common people.¡± Yan Mingting asked these men not to speak loudly and to go down and lead everyone in training, then led Zhao Yelan around in front.


    The soldiers¡¯ feet were planted firmly, but their heads sprung up like bamboo shoots, one after another, scrambling to look at the people in front of them.


    They heard that the pale and tender person next to the General was the General¡¯s wife. He looked sick, coughing twice from time to time, but he was a person who was a gentleman in front of others while doing bad things in the dark, and the common people scolded him, cursing him to die early. Unexpectedly, on the second day of the wedding, the General pulled him over to train together early in the morning. The General was really amazing, ah!


    While the soldiers were observing Zhao Yelan, Zhao Yelan was also watching them. This group of people suffered more and were more useful than the Imperial guards in the capital. The Imperial guards had long been supported by Imperial funding. The commander used to take a lot of money to curry favor with him, and it could be seen that there was a lot of greed for ill-gotten gains.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, come here.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned around. When he saw Yan Mingting, he became inexplicably angry, and said coldly: ¡°Who allowed you to call me by my name?¡±


    ¡°Then what should I call you? Furen?¡± Yan Mingting smiled.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression became even more unsightly, utterly unable to put up with it. Yan Mingting took the initiative to come over and say: ¡°How about it? Let¡¯s see, shouldn¡¯t we get started?¡±


    ¡°Start¡­¡­what?¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at him blankly. Then a leg suddenly squeezed between his, exerting force from left to right, and his legs were forced to separate. After stabilizing his figure, his shoulders were pressed down by a pair of hands.


    ¡°Train your body well.¡± Yan Mingting stood behind him and said, ¡°Lower your legs a bit, and keep your waist straight.¡±


    Zhou Yelan wanted to resist and was about to stand up, but the other party used force indiscriminately and pushed him down even deeper.


    His legs couldn¡¯t support the weight of the two of them and he almost fell backwards, but it was easy for Yan Mingting to hug his back, saying sarcastically: ¡°Even my family¡¯s chickens are stronger than you.¡±


    Enraged by these few words, Zhao Yelan looked sideways at his smug, smiling face. He raised his hand and was about to lash out, but heard the sound of a blade being unsheathed ¨C ¨C Yan Mingting held a sword in his hand, and when he lifted his thumb, a part of the sword came out of the sheath, shining coldly.


    The eyes of the two met, and neither of them would give in. After a moment of confrontation, Zhao Yelan turned his head silently.


    ¨C ¨C A wise man submits to the circumstances.


    Yan Mingting nodded happily, and continued to guide his movements and adjust his posture.


    This side was conducting two-person training, but the soldiers on the other side couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about. They only saw the General bring his new wife to train with everyone, already not coveting the conjugal bed, but bullying the new wife fairly and justly¡­¡­. Ah, correcting the Furen¡¯s actions was really admirable, and he was worthy of being their indomitable General!


    The soldiers stepped steadily, as easy as eating or drinking, but Zhao Yelan was not like that.


    After just a quarter of an hour, his legs were shaking and his back was sweating. The sheen of sweat on his forehead and the back of his neck caused his hair to stick, making him very uncomfortable.


    Yan Mingting came over to inspect: ¡°En, not bad, there¡¯s finally a little color in that face.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a fiercely cutting look, pondering how to make this fellow kneel down and beg for mercy.


    Not long after, a little bit of light appeared in the sky, and the whole city began to wake up. The common people rose in the morning to start freshening up, and the officials went to court one after another. The streets were soon full of people coming and going, stepping on the age-worn flagstones and talking about today¡¯s events.


    The soldiers were finally able to fight loudly. Yan Mingting divided them into several teams to practice in turn. After observing for more than half an hour, he finally remembered the person who had been left out. Standing on the platform and looking around, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Zhao Yelan?¡±


    ¡°He left early,¡± Zhong Yuehong said.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you remind me?¡±


    ¡°He threatened me with his official authority, and I dared not disobey.¡± After speaking, Zhong Yuehong jumped into the training team and picked a strong person to compete against.


    Yan Mingting glanced at the gate of the training grounds and didn¡¯t know how Zhao Yelan got back.


    Obviously he went back in a sedan chair. Zhao Yelan saw Yan Mingting going to the platform to divide the teams, so he left the training field in a fit of anger and hired a soft and comfortable sedan chair. After sitting down, he coughed a few times and pounded his aching thighs, then laid back to nap.


    After the sedan chair stopped, he woke up and opened the curtain to take a look. Realizing that he had habitually ordered it to go back to the Zhao Mansion, he sat back in the sedan chair and did not leave for a long time.


    In a daze, he heard his name from the mouths of passers-by outside.


    ¡°Did you see the special ceremony yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it was a huge scene, but it¡¯s a pity that it was for the eunuch Zhao Yelan.¡±


    ¡°Eunuch?!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know yet, ah? There have been such rumors in the market for a long time. I didn¡¯t believe it at first, but marrying him to the General now is just for convenience. Look at his white and clean appearance, what sort of man is like him, dressed up beautifully and with the fragrance of cosmetics all over his body? He is also in his twenties and has never married a wife, so maybe he can¡¯t have sex.¡±


    ¡°No wonder, he walks slowly and his voice is mostly delicate and cute, but I don¡¯t know if the General was scared by his appearance last night, hahaha.¡±


    As the voice faded away, Zhao Yelan lifted the curtain and gestured to the two guards at the gate of the Zhao Mansion.


    Seeing that it was him, the guards hurried forward to listen to his orders.


    ¡°Eunuch Gao is short of manpower. Those two looked quite clever, suitable for errands. Take them to Eunuch Gao.¡± Zhao Yelan turned his head and pointed to the two figures walking away.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After returning to the General¡¯s Mansion, he realized that the place was in chaos.


    Early in the morning, the maids had knocked on the door, only to find that there was no one in the room. They searched around anxiously, but to no avail, and for some reason a quarrel broke out.


    Xiao Gao brought a group of servants from the Zhao Mansion to ask the General¡¯s Mansion where he was, while Housekeeper Qin and the maids suspected that the new master had murdered their General.


    The two sides argued endlessly, until Xiao Gao discovered Zhao Yelan¡¯s figure and hurried forward: ¡°My lord, where did you go early in the morning?¡±


    Zhao Yelan asked him sullenly: ¡°Why did you sleep so long today?¡±


    Normally, Xiao Gao would wake up if there was a little movement, but today when he was taken away by Yan Mingting, he especially raised his voice and Xiao Gao didn¡¯t show up for a long time.


    ¡°I drank some wine at the wedding last night.¡± Xiao Gao knew he was wrong, and walked around him. ¡°Are you alright, my lord? Are you injured?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was exhausted to the point of weakness and couldn¡¯t censure him anymore, so he walked to the room with a lack of interest and ordered: ¡°Prepare some hot water, I want to take a bath.¡±


    Xiao Gao immediately took people to make preparations, but because it was a new environment, he had to find a few maids from the General¡¯s Mansion to go with him.


    Housekeeper Qin followed behind Zhao Yelan. Seeing that he didn¡¯t intend to bring it up, he asked cautiously: ¡°May I ask Furen, where did you and the general go? Where is the general now?¡±


    He was answered by a violent slam of the door.


    Housekeeper Qin, embarrassed at being rejected, went to the guards at the gate for questioning. The guards were the first group after the change of shift, and remembered that their colleagues had jokingly mentioned that the General had carried his new wife out to play.


    Just as Housekeeper Qin breathed a sigh of relief, he choked up inexplicably ¨C ¨C why did that sound like the General was going to kill someone to silence him?


    At the end of the hour, Yan Mingting returned home on horseback. As soon as he entered the gate, he saw maids and servants coming in and out with hot water, in a mad rush. He stopped a maid casually, and seeing her holding a pot of delicate and beautiful flower petals, he wondered: ¡°What are you all doing?¡±


    ¡°Answering the General, it is Furen who wants to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°He needs these things¡­¡­to take a bath?¡± Yan Mingting picked up a petal, turned around, and walked into the room with a complicated expression.


    Behind the screen was a large wooden barrel. The servants took turns pouring hot water, and the petals were sprinkled in together. Xiao Gao tested the water temperature and nodded: ¡°My lord, it¡¯s ready.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sniffed the smell on his body. As soon as he got behind the screen and took off his outer clothing. Yan Mingting rushed in hurriedly. He subconsciously covered a certain part of his back, then realized that there were still clothes covering him and put down his hands, looking at Yan Mingting with an unworried expression: ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°I just want to look.¡± Yan Mingting turned his head to look into the barrel and saw the petals floating on the water. There was also incense and candied melons and fruits beside the barrel, exceedingly enjoyable.


    He heard from the maid that Zhao Yelan ordered the freshly picked flower petals and melons and fruits, but where could the General¡¯s Mansion get rose petals? So she had to go outside to look for them, and she would be taught a lesson if she was late, so she was in a hurry.


    ¡°What? Never seen such a thing?¡± Seeing his surprised gaze, Zhao Yelan asked with a half-smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such inspired and meticulous bathing with my own eyes,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°What do you want to say? That I¡¯m not like a man?¡± Zhao Yelan casually leaned on the edge of the barrel. The veins in his hands were bulging and there was a storm brewing in his eyes, just waiting for a thunderclap before capsizing people.


    Xiao Gao, who was familiar with him, stood silently a little farther away at this time. An angry lord was not to be offended.


    In the dead silence, Yan Mingting finally withdrew his gaze from the barrel and said: ¡°What do you mean, not like, you are a man yourself, ah. What I want to say is¡­¡­I want to try this too.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned slightly. His dangerous eyes were caught off guard and disrupted, and he glanced at him with incredulity, unable to believe what he just heard.


    ¡°So this is the petal bath, ah.¡± Yan Mingting fished in the water curiously. The petals lay softly and comfortably in his palm, exuding a slight fragrance. ¡°Softens the liver and awakens the spleen, soothes qi and activates blood, clears stagnant blockages. I¡¯ve been wanting to try it for a long time, it¡¯s just that it would be strange and embarrassing in the barracks, but now I have a chance.¡±


    Zhao Yelan hadn¡¯t recovered from his astonishment when he saw him take off his outer clothing. He quickly stopped him, saying: ¡°Get out of here!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, with so much water and petals, it¡¯s a waste to wash alone.¡± Yan Mingting invited, ¡°We¡¯re both big men, what are you afraid of? Come, let¡¯s do it together, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan pressed his forehead, gritted his teeth, and said: ¡°Xiao Gao, light some more incense!¡±


    Yan Mingting thought to himself: Not good!


    After a while, Housekeeper Qin saw his General running out of the room in disheveled clothes while sneezing and yelling, ¡°If you won¡¯t let me, then don¡¯t let me, why pull out a hidden weapon!¡±


    Housekeeper Qin didn¡¯t know who would be the first to kill the other.


    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C


    The author has something to say:


    Yan Mingting: I also want to wash in fragrance together ~~


    Zhao Yelan: Disgusting.


    Housekeeper Qin: Let¡¯s make a bet and see who gets stabbed first?


    Yan Mingting: ? The fierce man draws his sword.jpg.


    [1] M¨£osh¨ª (îʱ): 5-7am according to the system of two-hour subdivisions. ?


    [2] Furen (·òÈË) is applied to a married woman¡¯s name. Basically, ¡®Mrs.¡¯ Many people will use this title from now on when referring to Zhao Yelan. ?

 CH 8

    For the joy of the newly married couple, the Emperor spared Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting from going to court for three days as a show of empathy.


    It was just that the three-day rest period was nothing special to these two people. The former often missed morning court due to physical reasons, while the latter hardly ever went to morning court.


    But it was not completely indistinguishable from the days before.


    After all, the two were nominally husband and wife now, and there were many things that needed to be adjusted in daily life with one more person around.


    After Zhao Yelan took a bath, he changed into a purple robe with intricate patterns embroidered on the bottom of the lapel, gold thread at the cuffs and white lining at the hem, walking like the clouds in the sky parting. It was very difficult for anyone to present such a rich and indifferent temperament properly.


    Yan Mingting took a few more glances, thinking that if he were to wear this outfit, it would have the effect of Guan Gong[1] wearing a floral dress, out of place and incongruous.


    The two sat down in the main hall. According to tradition, they would serve tea to their parents-in-law this morning. Yan Mingting taking him to the memorial tablet to burn a stick of incense for the two elders could be regarded as a visit.


    ¡°Since we will be together morning and night in the future, let¡¯s clarify some things first.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yan Mingting felt that from his serious expression and the servants of the Zhao Mansion standing in the center of the hall that what he was about to say was probably very serious.


    Zhao Yelan picked up the teacup, skimmed the tea foam from the top, and said, ¡°For example, your living habits.¡±


    ¡°Oh, living habits. Mine are very simple. Start at Maoshi, train, have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sleep at midnight,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan gave him a sidelong glance: ¡°What about other times?¡±


    ¡°Training.¡±


    How very boring.


    Zhao Yelan took a sip of tea, frowned slightly, put down the cup, and said, ¡°Change the cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yan Mingting asked, not sure whether there was a problem with his answer or the tea. He looked down at the tea in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you like this tea?¡±


    Xiao Gao received a look from Zhao Yelan and stepped forward to explain stridently, ¡°Our lord only likes to drink Longjing tea. The Longjing needs to be the Mingqian tea produced in Xihu. As the name suggests, it is a crop that is to be picked before Tomb-sweeping day.¡±


    Yan Mingting was stunned when he heard this.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°What kind of tea is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s picked from the camellia tree out back,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t drink it.¡± Zhao Yelan looked at his people. ¡°Go and change the tea.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin saw the maidservant of the Zhao Mansion across the street hurrying to change the tea leaves, and couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the general: ¡°Zhao¡­¡­furen, you don¡¯t know, but the tea leaves in the General¡¯s Mansion were all grown by the old lady herself. That¡¯s why the general has been ordering people to pick it every year, and he is only willing to make two cups for distinguished guests.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Seeing Housekeeper Qin¡¯s anxious look, Yan Mingting sighed heavily under Zhao Yelan¡¯s questioning eyes: ¡°Ai, yes. This is all my mother¡¯s wish. If you don¡¯t drink it, I¡¯m afraid that the elders will remember you and come to give you dreams in the middle of the night.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Housekeeper Qin was shocked. Seeing Yan Mingting secretly and solemnly winking at him, he quickly lowered his head and pretended not to see it.


    ¡°Since it is for distinguished guests, it is even more necessary to save it. It is not suitable for me to drink.¡± Zhao Yelan gave a calm smile and then looked at Yan Mingting fixedly. ¡°After all, I am not a guest, but a host.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, you are right.¡± Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t refute it, so he ordered people to put away all the tea leaves and not brew them for this master in the future. Hmph, ignorant fellow.


    While waiting for the new tea, Housekeeper Qin proposed to take Zhao Yelan to tour the mansion. Although the General¡¯s Mansion was old and simple, it was not small, so it was good to take advantage of these two days to get familiar with the environment.


    Zhao Yelan had no objection, and got up to follow behind them. A sachet at his waist swung with his steps, and a pair of eyes swung with it.


    Zhao Yelan turned his head to look at Yan Mingting expressionlessly: ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Yan Mingting pointed at the sachet curiously: ¡°This scent is different from the previous ones.¡±


    He used to sneeze when he smelled it, but this scent was faint, indistinct, and just right, suitable for this weather and for this owner.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s different. I have all kinds of sachets, and they have all kinds of scents.¡± Zhao Yelan proudly raised his head, put some distance between them, and observed every corner of the mansion.


    There were many wings and side rooms, but because they were not occupied all year round, they had a stale smell, and even after some repairs, they had not been fully restored.


    ¡°From now on, you should always be living in the capital. Why don¡¯t you fix it up?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°There are not many people in the mansion, so why bother to spend time on it? No one will live in it after it is repaired.¡±


    ¡°Not many people?¡± Zhao Yelan turned his head to look at the old man from the Zhao family he had brought. ¡°Then go recruit a group of servant girls tomorrow.¡±


    Yan Mingting hastily stopped him: ¡°We only have two masters in total, so it¡¯s inconvenient to ask so many people to do whatever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for me if there are fewer people, these people in your house don¡¯t know how to serve others at all. They slack off and can¡¯t even make Furong Tofu soup well, just chatting around in the kitchen,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°They have been used to staying in the mansion since they were young, so they are definitely not as good as the people in your house, or as refined.¡±


    The two started arguing over this matter again, and Housekeeper Qin persuaded, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the study first?¡±


    Zhao Yelan flicked his sleeves and strode into the study room. As soon as he entered the door, he raised his hand to cover his nose with his sleeve, waving the other hand: ¡°How long has it been since anyone was in here?¡±


    Housekeeper Qin explained: ¡°The General¡¯s Mansion has never liked to use the study.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked in with a frown and ordered: ¡°Pack this up and go back home tomorrow to move all the things in my study. The house is too musty, clean it well and smoke some incense in it¡­¡­There, set up a seat for me and a table, and prepare pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. Remember, it must be the inkstone from Jinming Pavilion.¡±


    The people in the General¡¯s Mansion were dumbfounded ¨C ¨C taking notes, several people rushed to make arrangements at this moment.


    After only visiting a few rooms, there were not enough servants, and Yan Mingting finally understood why he wanted to recruit more.


    Thinking that there were still so many rooms to visit in the back, and not knowing how many orders were still in that mouth, he saw Zhao Yelan walk to the door of his armory and quickly grabbed his arm to pull him back.


    Zhao Yelan was caught off guard and turned around. Before he could see what happened, his eyes went dark and he bumped into a broad and powerful chest.


    A faint fragrance lingered in front of him, and when Yan Mingting lowered his head to look, he happened to bump into Zhao Yelan¡¯s raised head. Those eyes that seemed to be quenched with cold light gave him a hard look.


    Yan Mingting forgot what to say for a moment and just thought it was funny, so he laughed.


    ¡°Let go.¡± Zhao Yelan shook off his hand angrily and subconsciously touched the dagger hidden in his sleeve.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­what I mean is, do you want to take a look in the back courtyard? This room is full of knives and spears, it would be bad if you accidentally hurt yourself,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan looked at him for a while, then turned and walked in another direction: ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    Yan Mingting breathed a sigh of relief and secretly told Housekeeper Qin, ¡°Don¡¯t let him in this room from now on.¡±


    On the one hand, it was true that he was afraid that swords and spears would hurt unwary people, and on the other hand, he was worried that if Zhao Yelan got interested, he would come here to burn some incense. If these babies smelled so strongly, could he still live?


    The General¡¯s Mansion had been languishing for many years. Zhao Yelan knew about this situation, so he ordered some changes, but when he came to the back courtyard, he found that he had still underestimated the situation in the General¡¯s Mansion.


    He saw a piece of land specially set up in the back courtyard, surrounded by fences. There was a group of chickens within it, and a rooster was walking around the circle with its cockscomb in high spirits. A hen was foraging for food, and there were two eggs in the nest.


    The maid in charge of raising chickens ran over skillfully, picked up the two eggs from the nest, and placed them in her arms.


    Those who didn¡¯t know would think they had entered a farm. Zhao Yelan looked at the lively place, pointed at the chicken coop, and asked in disbelief: ¡°You actually raise these things in the mansion?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Yan Mingting didn¡¯t find it strange at all, and enthusiastically led him to the small fish pond in the rear. ¡°Look at these.¡±


    Zhao Yelan pressed his forehead.


    High-ranking dignitaries and officials were very particular, and would build small bridges and flowing water landscapes in their courtyards, which were beautiful and unique, with good feng shui. The General¡¯s Mansion was just fine, with a small bridge over flowing water, but the fish inside were not the common red and yellow koi that were used for ornamental purposes. It was a school of commonly eaten fish such as perch and carp, which hid at the bottom of the water and only surfaced occasionally.


    ¡°What are you doing raising these in the mansion?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is very energetic?¡± Yan Mingting raised his eyebrows, pleased with himself, pointing at the chicken coop and fish pond with a proud expression that seemed to say that this was the country he had laid down. ¡°Who says that my General¡¯s Mansion is lifeless, look how lively it is.¡±


    ¡°Other people generally don¡¯t say that the General¡¯s Mansion is lifeless.¡± Zhao Yelan met Yan Mingting¡¯s questioning eyes and said slowly, ¡°They talk about you being so cursed that even the dog is dead.¡±


    Yan Mingting rubbed his chin and pondered: ¡°Unexpectedly, they know quite a lot. Most of these living creatures are going to be killed by me.¡±


    Soon, Zhao Yelan knew what he meant by ¡°going to be killed.¡±


    The food on the table was freshly served and steaming. Steamed sea bass, boiled fish filets, fish head with chopped peppers, hot and sour chicken giblets, ginseng chicken soup¡­¡­there were also a few side dishes, using chicken and fish to the extreme.


    ¡°¡­¡­This is what you killed them for?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°This is me sending them to be reincarnated earlier. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve recited the mantra for them, and they won¡¯t fall into the animal world again in the next life.¡± Yan Mingting picked up a piece of fish and ate it with relish.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    These were all the specialty dishes cooked by his own chef, so they were naturally not as good as the delicacies that Zhao Yelan had eaten, but after this morning¡¯s tossing, his appetite had been roused. After a few bites, the taste was acceptable, and after a leisurely meal, he was quite satisfied.


    However, it was impossible for him to eat this every day.


    After several hours of gathering knowledge, the living habits of Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting could be said to be worlds apart.


    One luxurious and ostentatious, one simple and convenient.


    If they wanted to live in harmony, they would have to make concessions to each other. But Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to live in harmony, let alone give in.


    ¡°If you can change, that would be best. If you can¡¯t, let¡¯s divide the house. Aren¡¯t there so many rooms in the back courtyard? You take your people to live with your chickens and fish,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re asking me to change, so what exactly should I change?¡± Yan Mingting didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°First of all, when you go back home, you have to wash your hands first. Especially after going to the training grounds and back, the whole body smells bad,¡± Zhao Yelan said in annoyance.


    Xiao Gao on the side added honestly: ¡°My lord is fond of fragrances, we all want our bodies to smell good.¡±


    These words fell into Housekeeper Qin¡¯s ears, and it was not a pleasant feeling ¨C ¨C for a general who practiced martial arts, what was wrong with the smell of sweat! That was the majesty of masculinity! Unlike some people who were fond of their fragrance of cosmetics and powder.


    He snorted and was unexpectedly heard by others. Zhao Yelan gave him a sideways glance: ¡°Housekeeper Qin seems to have something to say?¡±


    Housekeeper Qin was startled, bowed his head, and confessed, ¡°This old slave has nothing to say.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°Also, there are too few servants, the food is too much, the tables and chairs are too old, the wardrobe is too small, the bed board is too hard, and the chicken coop is too smelly¡­¡­Think of these for the time being, and take care of them all first.¡±


    Yan Mingting pondered for a while, but Housekeeper Qin became anxious first: ¡°General, don¡¯t agree, we can¡¯t bear this grievance!¡±


    Zhao Yelan leisurely played with the jade pendant at his waist, the crystal clear jade shuttling between his fingers. He smiled slightly: ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it, then let¡¯s separate. The accounts will also be separated, Zhao Mansion will belong to Zhao Mansion, and the General¡¯s Mansion will belong to the General¡¯s Mansion. Let¡¯s not interfere with each other, how about being friendly neighbors?¡±


    Housekeeper Qin thought this proposal was very good!


    Although there was no news in Beijing of newlyweds who split houses on the second day of their marriage, this was a special situation for the General. For two big men, it was better to sleep in different rooms, and more spacious!


    Housekeeper Qin sent a silent, meaningful glance at Yan Mingting, but surprisingly, Yan Mingting said, ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll change all of these, and I¡¯ll arrange for you to replace all the things you want to change immediately.¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused and looked up at him: ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Why did you agree so readily?¡± Zhao Yelan asked suspiciously.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just don¡¯t want to split houses with you.¡± Yan Mingting stretched comfortably in his chair. ¡°It¡¯s rare to marry such a beauty, how can I leave you in the cold?¡±


    Knowing that he said that on purpose to irritate him, Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help but get angry. His expression changed several times and he smiled suddenly. Suppressing the anger between his brows, he got up and walked in front of him, raised his chin, and said elegantly and virtuously, ¡°Is the General telling the truth?¡±


    Yan Mingting held in his amusement, waiting for his reaction: ¡°Yes.¡±


    The person in front of him tilted his head, leaned close to his ear, and slightly hooked his lips: ¡°My sachet contains not only incense, but also poison. It depends on whether you have the ability to steal it from me.¡±


    His warm breath landed lightly and intimately on Yan Minging¡¯s skin, stirring up a slight shudder. This was different from the excitement and apprehension of leading troops into battle. It was the breath of another person that easily made him freeze in this way, an unknown and novel experience that he had never had before.


    With a shua sound, his sword revealed a bit of light, extremely sharp. Yan Mingting asked with a low laugh: ¡°I wonder if your poison will be faster than my sword?¡±


    The two pairs of eyes confronted each other for a long time.


    However, outsiders could not hear what they muttered, and didn¡¯t even feel the tense atmosphere. The servants only saw that the two masters were arguing about splitting the houses a moment ago, and then started speaking words of endearment in an instant, whispering with their heads close together and smiles on their faces. It was truly shocking.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, someone wants to see you!¡±


    As soon as the gatekeeper¡¯s voice fell, an extra figure appeared at the door. From a distance, he saw the terrifying Zhao Yelan leaning on Yan Mingting¡¯s chair, lowering his head as if he were about to forcefully kiss General Yan. He was so frightened by this scene that he tripped directly through the door.


    In broad daylight, under the bright sky! General Yan, you have been molested so miserably!


    [1] Guan Gong: Lord Guan, a decorated military general in the historical novel, ¡®Romance of the Three Kingdoms.¡¯ ?

 CH 9

    The person who arrived was Chen Haoyi, the deputy official from the Ministry of Appointments. Ever since Minister Yu Junliang died in prison, he had been somewhat anxious and impatient.


    He had been in office for many years, and finally got a promotion opportunity. Logically speaking, he should be qualified for this vacancy, but the emperor had not issued a transfer order for a long time. He was unable to sleep, fearing that something might go wrong, so he thought of coming to Zhao Yelan to discuss it with him.


    The last time he went to visit Zhao Mansion and got a positive answer, he was excited for a few days after going back, but he found that Zhao Yelan had been busy with his marriage and had no time to pay attention to his affairs. He also heard that the colleagues who visited Zhao Mansion in those few days almost broke the threshold, and he panicked again. He wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted this great opportunity.


    So taking advantage of today, he prepared another big gift and came to visit him on the grounds of congratulating him on his wedding.


    ¡°Congratulations to General Yan and congratulations to Zhao-daren. It¡¯s really a blessing to see the two of you loving each other so much.¡± Chen Haoyi calmly stood up from the ground, patted the dust off his clothes, picked up the things in his hands, and walked into the main hall with a smile.


    It was a pity that he used the wrong means to flatter them. Zhao Yelan glanced at him coldly, straightening up and returning to his seat without giving Yan Mingting another look.


    Yan Mingting smiled and said, easy-mannered, ¡°You are¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I am the deputy official of the Ministry of Appointments, Chen Haoyi.¡± Chen Haoyi introduced himself respectfully, not offended. This general had just returned to Beijing, and it was normal for him not to recognize most of the people in the court.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yan Mingting asked directly. Chen Haoyi glanced at Zhao Yelan hesitantly, and Yan Mingting understood, saying, ¡°It seems you are not looking for me. You two talk first, I¡¯ll go out for a while.¡±


    After speaking, he lifted his sword and left in an easygoing way, his manner completely different from the scene of Zhao Yelan going out with great fanfare.


    Zhao Yelan watched him leave before stepping back to ask, ¡°Tell me, what is the matter?¡±


    Chen Haoyi explained his intention again, and before leaving, carefully handed him some snacks wrapped in paper while secretly taking out a house deed from his sleeve. He said in a whisper, ¡°This is a house in the north of the city. If my lord likes it, he can use it as a leisure house.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave a half smile: ¡°Chen-daren is too polite. As I said, the final decision on this is in the Emperor¡¯s hands, I have little say.¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren is modest. How about this, you only need to say a few words in front of the Emperor, and this house is yours.¡± Chen Haoyi raised his eyebrows at him, affirming that as long as he was willing to whisper in the Emperor¡¯s ear and not help others, coupled with his own qualifications, this seat would be easy to obtain.


    ¡°Well, then¡­¡­it¡¯s difficult for you to visit again and again, so it would be impolite to refuse.¡± Zhao Yelan took the deed and watched him leave as if bathed in a spring breeze. There was nothing else to do, so he asked Xiao Gao to pack up and go to the north of the city to have a look at the house.


    It was rare that these two days had been sunny. The temperature was also on the rise, and a stick of incense was still burning in the sedan chair.


    Xiao Gao put a thin blanket on his lap, opened the curtain to look at the weather outside, and said happily: ¡°It¡¯s warming up quickly, so my lord¡¯s health should be better.¡±


    Zhao Yelan closed his eyes to rest and said: ¡°It¡¯s not so easy as that.¡±


    ¡°My lord¡¯s condition is better today, and he only coughed thirteen times in the morning,¡± Xiao Gao said. ¡°Is it because you went to train with the General?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhao Yelan shook his head. He would rather believe that it was because of the weather.


    ¡°When it comes to the General, I think he is a good person. He met me in the morning and asked me my name. According to Housekeeper Qin, the General knows the names of every servant in the mansion,¡± Xiao Gao said.


    ¡°This makes him a good person?¡± The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Then tell me, am I a good person?¡±


    ¡°Of course you are!¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced outside. There were common people looking over, and those who recognized him backed up a few steps in fright, for fear of being caught and taken to prison.


    ¡°Look, no one thinks I¡¯m a good person, so your judgment is flawed,¡± Zhao Yelan said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s because they are blind.¡± Xiao Gao smacked his leg. ¡°There are not many good people like you left who kill people and still return the corpse to their family.¡±


    Zhao Yelan muffled his laugh. As if it had hit a nerve, he couldn¡¯t stop laughing out loud.


    ¡°What made Furen so happy?¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s face suddenly appeared outside the window.


    The laughter stopped abruptly. Zhao Yelan looked at the lingering person: ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I came out to do errands and I smelled my wife¡¯s scent from a long distance away, so I came over to see, and it really is you.¡± Yan Mingting followed the sedan chair for a few steps, then called a stop and got in.


    ¡°Who allowed you to come up?¡± Zhao Yelan said, displeased.


    ¡°Then thanking Furen for being magnanimous and letting me sit down for a while, and allowing me to experience the comfort of this sedan chair.¡± Yan Mingting crossed his arms and leaned back, sighing contentedly. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s still something to eat.¡±


    Seeing that he was going to take plums from the plate, Zhao Yelan reached out and slapped his hand away. ¡°Dirty hands are not allowed to touch my things.¡±


    ¡°So particular.¡± Yan Mingting clicked his tongue twice and withdrew his hand. He glanced at their route through the window and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Zhao Yelan asked back, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to do, I can accompany you around,¡± Yan Mingting said leisurely, holding the sword in his arms.


    Zhao Yelan stared at the sword for a while, then heard a scream outside. He glanced toward it and shouted: ¡°Stop the sedan chair.¡±


    The three stood in front of a store, and a man was thrown out by several burly men, rolling right in front of them.


    Crying bitterly, the man grasped Zhao Yelan¡¯s hem. Raising his head, he saw that he was a frail young man and begged, ¡°Help me, lend me one hundred taels and I will pay you back one hundred taels when I win! No, I will pay you back one thousand taels!¡±


    Zhao Yelan watched his clothes being crumpled by his dirty hands, and stepped on his face: ¡°Let me go, you mere ant.¡±


    Xiao Gao immediately dragged the man into a nearby corner. Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t help taking a second look, and then looked at the banner hanging outside the shop. A big ¡°gambling¡± character was in the middle, and there was a commotion inside from time to time.


    ¡°What do you want to do in a casino?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°Gamble, what else?¡± Zhao Yelan lifted his foot and walked inside, leaving Yan Mingting two steps behind.


    When Xiao Gao came back, he pretended to act natural and asked, ¡°Gao Tan,[1] did your lord plan to come to the casino?¡±


    ¡°No, ah.¡±


    ¡°Then where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Gao Tan scratched his head. ¡°My lord¡¯s behavior is the most unpredictable. He often goes out to do one thing, but turns around and does several other things.¡±


    This kid looked simple and honest, and his words were sometimes stupid and sometimes shrewd. Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t tell if it was true or not, so he had to follow and see the situation first.


    In broad daylight, people came and went in the gambling house. This was the largest gambling house in the capital. Many people had made a lot of money here, and there were even more people who lost their family fortunes and committed suicide in hatred.


    But no one would have sympathy, watching the excitement before proceeding to the next gamble.


    Everyone¡¯s emotions were magnified in the casino. The seven emotions and six desires seemed to have been ransacked, and only the words ¡°lose¡± and ¡°win¡± were left in their minds.


    As soon as Yan Mingting entered, he spotted his target at a glance. Among the noisy, boisterous crowd, Zhao Yelan sat soberly and indifferently in front of a table with valuable things all over his body, attracting attention.


    These gamblers seldom cared about major affairs in the world. When they saw the children from rich families coming to the gambling house, they would unconsciously come forward to watch, so as to see what would happen in the end.


    Zhao Yelan chose the simplest way, only betting big or small, but he spent extravagantly, and his first bet was an expensive jade pendant.


    ¡°Big.¡±


    Yan Mingting squeezed in through the crowd and stood beside him. Seeing him betting calmly, with a look of sure victory, he asked Gao Tan in a low voice: ¡°He doesn¡¯t come here often? Are you sure?¡±


    Before Xiao Gao answered, he heard the dealer shout, ¡°Small.¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The people around gave a ¡°ooh.¡± After so much had been lost in the beginning, discussions gradually started and there were more and more people watching.


    Zhao Yelan took out another jade pendant from his waist: ¡°Big.¡±


    The dealer shook the dice cup and opened it: ¡°Small.¡±


    For several rounds in a row, Zhao Yelan bet big, but none of them won.


    Some people couldn¡¯t help but bet against him specifically and won a lot. Others followed suit and made small bets one after another.


    Not far away, another loser who was playing around heard this and squeezed over. When he saw the appearance of the person sitting there, he was shocked.


    Ordinary people may not know, but he was Li Yucheng, the son of the Prime Minister, so he naturally knew Zhao Yelan a little bit. Zhao Yelan targeted his father everywhere in court, which had always caused him to hold a grudge.


    He observed in secret for a while and gradually became attracted by the game. Finding that Zhao Yelan was losing every round, he inwardly ridiculed him for being taken advantage of. It was obvious that the dealer was cheating. Zhao Yelan went back to betting big, not knowing how to adapt to the circumstances. Wasn¡¯t this giving money for nothing? He had thought that Zhao Yelan was powerful, but he was a fool, ah.


    Zhao Yelan lost more than 20 rounds in a row, losing all the valuables on his body. The dealer asked him if he wanted to continue, and everyone around him jeered. The more they did this, the more they made others angry, and the easier it was to make them jump into a pit recklessly.


    Yan Mingting saw that Zhao Yelan had clearly decided to take a gamble, and was a little curious about what else he would come up with to bet on. Unexpectedly, in the next moment, Zhao Yelan snatched the sword from his hand very naturally, put it on the table, and said proudly: ¡°Big.¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this sword worth money, ah?¡± Someone questioned.


    ¡°This sword is an item that General Yan Mingting wears all year round. Do you think it is worth money?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Hearing this, everyone was startled and looked away from the gambling table, staring at the tall and upright man next to him. The more they looked at him, the more they felt that he was imposing and majestic.


    ¡°But according to the rumors, isn¡¯t General Yan ugly? This brother, no matter how you look at him, he doesn¡¯t look like¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve heard that General Yan has a fat head and big ears.¡±


    ¡°You are deceiving us.¡±


    Everyone spoke their minds and offered their opinions, but the dealer proposed to take the sword and ask the people above. Zhao Yelan nodded in agreement.


    About a quarter of an hour later, the dealer returned, cupped his hands, and said, ¡°It is indeed the General¡¯s sword.¡±


    Everyone gasped. For a moment, they didn¡¯t know whether to be surprised that General Yan was so handsome or that General Yan also came to gamble.


    ¡°Wait, wait, if he is General Yan, then who are you?¡± Someone asked.


    As soon as these words were spoken, there was a moment of silence in the noisy casino ¨C ¨C may they ask which man would General Yan accompany to the gambling house on the second day of his wedding, and be willing to stand by his side and offer his sword?


    Everyone had an answer in their hearts, and they each looked at him differently.


    Zhao Yelan smiled faintly without answering, and turned to face the dealer: ¡°Can we start?¡±


    Once the game began again, everyone stared at the table intently once more. Some daring people placed small bets, but more people did not dare to bet.


    Everyone stared at the dice cup, and after a while, they exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s small again!¡±


    Amidst the wanton ridicule of the crowd, Zhao Yelan got up to leave dejectedly, but was bumped into by someone.


    ¡°How impressive.¡± Li Yucheng glanced at him arrogantly, as if he had forgotten that he had already lost everything today. He had also made two small bets secretly, and it was only thanks to Zhao Yelan that he managed to win back some pocket money. ¡°When you are free, do you dare to gamble with this young master?¡±


    ¡°Anytime, I look forward to it.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him for a moment, but was blocked by Yan Mingting: ¡°You lost my sword just like that?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shrugged, walked out the door of the gambling house, and said without looking back: ¡°If you make the bet, you must accept the loss. Just go to the gambling house and ask for it. Use your identity to press the issue, no one would dare to take the General¡¯s things.¡±


    Yan Mingting left sulkily, and Zhao Yelan went to a nearby restaurant in a good mood. There was no money to settle the bill, so he sat in a private room for a while, and a person dressed as a waiter offered the money: ¡°My lord, take these things back.¡±


    Zhao Yelan picked through them, took back a few ingots of silver to settle the bill, and returned the jade pendants: ¡°The business is doing well, this is a reward for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord, then this sword¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at it and said snappishly: ¡°Just keep it at your place and don¡¯t let me see it again. No one will be allowed to redeem it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Yelan watched contentedly as the sword disappeared from sight. Tapping the teacup twice with his fingers, he asked, ¡°Has Li Yucheng come to the shop often lately?¡±


    ¡°Yes. According to your instructions, we let him win a few hands from time to time, so that he comes frequently.¡± The man asked, ¡°¡­¡­Do we need to get straight to the point?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Remembering Li Yucheng¡¯s arrogant attitude, Zhao Yelan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not time yet.¡±


    Now that the annoying Yan Mingting was gone, according to the original plan, he made another trip to the north of the city and saw that the house was not bad. Only then did he return to the General¡¯s Mansion in the warm halo of dusk.


    ¡°You came back just in time, come with me to the training grounds.¡± Yan Mingting walked towards him, and was about to walk out while holding his arm.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s brain ached when he heard the words ¡°training grounds.¡±


    ¡°Train.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go, release me!¡±


    Being pulled and tugged at the gate, he found this feeling of being manipulated by others to be very hateful. Zhao Yelan was so annoyed that he pulled out the sword of the guard by the gate without any hesitation, but before he could lift it up, he felt a chill on his neck.


    Yan Mingting had moved faster, picking up another guard¡¯s knife and pressing it against his throat. He asked with a smile: ¡°You want to use this trick again?¡±


    Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes and stared at it for a while, then silently put the sword in his hand back into the scabbard.


    Yan Mingting raised his eyebrows: ¡°Will you go to train?¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­Can¡¯t training be done in the mansion?¡±


    [1] Xiao Gao, or ¡°little Gao¡± is an affectionate name that Zhao Yelan uses for him. Gao Tan is his actual name, and the author starts using it regularly at this point. ?

 CH 10

    At dusk, the servants hurriedly prepared dinner and tidied up the house. Because the new master¡¯s requirements were many and precise, before they knew it, it turned into the servants of Zhao Mansion instructing the people of the General¡¯s mansion on how to do things. It was inevitable that the two sides would become hostile.


    Originally, the servants of the General¡¯s Mansion could spend their time leisurely, feeding the chickens and fishing. The general who had just returned to Beijing was an easy-going person, and he didn¡¯t need them to take care of him at all. Now there was an extra master, or rather, an ancestor.[1] In the past two days, he had added a lot of work for them, and the servants he brought with him were even more arrogant. Dissatisfied with everything they saw, they assigned tasks to them domineeringly, making them angry.


    After a while, a little maid ran into the kitchen and said happily to her companions: ¡°My god, the General actually punished his wife to do horse stance in the courtyard!¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡±


    The little companions were delighted, and ran to the front courtyard to watch.


    The people of Zhao Mansion heard this, looked at each other, and followed suit.


    Not long after, a group of servants peeked out from the corridor at the front courtyard, and saw Zhao Yelan crouching crookedly with his expensive clothes hanging on the ground, stained with dirt. His expression was very ugly.


    Zhao Yelan heard whispering voices and looked back. With just that one look, they quieted down and left the place, pushing and shoving.


    Gao Tan ran over, and was about to speak when Zhao Yelan stopped him: ¡°Xiao Gao, go and see what the kitchen has cooked. If there is nothing I like, let them redo it.¡±


    Gao Tan immediately stopped, hesitated for a moment, then turned and went to the kitchen.


    ¡°How old is Gao Tan?¡± Yan Mingting asked, looking at his back.


    ¡°What concern is it of yours?¡± Zhao Yelan said calmly. ¡°Why do you ask so many questions?¡±


    ¡°Just asking, he looks pretty young,¡± Yan Mingting said, pressing down on his shoulders. ¡°Put your hands down, squat down a bit, your body isn¡¯t stable. If you sway around, you¡¯re liable to fall down with a single blow.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gritted his teeth. Sweat dripped from his forehead and a blush appeared on both sides of his cheeks. Just like peach blossoms unintentionally smudged on rice paper, the finishing touch was vivid and fragrant.


    It was still dark during the morning exercises, so Yan Mingting had missed this sight. Now, he gazed at this novel and stunning thing, and couldn¡¯t help but take a second look.


    Zhao Yelan noticed his gaze, raised his hand, and slapped him on the chest.


    The servants of Zhao Mansion who were passing by were surprised, and happily sped up, running back to the kitchen, where they exaggeratedly told everyone that Zhao-daren slapped General Yan. The Zhao Mansion recovered some lost ground!


    ¡°What are you slapping me for?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°I was itching to, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Yan Mingting shrugged indifferently and pinched his face. Grabbing his face, Zhao Yelan hissed in pain and glared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask, I was just itching to,¡± Yan Mingting replied.


    ¡°General, Zhong Yuehong and He Cuizhang are here,¡± the guards ran in to announce.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Yan Mingting let go of his grip and turned around, telling Zhao Yelan, ¡°You persist for another quarter of an hour.¡±


    When Zhong Yuehong and He Cuizhang stepped into the General¡¯s Mansion, they happened to meet Yan Mingting approaching them. The three of them didn¡¯t exchange too many pleasantries, and walked together to the study room, where they could discuss business.


    When passing through the corridor, the two saw with sharp eyes a figure in fine attire disappearing at the end, and asked, ¡°Is that Zhao Yelan?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another master in the General¡¯s Mansion, I¡¯m not used to it,¡± He Cuizhang said. ¡°General, are you used to it yet?¡±


    ¡°Is it something to not be used to? It¡¯s just one more person, how much impact could it have?¡± Yan Mingting said indifferently. Turning the corner and coming to the study room, he had just opened the door when he was stimulated by a pungent fragrance and sneezed on the spot.


    He saw the person inside and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t continue training, but why did you come to the study to burn incense?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to use the study.¡± Zhao Yelan held a history book in his hand, sitting leisurely on his seat to read it, and didn¡¯t give them a single look.


    There were too many other people about, and the servants were bustling around and coming in and out. It was very inconvenient, so the three of them came to a century-old tree in the back courtyard.


    ¡°General¡­¡­are you really used to it?¡± He Cuizhong asked incredulously. They used to discuss business everywhere when they were on the frontier, but this was the first time they had fled to a tree.


    How was it that they had worked so hard to return to the prosperous and affluent capital, yet the conditions here were more difficult than fighting in the field?


    Yan Mingting cleared his throat in embarrassment, and said seriously, ¡°What do you need with me?¡±


    ¡°There are some clues about what you want to investigate.¡± Zhong Yuehong lowered her voice and said, ¡°The boy who delivered the old general medicine before he died confessed, saying that someone ordered him to put poison in the medicine. This poison is colorless and tasteless, and the dosage was small. Long-term use will make people dizzy and weak in the limbs, so with the old general on the battlefield¡­¡­¡±


    On the surface, the old general died fighting for the country, but in fact he was killed by a traitor. The major general didn¡¯t even have time to mourn his father, setting aside personal matters for the sake of the country as he quickly led the soldiers onto the battlefield. It took three full days to win the battle, and the distraught Yan Mingting stopped the team that was transporting the old general¡¯s body back to Beijing. He said that he wanted to spend another night with his father, and then quietly led the coroner to open the coffin for an autopsy.


    He did not believe that his father would die at the hands of an ordinary soldier. His father once said that even if he died, he would cut off the head of the enemy general and be buried with him.


    That night seemed extraordinarily long. He didn¡¯t want to believe that his father could be defeated so easily, but was even more unwilling to believe that his father had braved untold danger only to be killed by his own people.


    The end result was not surprising, only bitter and hopeless.


    Since then, Yan Mingting had been concentrating on the battlefield while secretly sending his confidants to investigate the matter covertly. It was only that they hadn¡¯t cultivated any influence in Beijing, and couldn¡¯t inadvertently alert the enemy, so the investigation had dragged on until now. After many years, he finally found some clues after Mongolia surrendered, so he hurried back to Beijing. Even if he knew that he was also coming back to get married.


    ¡°Where is that person? Did you find out who ordered it?¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s expression turned severe.


    Zhong Yuehong shook her head bitterly: ¡°He only said that the man was monstrously powerful in the capital, and that the lives of his whole family were in that man¡¯s hands. Then he committed suicide.¡±


    The three were silent for a while. He Cuizhang asked: ¡°The trail was lost, so what should we do next?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not lost, we at least narrowed the range,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, there are quite a few powerful people in the capital, but if you want to say that their power is monstrous¡­¡­¡± He Cuizhang thought about it, and suddenly pointed to the patio not far away, where Zhao Yelan was surrounded by a group of servants as he ate. ¡°Isn¡¯t he one of them?¡±


    Yan Mingting crossed his arms in front of his chest, gazed at that figure for a moment, and said: ¡°You continue to investigate, the things they have done are sure to have left a clue. Let¡¯s see if we can find traces of that young man¡¯s family.¡±


    He Cuizhang still wanted to say something, but Yen Mingting had already skipped under the tree, saying relaxedly, ¡°It smells so good, and it¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s stay and have dinner together.¡±


    He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong really had to admire the speed of his emotional change. The two walked together behind him.


    Born in the army, everyone had a life-long friendship and the rules were naturally fewer. They all used to eat together, but today they encountered some difficulties.


    When the two were ready to sit down, they were suddenly sized up by Zhou Yelan¡¯s cold gaze, and their hands and feet immediately became so stiff that they didn¡¯t know where to put them.


    Yan Mingting asked people to add two sets of bowls and chopsticks. Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t stop him, but he also gave the order: ¡°Go and wash your hands first.¡±


    He was obviously disgusted, and the two looked at Yan Mingting awkwardly. Yan Mingting nodded: ¡°Go, go.¡±


    ¡°You go too.¡± Zhao Yelan slanted a look at him.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­Oh.¡±


    The three of them stood in front of a basin of water, staring at each other in silence, and rubbed their hands together. They had just taken them out when a maid from the Zhao residence handed over a piece of osmanthus soap, and the three stared at each other again.


    The maid explained: ¡°It is used to rub on the hands to remove dirt and smells.¡±


    The three rustic fellows had to take turns rubbing the soap and cleaning their hands carefully.


    He Cuizhang whispered: ¡°General, when will you be able to have dinner, ah?¡±


    Yan Mingting whispered even lower: ¡°You are lucky that you were not asked to take a bath before being served today.¡±


    He Cuizhang felt terrible at the thought. When he looked at Zhao Yelan again, the words ¡°this much is fine¡± came to mind.


    Zhong Yuehong didn¡¯t say anything, but took a few more glances at the sweet-scented osmanthus soap. Even as her family¡¯s daughter, she had never used such delicate playthings. She came from a butcher¡¯s family and had never seen anything like it. After enlisting in the army, even having a source of water was not a guarantee, so where could she have used it?


    The three of them finally took their seats, picked up their chopsticks, and grabbed the food quickly, as if there were pursuers chasing after them. The speed of the meal made people speechless.


    Zhao Yelan chewed slowly and swallowed a few mouthfuls, and saw that the food on the table had been completely eaten. Then he looked at the three people who were comfortably touching their stomachs, and set the chopsticks down heavily on the table.


    Pa ¨C


    The three of them were startled and quickly sat up straight, showing belated expressions of apology.


    ¡°Xiao Gao, go and bring out the things in the small kitchen,¡± Zhao Yelan ordered.


    Not long after, exquisite delicacies were brought out. Yan Mingting was surprised: ¡°Why are there so many dishes?¡±


    Zhao Yelan picked up the dishes leisurely: ¡°I was worried that there were too few cooks in your house, so I arranged for people to prepare more in the small kitchen. Thankfully, I gave the order, otherwise would there still be something for me to eat?¡±


    He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong smiled cautiously, seeing the delicacies placed in front of him. They were delicious and beautiful, making people salivate, but their stomachs were already full and they could only be envious.


    After the meal, the two left the General¡¯s Mansion in disgrace. Before leaving, Zhong Yuehong was stopped by Zhao Yelan. She turned her head uncertainly, and Gao Tan walked up to her and handed her something.


    Walking outside the gate, she opened it and saw that it was a brand new sweet-scented osmanthus soap.


    ¡°Why were you given this? Controlling us in the General¡¯s Mansion and then sending it with us to wash with every day when we go home? Our calloused hands, even if we rubbed them hundreds of times, we can¡¯t achieve the effect of his delicate skin and tender flesh,¡± He Cuizhang muttered.


    Zhong Yuehong kicked him far away.


    In the evening, Zhao Yelan, who had been tired all day, washed up early and picked up a new blanket, preparing to go to bed. It didn¡¯t take long for another person to appear beside him. He turned his back to the other party, thinking that when he came back in the afternoon, he had found that the things he asked for were all there ¨C ¨C his requests having been met, he asked, ¡°Why won¡¯t you agree to splitting the house?¡±


    Yan Mingting put his hands behind his head and crossed his legs: ¡°Sleeping in separate rooms after just being married, I don¡¯t want to lose face when the word spreads. It would look like this General¡¯s Mansion was parading its wealth.¡±


    Zhao Yelan snorted, not understanding what went on in his mind. Just as he closed his eyes, he realized that the other party was covering him with a blanket, and turned to glare at him: ¡°Don¡¯t cross the line.¡±


    ¡°The dog snarls and snaps at Lu Dong Bin,¡±[2] Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Who are you calling a dog?¡± Zhao Yelan turned around, picked up the classic book between them, and threw it at him. ¡°Get out of here!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move around.¡± Yan Mingting tilted his head to dodge the blow, then got up and grabbed his hands with a smile, pressing them on top of the pillow. ¡°If you fight and can¡¯t win, why bother?¡±


    Zhao Yelan struggled for a long time, unable to free himself at all. His wrists were still grasped tightly. He looked at him with anger that stemmed from embarrassment, his chest heaving slightly and his collar messily opened to reveal jade-like porcelain skin.


    Yan Mingting was dazed for a moment, then gradually restrained his playfulness and raised his head to look at the roof.


    Zhao Yelan raised his head and bit his protruding Adam¡¯s apple.


    ¡°Hiss ¨C¡±


    Yan Mingting hurriedly pushed the person away and got off the bed.


    Zhao Yelan smiled triumphantly and lay down again. A short while later, he opened his eyes wide, in disbelief that Yan Mingting dared to tie his hands and feet with rope.


    ¡°Sleep tight.¡± Yan Mingting touched his Adam¡¯s apple, his hair standing on end, then stretched out his legs to press down on those wriggling legs.


    Zhao Yelan was about to curse him, but when he opened his mouth, it was covered.


    ¡°Hush, there is someone on the roof.¡± Yan Mingting lowered his voice.


    Zhao Yelan blinked.


    Yan Mingting looked up vigilantly, then down at the puppy who had suddenly become obedient. He smiled and said softly: ¡°Be good tonight, understand?¡±


    After a while, Zhao Yelan nodded.


    [1] Calling him an ancestor is a sarcastic way of saying that Zhao Yelan is extremely self-important and demanding of respect. ?


    [2] The entire saying goes: ¡°The dog snarls and snaps at Lu Dongbin and doesn¡¯t recognize his kindness.¡± This basically means ¡°mistaking a good man for a bad one¡± and comes from a story about the Eight Immortals in Chinese myth. A man named Gou You (¹¶èÃ), which is pronounced the same as ¡®dog bites¡¯ (¹·Ò§), was friends with Lu Dong Bin. ?

 CH 11

    Perhaps he was exhausted from running around during the day, because not long after Zhao Yelan calmed down, he fell asleep.


    Yan Mingting stared at him intently. Compared with his appearance when he was young, today¡¯s Zhao Yelan was more and more outstanding, with a sort of eye-catching, radiant beauty. But he was always wary of others, his eyes were always cold, and his brow was always furrowed. However, what he himself didn¡¯t know was that the more his aura warned people away, the more aggressive and unique his beauty would be.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s mood was very complicated. He didn¡¯t know how this unseemly marriage would develop in the end, and also didn¡¯t know what exactly Zhao Yelan had done. The stories told by outsiders were vivid and colorful, but he only trusted his own judgment.


    Asleep, Zhao Yelan lost his indifferent expression. His nostrils fluttered, his thin lips straightened, and at the moment, the mole under his eye nestled on his face obediently and quietly, like an unguarded child.


    ¡°Could it be you?¡± Yan Mingting murmured.


    He sighed deeply and slowly closed his eyes.


    Presently, Zhao Yelan, who had appeared to be sleeping all this time, opened his eyes. His eyes were clear, and he frowned habitually¡­¡­


    What did that question mean?


    His gaze wandered around Yan Mingting¡¯s body, and then fell onto his bound hands and feet, his face sinking like water.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t sleep well that night. His hands and feet were bound and there were things on his mind. When he was about to fall asleep, he heard the crowing of a cock.


    After repeatedly turning from side to side all night, when Yan Mingting opened his eyes, he met a resentful and bitter gaze.


    ¡°You¡­¡­woke up very early today. Not bad, not bad, keep it up,¡± Yan Mingting praised.


    Zhao Yelan wished he could peel off his skin¡­¡­but the other person had knives and swords, and a high position.


    How annoying.


    ¡°Get up, it¡¯s time for morning exercise.¡± Yan Mingting quickly got off the bed, put on his clothes in two or three moves, and picked up his wrist guards to buckle them on his wrists.


    Zhao Yelan stared at his wrists. Seeing that he jumped on the spot twice after putting on the boots, he couldn¡¯t help but suspect that there were also hidden weapons in the boots.


    ¡°Why are you still not moving?¡± Yan Mingting turned to look at him.


    ¡°How do you expect me to move!¡± Zhao Yelan abruptly raised his voice.


    Yan Mingting was stunned for a moment, then remembered. Lifting the quilt and seeing the bound hands and feet, he showed a more astonished expression than Zhao Yelan and reached out to untie the rope for him: ¡°You were tied up like this all night?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You wake up and want to renege on your debts? Whose work is this?!¡± Zhao Yelan rebuked.


    ¡°No, I thought you¡¯d untie it, it¡¯s a slipknot.¡± Yan Mingting pointed at the rope teasingly, pulled it tightly, and let it go.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan froze for a moment. Last night, he only cared about pulling out his hands, and gave up when he failed. He never expected Yan Mingting to have a hidden skill.


    As soon as the rope around his ankles was untied, Zhao Yelan kicked him. Yan Mingting didn¡¯t dodge, and he kicked him a few more times.


    The bed creaked.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t be bothered to kick any more, Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes stopped on his wrists and ankles. There were light red marks on the tender skin. Looking a little miserable, he asked, ¡°Are you going to do morning exercises today?¡±


    ¡°Go to hell.¡± Zhao Yelan turned over and tugged the blanket hard. A gust of cold air rushed in, and then he felt Yan Mingting tuck him in.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go first, everyone is still waiting for me.¡±


    After the door closed, Zhao Yelan looked at the sky outside. It was still dark, so he lay down and started drifting back to sleep.


    He vaguely smelled a pungent fragrance, and his ankle felt cool for a spell. He subconsciously pulled his foot back under the blanket, but it was caught by a hand. He immediately sat up vigilantly and found Yan Mingting holding his foot.


    Face to face, Zhao Yelan looked up with a frown: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Applying medicine.¡± Yan Mingting stretched out his hand, and in his palm was a small medicine bottle. ¡°When we march and fight, injuries are common. This medicine works well.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at his chilly ankles. There were also traces of medicine being rubbed into his wrists, so he snatched the medicine bottle and examined it carefully, asking, ¡°What kind of medicine is this? Call the doctor, I want to test it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m poisoning you with this, do you?¡± Yan Mingting was amused. ¡°If I wanted to harm you, would it be necessary to use such a roundabout way?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if you died as soon as you entered the General¡¯s Mansion, how could I explain it to the Emperor and others?¡± Yan Mingting took back the medicine bottle, held his other ankle, and squeezed his calf. ¡°Relax.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t move anymore, quietly watching his hands rub back and forth on his ankle. The medicinal oil was cold to the bone, and gradually warmed between those palms. His stiff, tense legs eventually relaxed.


    It just smelled too bad. He didn¡¯t like it.


    A servant girl knocked on the door. It was getting late, and they should be waiting for the masters to awaken.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Two cleaning maids opened the door and entered, and saw Zhao Yelan sitting on the bed with his black hair hanging down his shoulders while the General rubbed his feet.


    The maids looked at each other, seeing surprise in the other¡¯s eyes.


    They didn¡¯t understand, why did these people sometimes confront one another and sometimes love each other so much? Were all great men so capricious?


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Zhao Yelan urged impatiently.


    ¡°At once.¡± Yan Mingting called it a day and put the medicine bottle away, getting up to wash his hands. ¡°Get up and take a few steps?¡±


    Zhao Yelan got up, looked down and stretched his ankles, then went to wash and change clothes expressionlessly.


    After Yan Mingting washed his hands, there was nothing else to do, so he leaned against the door and waited while watching Zhao Yelan, bored to death.


    Zhao Yelan changed into light yellow robes, which caused his skin to look fairer and his beauty and elegance to surpass others. He also chose a sachet with a stronger fragrance to wear, to suppress the scent of the medicinal oil.


    He sat in front of the bronze mirror while the maid bound his hair. Raising his eyes, he met Yan Mingting¡¯s in the mirror and they looked at each other silently, each with their own thoughts.


    The two people went to have breakfast together, but Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to talk to him, so he went back to the room after eating quietly.


    The servants secretly gathered to mutter to each other.


    ¡°Did you just see that? The general¡¯s neck! Was bitten! There were tooth marks!¡±


    ¡°Of course I saw it! I also saw the red marks on Zhao¡­¡­furen¡¯s wrists!¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not just my illusion!¡±


    ¡°Are they¡­¡­?¡±


    The group of people seemed to have discovered some terrible secret, endlessly shocked. Then they were interrupted by the passing Housekeeper Qin: ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡±


    They quickly dispersed, and Housekeeper Qin looked around while muttering in a low voice: ¡°In the end¡­¡­young people really know how to play.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin suddenly felt that he was very old and couldn¡¯t understand what these young people were thinking. But considering it carefully, Zhao Yelan was born so stunningly beautiful, so it was understandable for the General to be confused and infatuated.


    As old as he was, he still had some experience.


    ¡°Looks like I need to prepare some hot water for the night.¡±


    In the bedroom, Gao Tan came back from outside and said happily: ¡°My lord, I bought cherries today.¡±


    A basket of bright red cherries sprinkled with drops of water looked very delicious.


    Yan Mingting reached out to grab some, but was slapped away by Zhao Yelan: ¡°Take your hand away, you are not allowed to eat.¡±


    ¡°Stingy.¡± Yan Mingting quickly snatched a handful and slipped out of the mansion.


    ¡°My lord, do you not want to go get them back?¡± Xiao Gao asked quickly.


    ¡°No need.¡± Zhao Yelan picked up a cherry, and when he squeezed it hard, the pulp split open and the juice flowed down. He narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°I have something else to tell you.¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t come back until evening.


    When going to bed, the two lay side by side with books in the middle to separate them, each covered with a blanket.


    The candle light was dim, and neither of them fell asleep. Yan Mingting was thinking about something, and Zhao Yelan was staring at the roof, wondering what he was thinking.


    After a while, he sat up suddenly, crossed over Yan Mingting to get out of bed, and then lit the incense.


    ¡°Why are you lighting this stuff again?¡± Yan Mingting sneezed helplessly, then got up and pinched out the incense.


    Zhao Yelan lit it again, and Yan Mingting extinguished it again.


    Zhao Yelan lit it again, and Yan Mingting extinguished it again.


    After several repeats of this, Yan Mingting simply carried him to bed and pressed his legs over the other¡¯s to keep him from moving, and said in a low voice: ¡°Hush, go to bed, stop making trouble, there is someone on the roof.¡±


    Zhao Yelan blinked, and suddenly shouted loudly: ¡°Xiao Gao!¡±


    ¡°My lord, I¡¯m here,¡± someone outside the door responded.


    Yang Mingting looked at him in confusion as he pushed his legs away, calmly walked to the door, and said inexplicably: ¡°It¡¯s very late, it couldn¡¯t be that you want to eat some fruit again, do you?¡±


    Then he heard Gao Tan standing outside the door and answering honestly: ¡°My lord, I have been guarding for two hours, and there is no one on the roof, not even a bird.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked back at Yan Mingting.


    Yan Mingting was dumbfounded. His eyes darted and he sat up in embarrassment, pulling up the curtain casually as he said with a guilty conscience: ¡°Hey, look, the holes in this bed curtain are so small and unique.¡±


    ¡°Yan, Ming, Ting!¡±


    A moment later, there was a commotion in the room, and Housekeeper Qin, who was lingering nearby, heard the movement. From a long distance, he could see two shadows entangled, going from east to west and back to east again. The General also yelped from time to time, and it could be seen that the situation was intense.


    Housekeeper Qin blushed and shouted: ¡°Xiao Gao, what are you doing at the door, is this something you can watch? Hurry up and help deliver the hot water!¡±

 CH 12

    Everything in the room was smashed to pieces. Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t beat him, so he had to smash things to discourage him, and greeted him with all kinds of pillows and bedding, whatever he had at hand.


    ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong, I won¡¯t tease you next time.¡± Yan Mingting dodged a few times while shielding his head, then held the blanket and returned to his original position. Zhao Yelan smashed around for a while, utterly vexed, but he was so tired that he stopped to catch his breath and couldn¡¯t help coughing again.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break first.¡± Yan Mingting became considerate.


    Zhao Yelan also threw the sword he had put on the table. Yan Mingting caught it with one hand, but this time he did not draw the sword to threaten him. He placed it on the cabinet and then went to appease his mood: ¡°All right, all right, I was wrong this time, okay?¡±


    ¡°What could you be wrong about?¡± Zhao Yelan said mystifyingly.


    ¡°Okay, then I was right.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan regretted for the first time that he hadn¡¯t learned martial arts.


    There were more footsteps outside the door, and Yan Mingting made a gesture for silence: ¡°Look, there are really people.¡± Then he opened the door and saw several servants in the courtyard carrying hot water and asked, ¡°What are you all doing?¡±


    ¡°Housekeeper Qin asked us to prepare some hot water, does the General want it now?¡± asked a servant.


    Yan Mingting looked back at the messy room and then at the overcome Zhao Yelan. Guessing that he could probably use it later, he said: ¡°Come in and leave it.¡±


    The servants carried the water in, and Xiao Gao was among them. He saw Zhao Yelan¡¯s angry face as soon as he entered the room, and just as he was about to ask, the group of people were sent out by Yan Mingting.


    ¡°My lord seems to be angry,¡± Xiao Gao said worriedly.


    The servant next to him smiled and said: ¡°How could he not be angry? The General played too hard, and the draperies were all torn.¡±


    Xiao Gao was curious: ¡°What were they playing?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s¡­¡­a game for adults!¡± The servant patted him on the shoulder and went back with a serious face to explain to Housekeeper Qin.


    That night, Yan Mingting finally slept on the floor.


    Zhao Yelan originally wanted to drive him to the study, but he had thick skin and insisted on staying in the room.


    At night, Yan Mingting tugged the mattress on the bed and said aggrievedly: ¡°Zhao-daren, give me a blanket, ba.¡±


    Zhao Yelan tugged hard and pulled the blanket back on the bed.


    The moonlight outside the window entered the room and fell on Zhao Yelan¡¯s silent back, thin and stubborn. If it wasn¡¯t because he couldn¡¯t defeat him, he might have already killed him.


    Yan Mingting smiled silently and fell asleep holding the sword in his arms.


    The next morning when Zhao Yelan woke up, Yan Mingting was nowhere to be seen. There was only a blanket and a pillow on the floor, placed neatly beside the bed. It seemed to be an expression of grievances, but also a gesture of goodwill.


    Zhao Yelan stepped on the pillow and kicked it farther away. Then he opened the door and ordered people to come in and clean up the room.


    Not long after, Yan Mingting returned from the training grounds and bumped into Xiao Gao, who had come back from outside, and said casually: ¡°Are you going to buy fruit for your master again?¡±


    Xiao Gao nodded.


    ¡°You wait on him every day, isn¡¯t it better to have someone else handle such a trivial matter?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°No good, other people don¡¯t know my lord¡¯s tastes.¡± Xiao Gao walked ahead with a little pride.


    Yan Mingting stared at the basket for a moment. It was still a basket of cherries. He had tried them yesterday, and they were sweet and sour, nothing special.


    After arriving at the great hall, he saw that Zhao Yelan was already eating breakfast. He strode to the side and was about to sit down, when Zhao Yelan glanced at him. He stood back up straight again, sniffed the smell on his body, went back to the room and changed his clothes, washed his hands again, and then sat down at the table.


    Housekeeper Qin watched this series of actions which were skillful enough to make people feel distressed, and mentioned another important thing: ¡°General, Furen, today I must go back home.¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded, turned his head, and asked, ¡°Then where are we going today?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Mansion.¡± Zhao Yelan took a bite with his chopsticks, put down the bowl and utensils, and went back to the room to pack his things.


    Yan Mingting stared at the half bowl of food left in a daze.


    He only knew that Zhao Yelan had no relatives nowadays, and he didn¡¯t even know who his parents were. Returning home was just a custom. Yan Mingting still ordered someone to prepare a gift, and then went back to the Zhao residence together with him.


    As soon as they reached the door, the servants of Zhao Mansion ran through it happily. It was unavoidable that they would be happy to return to a familiar place, and even the expression on Zhao Yelan¡¯s face softened a little bit.


    This was Yan Mingting¡¯s first visit to Zhao Mansion, and he looked around. The scenery was fresh and elegant, but the furnishings in the room were extremely extravagant. It was contradictory, but not surprising.


    Since returning to Zhao Mansion, Yan Mingting seemed to have been left out in the cold. Everyone was busy, and no one cared about his existence at all. There was only Housekeeper Qin who followed him around.


    He unintentionally saw a door open, and went toward it to take a look. It was a study room, in which were many newly made landscape paintings dried by the wind.


    ¡°General, you should go and find your wife,¡± Housekeeper Qin reminded. ¡°Even if Furen¡¯s parents died, it would be good to pay respects.¡±


    Yan Mingting tilted his head: ¡°Do you think he will allow me to worship?¡±


    ¡°Why would he not allow it?¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t answer and took him directly to look for Zhao Yelan, but was kicked out mercilessly. ¡°Look, ba.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan bolted the door and ordered Xiao Gao to wait there, then opened the hidden door next to him and walked into the tunnel. He lit the fire folder[1] and walked to the two memorial tablets. After staring at them quietly for a long time, he took out a brocade handkerchief and went forward to wipe the tablets clean.


    ¡°The old emperor is gone. Not long ago, Yu Junliang also came to accompany you in death. Those who mistreated you are almost all dead.¡± He spoke softly, as if telling a story, ¡°Who is still left¡­¡­oh, I haven¡¯t found the head of the prison from back then, and I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s hiding. Don¡¯t worry, none of them will get away.¡±


    There was dead silence all around, and not even a single ray of light. No one responded to him.


    After staying for a while, the scarce, humid air was a bit uncomfortable. He put the tablets back, bowed, and then slowly left.


    As soon as he walked out of the secret door, he suddenly felt weak and fainted to the ground, hearing Xiao Gao cry out to him in horror. Before losing consciousness, he saw a figure rushing in and was embraced. The warm chest made him unconsciously lean against it, and he closed his eyes drowsily.


    In a half asleep, half awake state, a bitter and numbing concoction was poured into his mouth, but he didn¡¯t swallow it, turning his head away with resistance and spitting it out.


    ¡°My lord, don¡¯t move around.¡± Xiao Gao anxiously straightened his head.


    ¡°Let me do it.¡± Yan Mingting wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, and then pinched his nose.


    After a while, Zhao Yelan opened his mouth to breathe and felt the medicine being poured into his mouth again. He resisted very much and choked, sitting up wide awake as he coughed all the while.


    Yan Mingting patted him on the back and said: ¡°If you don¡¯t drink any more, I can only feed you mouth to mouth.¡±


    Zhao Yelan coughed for a long while, looked sideways at him, and pursed his lips. He mumbled a sentence, then grabbed the medicine bowl with a frown and drank it all in one go before throwing the bowl away: ¡°Everyone get out!¡±


    The servants immediately cleaned up the debris and left. Xiao Gao followed Yan Mingting, and after walking outside, he asked in a low voice, ¡°General, what did my lord tell you just now?¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°Shameless.¡±


    Xiao Gao: ¡°Why are you scolding me?¡±


    ¡°He scolded me,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan had been lying in the room, and after dark, he was reluctantly served a meal before he lay back down listlessly.


    In the evening, Yan Mingting softly and quietly returned to the room. He picked up a pillow, spread out a blanket, and soon fell asleep on the floor.


    A sudden scream shattered his dreams.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want ¨C !¡±


    Yan Mingting nimbly grabbed the sword and sat up, looking to the side to see a figure sitting up on the bed. Violent panting sounded heavily in the night. He lit a candle and walked to the bed for a closer look. Zhao Yelan was sitting in bed, covering his chest with one hand. His eyes were empty, the strands of hair on the sides of his face were slightly moist, and his face was too pale.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Had a nightmare?¡± Yan Mingting patted his back, only to find that his whole back was soaked in sweat.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s breathing gradually calmed down with the frequency of his patting, and his eyes refocused. Glancing at him indifferently, he turned over and lay down again.


    After a while, his wrist was grasped. He looked up and to the side, and saw Yan Mingting taking a soft red rope out of nowhere, wrapping it around his wrist.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± His voice was a little hoarse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s still a slipknot this time. If it feels uncomfortable on your wrist, you can untie it any time.¡± Yan Mingting showed him the knot, then wrapped the other end around his own wrist and lay down on the ground again. ¡°If you have nightmares again, or can¡¯t fall asleep, just pull the rope and I will wake up.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him silently.


    The room returned to silent darkness again. Perhaps because he slept too much during the day, Zhao Yelan not could not fall asleep no matter what. He looked at the ceiling for a long time in the dark, and then pulled the rope.


    ¡°A nightmare again so soon?¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s voice sounded immediately, but if he listened carefully, he could tell that there was a softness in that voice, as if he had just woken up from sleep.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°What should I do, then?¡±


    ¡°You can knock me out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard such a request.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up, we have to go to court tomorrow.¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°I won¡¯t take revenge on you this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, your body may not be able to withstand a blow from me. If something goes wrong, wouldn¡¯t I become a murderer?¡± Yan Mingting smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t I tell you a story? When I was a child and couldn¡¯t fall asleep, my mother would tell me stories.¡±


    ¡°Childish.¡± Zhao Yelan gave a snort of contempt.


    A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Yelan pulled Yan Mingting¡¯s rope again and coldly: ¡°What about the story?¡±


    Yan Mingting had no choice but to open his eyes and clear his throat: ¡°There was a family surnamed Wang south of the Yangtze River whose wealth could rival a country¡¯s, but their only son still hadn¡¯t gotten married after a long time. It gave the old lady a headache, so she deliberately picked out a few suitable women. There was the daughter of the magistrate, who was knowledgeable and reasonable, and there was also a green plum girl who had practiced martial arts since she was a child, but contrary to what was expected, Wang-gonzi fell in love with a fire-burning maid.¡±[2]


    ¡°Why did he fall in love with her?¡± Zhao Yelan was puzzled.


    ¡°Because the girl was not afraid of power. Although she came from a poor and humble background, she was as beautiful as a flower and also the only one who dared to set fire to him. The fire burned in his body and also in his heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan picked up a pillow and threw it over. ¡°You still didn¡¯t forget to carry some storybooks to read while marching and fighting?¡±


    Yan Mingting laughed out loud. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the ending?¡±


    ¡°It is nothing more than disregarding the family members¡¯ obstruction and worldly views, and insisting on marrying the fire-burning girl.¡±


    ¡°Wrong. Wang-gonzi, he¡­¡­burned to death. Rather, that magistrate¡¯s daughter and the green plum girl cherished each other, had mutual love and affection, and toured the jianghu together,¡± Yan Mingting said cheerfully.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan rolled over to sleep. There was a little tension on his wrist, and he touched the rope but didn¡¯t untie it, and when he closed his eyes, he didn¡¯t see that scene again.


    But in the second half of the night he still had a nightmare, dreaming about that gongzi being burned to death.


    [1] A fire folder is a tight papyrus roll that can be easily ignited. Basically a precursor to matches. ?


    [2] A maid who would kindle the fires in large households. ?

 CH 13

    It was still dark when he heard footsteps outside the door. Zhao Yelan woke up right away. He hadn¡¯t slept soundly at all, and a single sound could easily wake him up. The first thing to do after getting up was to step on Yan Mingting¡¯s body: ¡°Get out.¡±


    Yan Mingting got up in two or three movements, arrived at the door in strong and vigorous form, and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Xiao Gao.¡± Gao Tan knocked on the door. ¡°My lord, are you going to court today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± Zhao Yelan replied.


    He hadn¡¯t gone to the morning court for many days in a row, and if he didn¡¯t go again, those people might think he was dead.


    Gao Tan opened the door and came to dress him in court clothes. The purple robes fit his upper body snugly. After being specially fumigated with incense, there was a faint fragrance left behind, and the robes were embroidered with cranes spreading their wings. A gold and jade belt adorned the waistline, and a gold fish pouch[1] hung at the waist.


    After returning to Beijing, Yan Mingting also went to court several times, but looking around, there was no one in the civil or military courts who could wear court clothes with such an awe-inspiring aura.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look a few more times before going to change his clothes.


    The official uniforms of Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan were very similar. They were both purple, symbolizing honor and glory, but the military general¡¯s robes were embroidered with a tiger, and he could carry a sword to court. Ordinary military officials could only wear one, but generals could wear two.


    He randomly picked two swords to wear and said to Zhao Yelan with emotion when they went out: ¡°It¡¯s a pity that my good sword was lost by you in the gambling house.¡±


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched as he sat in the sedan chair, but Yan Mingting stood outside and persuaded: ¡°It¡¯s such a short distance, just walk over to exercise your body.¡±


    ¡°Raise the sedan chair.¡± Zhao Yelan ruthlessly lowered the curtain, letting him walk alone in the cold wind blowing outside.


    When he arrived outside the palace gates, he ran into many colleagues, and one of them enthusiastically took the initiative to greet him and say, ¡°Having not seen the General for many days, I feel refreshed.¡±


    He and Yan Mingting smiled.


    The sedan chair at the side stopped, and Zhao Yelan walked out expressionlessly without even looking at them, walking straight to the palace gates.


    The colleague was embarrassed for a moment and immediately found an excuse to leave, slipping in from the other side, disheartened.


    ¡°Who was that person just now?¡± Yan Mingting asked in a low voice, catching up with Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Senior Neisi, he¡¯s only seventh rank,¡± Zhao Yelan said flatly. ¡°He¡¯s good at brown-nosing.¡±


    Yan Mingting laughed softly. ¡°What about you, Zhao-daren, what are you good at?¡±


    Zhao Yelan slanted a look at him and said coldly, ¡°If you want to know, you can come and give it a test.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d rather be obedient than respectful.¡± Yan Mingting suddenly raised his hand.


    Zhao Yelan subconsciously wanted to block, but his opponent¡¯s hand only landed on his shoulder, and he pulled himself a little further into his space, almost leaning against him.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Zhao Yelan gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Someone is watching us,¡± Yan Mingting said, looking forward. He had only returned to court a short while ago, and many people hadn¡¯t fully recognized him yet, but he could still perceive sightlines from all directions.


    Zhao Yelan looked around and saw that his colleagues were secretly looking at the two of them, and not far away, the Imperial Censor was staring at them blatantly. He batted Yan Mingting¡¯s hand away and said in a low voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to bring disaster upon yourself, stay away from me.¡±


    Soon, Yan Mingting knew the deep meaning behind his words.


    Civil and military officials stood in the hall in an orderly manner, separated on the right and left sides, and behind them were officials in various colors of court uniforms. Yan Mingting also had a high position and authority, so he didn¡¯t have a fixed position and stood next to Zhao Yelan.


    Not long after, the Emperor came to preside over the court meeting.


    The main business was to discuss the shaking of Mount Tai. After the local officials reported the situation, the Emperor was a little relieved and arranged for manpower to take care of the aftermath.


    The second matter was the death of Yu Junliang, the Minister of the Ministry of Officials. There was a vacancy and someone had to be selected, so there was a lot of noise in the hall for a while, and everyone had a recommendation.


    Chen Haoyi was like an ant on a hot pan. Seeing that several opponents were recommended by others, he hurriedly looked at Zhao Yelan, hoping that he would do as he promised.


    Zhao Yelan gave him a soothing look, then cupped his hands and said: ¡°This minister thinks that the left official of the Ministry of Officials is worthy of this important task. He has been in office for many years, and is very familiar with the government affairs of the Ministry of Officials.¡±


    Chen Haoyi breathed a sigh of relief.


    But somebody immediately objected: ¡°The right official, Kan Chuan, is also familiar with government affairs. Moreover, he is young and strong, and has more energy to serve the Emperor. Chen Haoyi has been in office for many years, and has he made any political achievements? This is just taking advantage of one¡¯s seniority. From my point of view, Zhao-daren, you are clearly in collusion with Chen-daren, right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t answer, but Chen Haoyi became anxious first: ¡°Who do you think is colluding! Zhao-daren is upright and plainspoken, you are clearly just jealous!¡±


    Zhao Yelan shook his head inwardly. He thought this person had some wits, but he didn¡¯t expect that he was really the mud that couldn¡¯t support the wall.[2]


    His rebuttal just confirmed the fact of collusion. Zhao Xuan was originally trying to prevent Zhao Yelan from forming a clique for personal gain, but now it was almost impossible to give Chen Haoyi any chance. However, Chen Haoyi was still complacent, thinking that Zhao Yelan would be able to secure victory if he helped him speak out.


    There were many complicated matters discussed at the court meeting, ranging from major national affairs to minor officials taking concubines, and officials had to refute each other from time to time.


    Yan Mingting was just bored and felt drowsy now and then. He subconsciously glanced at Zhao Yelan, but the other party was watching with great interest as the Imperial Censor impeached a certain official for taking a brothel woman as a concubine.


    After endless arguments, the Emperor listened for a long time and looked down at the people standing in the first row, asking, ¡°Prime Minister, what do you think of this matter?¡±


    The Prime Minister was over fifty years old. His biggest hobbies had always been reciting poetry and composing poetic essays, and because of his qualifications as a minister for three generations, he somehow reached the position of Prime Minister. But when it came to politics, he hid whenever he could.


    ¡°Answering Your Majesty, I think that this matter should be¡­¡­left to Zhao-daren to judge.¡±


    Civil and military officials: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Besides Zhao Yelan¡¯s overwhelming power, there was also this reason that the position of Prime Minister was useless.


    Zhao Yelan cupped his hands calmly, glanced at the impeached official, and said: ¡°Fang-daren, I have heard a little bit about this matter. That woman was originally a girl from a good family, but she was inadvertently abducted and deceived into the brothel. Fang-daren¡¯s intent was to save a person from disaster, which is really not poor style.¡±


    Fang-daren nodded again and again: ¡°That is exactly the case, the Emperor has insight and vision!¡±


    It would be impossible for a while to investigate whether the woman was truly abducted. Disinclined to bother with the officials¡¯ housework, Zhao Xuan waved his hand: ¡°That is all, let this matter be over.¡±


    Seeing that his memorial was rejected, the Imperial Censor turned his head to look back despondently. Seeing that Fang-daren was giving Zhao Yelan a meaningful look, it was clear that he was colluding, so he immediately knelt down on his knees: ¡°Your Majesty, I have one more thing to tell you!¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Since the Deputy Prime Minister has married General Yan, according to the regulations, people in the back residence are not to participate in court affairs.¡±


    Hundreds of officials whispered to each other. Zhao Yelan¡¯s accomplices stood forward to speak for him one after another, but he habitually made many enemies in court, and now even more people expressed opposition.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t make a statement, but just looked sideways at Zhao Yelan. He saw that he was listening calmly to the quarreling crowd, but when the Emperor looked over, his expression shifted slightly. With a faithful and devoted look, as if he wished he could demonstrate his sincere convictions through death, he saluted respectfully: ¡°This minister has absolutely no ambiguity towards His Majesty. The heavens and earth can testify that he would never conspire with the General to plot against the law.¡±


    At this time, Kan Chuan, the right official of the Ministry of Officials, stood forward to speak. He knelt down with a plop and made a big salute: ¡°Your Majesty, this one earnestly requests that Zhao Yelan be abolished as the Deputy Prime Minister. Zhao Yelan conducted himself improperly, and behaved intimately with the General inside the palace; he concealed the true state of affairs from those above and below him and executed Minister Yu privately; he formed cliques of private interests, colluding with officials for personal gain. Your Majesty, please reconsider!¡±


    For a moment, everyone was stunned.


    Kan Chuan was not very old, but he often argued with Zhao Yelan in court, and this time he made a bold proposal that shocked people into speechlessness. Soon, some people followed suit and knelt down, requesting the abolition of Zhao Yelan¡¯s position.


    ¡°All right.¡± Zhao Xuan finally spoke, ¡°Now that Minister Zhao is married to General Yan, it is indeed difficult to weigh the affairs of the court and the government. Therefore, in the future, he will manage the affairs of the back house for General Yan, so that he can lead the troops with peace of mind and maintain the safety of the people. This can be regarded as fulfilling his duties for the country and society. Do you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Yelan hung his head.


    Seeing that he was so obedient and never went against his orders, Zhao Xuan felt compassion and said: ¡°But you married General Yan for the sake of the country and the people. In light of your meritorious service and your literary excellence, you are specially approved to enter the Imperial Academy as an Imperial Editor.[3] What do you say?¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, the silence in the hall was so profound that one could hear the sound of a needle falling, and everyone glanced at each other with their own thoughts.


    The officials who opposed the Zhao party had impeached Zhao Yelan many times without success. This time, they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity his marriage afforded and pull him off his horse in one fell swoop, completely crushing him. Unexpectedly, the Emperor still couldn¡¯t bear it and demoted him to the Imperial Academy. However, they were already satisfied with the result of him dropping directly from first rank to seventh rank, and no longer having the ability to attend court to charm and confuse the attendants.


    Those who supported the Zhao party were greatly disappointed. They had originally relied on Zhao Yelan¡¯s shadow to gain a firm foothold, but now the tree had fallen. Everyone¡¯s complexions became grayer and grayer. But after some thought, that the Emperor did not uproot and kill them all was already lucky.


    As a result, the court meeting ended with the results of both gains and losses.


    Zhao Yelan walked out of the hall and looked up at the sky. The sun couldn¡¯t be seen and dark clouds piled up in the sky, threatening rain.


    There were whispers behind him. The officials were talking in low voices about today¡¯s events, which had undoubtedly caused a sensation in the entire court.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Yan Mingting walked to his side, glancing at him sideways and seeing his inattentive appearance. He didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all, and his thoughts became more and more elusive.


    When the Emperor demoted him just now, his expression was fragile and fearful, as if the sky was falling. Unlike now, when he still had a mind to give him a blank look.


    ¡°Stay away from me.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the moment when Yan Mingting grabbed his shoulder, the rumors of him being intimate with Yan Mingting wouldn¡¯t have spread.


    Zhao Yelan scoffed coldly and glanced back at those colleagues who were muttering gossip, and soon the discussions stopped. Some people, even if the tiger fell from the mountain, would still be terrified.


    At this moment, Kan Chuan, the right official of the Ministry of Officials, stepped out from among the trembling crowd, looked straight at Zhao Yelan, and said: ¡°Zhao-daren, I look forward to seeing you again in court.¡±


    Others heard the sarcasm in his words and inwardly thought that newborn calves did not fear tigers.[4] People who had been immersed in officialdom for many years still knew how to conduct themselves and stay in line, but this sort of high-spirited young man dared to challenge him directly.


    A sneer appeared on Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth: ¡°When I return, you had best still be living.¡±


    The people around were shocked. He dared to openly threaten the lives of his colleagues in the palace, how shameful!


    ¡°I certainly will be,¡± Kan Chuan said.


    Someone grabbed Kan Chuan and separated them to try to smooth things over.


    Zhao Yelan watched the group of them leave. But Chen Haoyi and his like were still staying nearby, and only now came forth to express their concern. Gathering around him as they walked out, they asked him about what to do in the future.


    ¡°I have already done all I can do for you. From now on, you can figure out what to do in the court,¡± Zhao Yelan said calmly.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, please stop!¡±


    Everyone paused, then looked back at the person who had arrived. Eunuch Gao, who was waving his whisk, trotted over and said in a low voice: ¡°My lord, the Emperor extends an invitation to you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded, bid farewell to the others, and followed Eunuch Gao to see the Emperor, arriving at the palace hall soon after.


    ¡°I looked into the Imperial dining room today and saw your favorite Linglong Jade dumplings for breakfast, so I called you here,¡± Zhao Xuan said.


    ¡°Many thanks, Your Majesty.¡±


    The two sat down at the table. Zhao Xuan watched him pick up a dumpling, blow on it, and only then put it in his mouth. He couldn¡¯t help laughing: ¡°The first time you ate these dumplings, you burned your mouth and learned a lesson.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°One cannot be fooled twice.¡±


    Zhao Xuan paused, sighed, and said slowly: ¡°Recently, I often miss the old days when you would grind ink for me and contribute good ideas without so many complications. Nothing could come between us, and we were the best of companions, unlike the mutual suspicion of today.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°As Your Majesty says, from now on when I am in the Imperial Academy, it will be the same as before, only doing things for Your Majesty.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was silent for a moment. Seeing his expression shift, as if he was reminiscing about the past, he smiled lightly: ¡°Very good. After all these years, only you are in my heart.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry that I will feel resentful. The life of this official is yours, so how can I care about mere official positions? As long as I can do things for you, that is my greatest wish.¡± Zhao Yelan naturally knew what he was worried about, and spoke sincerely, picking up a piece of horseshoe cake and putting it on his plate.


    ¡°The horseshoe cake is delicious.¡± Zhao Xuan laughed, recalling some past events with him, and casually mentioned another matter. ¡°Today the Imperial Censor said that you and General Yan are very affectionate? It seems that my marriage decree was truly correct?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Zhao Yelan denied. ¡°It was not a matter of a day or two for the Lord Censor to impeach me. He just latched onto a trivial matter and spread it.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you having conjugal relations? I heard from the people in the General¡¯s Mansion that you have been very affectionate these two days.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s movements froze, and the jade dumpling he had just picked up fell back into the bowl. He almost couldn¡¯t control his expression: ¡°That¡¯s just a rumor, I am not so familiar with him.¡±


    Zhao Xuan laughed: ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not mention this matter. Hurry up and eat, there are still so many left.¡±


    The two finished their meal in harmony. Zhao Xuan needed to review the memorials, so only then did Zhao Yelan leave.


    As soon as he stepped out of the door, the corners of his mouth quickly pursed. There was no emotion in his eyes, and the spring-like smile from just now vanished completely.


    There was some distance from here to the gates of the palace. He straightened his back and stepped on every brick slowly.


    The guard at the gate saw him and was ignorant to what had gone on in the court meeting, so he saluted respectfully: ¡°Minister Zhao.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked through the gate without looking to the side. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he noticed Yan Mingting leaning against the city wall and asked in a daze, ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Hearing the sound, Yan Mingting came over. The swords at his waist made a clashing sound, with a heroic spirit just like the expression on his face: ¡°Since we came together, of course we have to go back together.¡±


    After getting on the sedan chair, the other party followed suit.


    Zhao Yelan asked suspiciously, ¡°Waiting here for me and then sitting in the sedan chair with me, what is your purpose?¡±


    ¡°I waited because I thought you would come out soon, but I didn¡¯t expect to wait for so long. The sedan chair is because I¡¯m tired from all the waiting. I wouldn¡¯t sit just for nothing.¡± Yan Mingting was astonished. ¡°Why can you not recognize kindness?¡±[5]


    Zhao Yelan still looked at him with scrutiny.


    ¡°Humph.¡± Yan Mingting strongly expressed that he was offended.


    Zhao Yelan looked away.


    Suddenly, Yan Mingting¡¯s nose twitched. He moved closer to him and sniffed: ¡°I smell food, have you already eaten?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for so long, but you¡¯ve already eaten!¡± Yan Mingting sat back, folded his arms, and said nothing.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him: ¡°I¡¯m not full, do you want to eat together?¡±


    ¡°You still aren¡¯t full from the Imperial dining room?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes and said nonchalantly, ¡°I had no appetite.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want to eat?¡±


    Zhao Yelan thought for a while and said, ¡°Stuffed steamed buns.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll go straight back to the mansion. The buns made by the cook are delicious,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan had just nodded, but immediately denied: ¡°No, I want to eat Ming Ji restaurant¡¯s buns.¡±


    ¡°Is it more delicious than other places?¡±


    ¡°No, just more expensive.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seeing that the sedan chair was almost at the General¡¯s Mansion, Yan Mingting was really too lazy to go to the east of the city to buy buns, so he dragged Zhao Yelan off the sedan chair.


    Zhao Yelan held on tightly to the sedan chair and refused to get off.


    The bearers were all dumbfounded.


    ¡°You bastard, let go! If you don¡¯t want to go, I¡¯ll go by myself!¡± Zhao Yelan cursed loudly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the mansion, you can have as much as you want. Why waste the money? Do you know if you have to cut down on food and clothing now?¡±


    ¡°I have infinite silver!¡±


    ¡°Do you have this?¡± Yan Mingting pointed to his swords, and Zhao Yelan became much quieter.


    He smiled triumphantly, wrapped his arm around Zhao Yelan, and brought him back to the mansion. Imitating his official authority, he said threateningly: ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me, I¡¯m a first-rank general. You¡¯d better be obedient, you¡¯re only seventh-rank.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good at being ostentatious,¡± Yan Mingting added.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    [1] The gold fish pouch is like an ID card for officials. Those of the highest rank wore a pouch decorated with gold fish, those just below them wore one decorated with silver fish, and lower ranks didn¡¯t wear them at all. Zhao Yelan¡¯s clothing also indicates his rank, with the purple robes being worn only by officials of the highest rank, and the cranes symbolizing a high ranking civil official. While civil officials wore birds on their clothing, military officials would wear beasts such as tigers and lions. ?


    [2] ¡°The mud that couldn¡¯t support the wall,¡± (ÀÃÄà·ö²»ÉÏǽ) means that someone is useless/inept. ?


    [3] The duties of an Imperial Editor could range from drafting Imperial edicts, compiling historical books, and doing other daily work for the Imperial court. ?


    [4] The idiom ¡°Newborn claves do not fear tigers¡± (³õÉúÅ£¶¿²»Å»¢) is an idiom that means ¡®The young are fearless and dare to act.¡¯ ?


    [5] This is the second half of the idiom ¹·Ò§ÂÀ¶´±ö£¬²»Ê¶ºÃÈËÐÄ, ¡°The dog snaps and snarls at Lu Dong Bin and doesn¡¯t recognize his kindness.¡± ?

 CH 14

    The house had already prepared breakfast, and as soon as the two of them entered the courtyard, the maids served it up one after the other.


    Yan Mingting ordered the cook to make some steamed buns, then sat down to eat. Taking a few big mouthfuls, he found that Zhao Yelan was looking at the table in boredom and asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat?¡±


    ¡°Not hungry.¡± Zhao Yelan had no appetite.


    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t eat enough.¡± Yan Mingting said, ¡°What did you eat?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him arrogantly: ¡°Regardless, it was richer than what is on your table.¡±


    ¡°No matter how rich the food is, if the diner doesn¡¯t like it, it¡¯s a waste.¡± Yan Mingting smiled and continued to eat.


    After marching for many years, he had always had a good appetite. Eating fast and in large amounts, he ate half the table without knowing it.


    Zhao Yelan was stunned: ¡°Have you not eaten for hundreds of years?¡±


    Yan Mingting chewed quickly and gave a hearty smile: ¡°Sometimes the military rations were not enough, and the soldiers were either starving or digging the roots of wild vegetables. When we had hot food, we couldn¡¯t wait to swallow it right away, unlike you who are well-clothed and well-fed. You don¡¯t understand the preciousness of food.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was silent.


    ¡°Have you ever gone hungry?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°How could I not have.¡±


    It happened that the buns were delivered to the table. Zhao Yelan picked up a hot bun and broke it. The juice flowed out along the thin skin, releasing its fragrance. He took a bite and ate slowly.


    ¡°When?¡± Yan Mingting became interested.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, just eat your share, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan no longer responded to him, and quietly finished eating a bun. Yan Mingting picked another one for him and set it on his plate.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t refuse, and finished another one.


    ¡°I told you the cook in our mansion is good.¡± Yan Mingting raised his eyebrows triumphantly, and then pretended to be sad, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t always give the cook a cold shoulder. Be careful not to dishearten him, yesterday I saw him secretly wiping away tears in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan resisted the urge to hit him. Then he was taken aback, and said seriously, ¡°What do you mean, ¡®our?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Hey, family doesn¡¯t have to stand on ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Go away.¡± Zhao Yelan returned to his room expressionlessly, called Gao Tan in, and asked, ¡°What is going on in the mansion these days?¡±


    ¡°Going on?¡± Gao Tan scratched his head and recalled, ¡°Playing flower drum?¡±[1]


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting, Housekeeper Qin taught me how, and it¡¯s fun to play with everyone,¡± Gao Tan said with a smile.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan tapped him on the head. ¡°I¡¯m talking about news about me and Yan Mingting, such as¡­¡­affection between couples, or something.¡±


    ¡°Affection between couples, ah¡­¡­oh, I see! Everyone is saying that you and the general are playing adult games, so I went to ask Housekeeper Qin, and he taught me how to play flower drums.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°Adult games?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°I see, you go out first.¡±


    Since Gao Tan obviously didn¡¯t even know what ¡°adult games¡± were, then the people in the General¡¯s Mansion probably didn¡¯t spread the night¡¯s incident to the outside world.


    If the Emperor knew, there could only be two reasons. One was that an informant was planted in the General¡¯s Mansion. But the servants in the General¡¯s Mansion were all familiar people from many years ago, when Zhao Xuan was just a prince with no power. It was impossible for him to have planned this such a long time ago.


    It could only be the other reason ¨C The Gold Collar Guard.


    The Imperial City had guards to maintain security, but the world was unaware of another organization ¨C The Gold Collar Guard was a group of dead soldiers[2] organized by Zhao Xuan in his early years. Proficient in martial arts, well-trained, and loyal, they followed orders covertly.


    He only learned of the existence of this group of people after being besieged with Zhao Xuan.


    There was a time when there were many assassination attempts on him, so Zhao Xuan sent a small team to protect him. Ordinarily, no one could detect the traces of this group at all. They were a strong shield.


    But now, they were a thorn in his side.


    When Yan Mingting said before that ¡°there is someone on the roof,¡± was it just to tease him, or was there really someone there, and it just happened that Gao Tan didn¡¯t see them?


    Regardless, planting people to monitor him without his consent would not be tolerated.


    The problem was, since he didn¡¯t have the manpower to defeat the Gold Collar Guard, not to mention blatantly killing the Emperor¡¯s people, the solution to this problem still needed some thought.


    After one morning, the news of Zhao Yelan¡¯s demotion spread all over the capital. This matter was being discussed in the streets and alleys, and although opinions differed, there was no doubt that they were all gloating.


    It was rare for anyone in the gambling hall to mention this sort of business, but likely because everyone had witnessed Zhao Yelan coming to gamble with their own eyes, they talked about it enthusiastically.


    Standing by the gambling table, Li Yucheng couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he heard that Zhao Yelan had been sent to the Imperial Academy: ¡°Retribution, this is all retribution!¡±


    ¡°Young master, you can¡¯t gamble anymore, the master is already angry,¡± a servant boy reminded him from the side.


    ¡°This young master is already in a good mood today. All these things, I¡¯ll bet all of them!¡± Li Yucheng placed his bets with such arrogance, and then lost all his money, but he was not angry, and walked out of the gambling house cheerfully.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, Zhao Yelan, your day has come as well.¡± Li Yucheng rubbed his hands expectantly, turned his head, and told the servant, ¡°Has he been out of the house recently? You go find a few people. Cover your face, and find a chance when he¡¯s alone¡­¡­remember to keep it secret.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After plotting loudly, Li Yucheng swaggered forward and left the gambling house with a cheerful expression, not noticing the doorman standing at the door, who immediately turned and went up to the second floor.


    The people in the General¡¯s Mansion naturally heard about the rumors that spread outside. The servants discussed in private and immediately felt that they had won another round. The master had been demoted, let them see how long those servants of the Zhao family could hold their heads high.


    Housekeeper Qin found Yan Mingting, who was practicing his sword. With a heavy heart, he said: ¡°General, your wife was demoted just after you were married, so will you also be¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting stopped and took a handkerchief out to wipe his sweat, but felt that it was not enough. After returning to the room, he washed his hands with cold water to wash away the smell of sweat.


    Watching this series of actions, Housekeeper Qin was dumbfounded. It was hard to believe that this was the easygoing person who had entered the battlefield countless times with his father since he was a child.


    ¡°No, it was inevitable that he would be demoted. He knew it himself that this would happen, have you ever seen him so calm? What¡¯s more, he relied on the Emperor to reach his high position, so as long as the Emperor became unhappy, he would have to withdraw at any time.¡±


    Yan Mingting picked up another handkerchief to wipe the water off, and used it to wipe his scabbard. ¡°I¡¯m different. I¡¯m the son of Duke Ding, a first-rank general, and the commander of the Yan family army. Even if he no longer favors me, he still has to give me face.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin seemed to see the old general before him. No, he was more energetic, proud, and confident than the old general. He smiled and nodded: ¡°As the general says¡­¡­.only, do you want to go see Furen?¡±


    ¡°See him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah, Furen must be very sad now,¡± Housekeeper Qin said in a considerate manner.


    Although he didn¡¯t like his new master, Zhao Yelan would also implicate the General¡¯s Mansion if something serious happened, not to mention the fact that the two of them had a ¡°husband and wife¡± relationship. He persuaded: ¡°Since you are now united, you should face difficulties together and overcome them together, ah.¡±


    ¡°With him?¡± Yan Mingting didn¡¯t think Zhao Yelan would be sad, but after thinking about it, he went to the mansion to search for him.


    ¡°He is in the back courtyard,¡± Housekeeper Qin said.


    Not expecting this, Yan Mingting raised his eyebrows. He strode towards the back courtyard, a little worried that Zhao Yelan would be unhappy and kill all the chickens in the pen. He couldn¡¯t finish eating so many chickens in a day or two.


    Fortunately, all the chickens in the pen survived. He turned and caught a glimpse of a figure fishing by the fish pond.


    Gao Tan was squatting beside him, murmuring something. When he heard footsteps, he turned his head to greet the general and stood aside to stand guard.


    ¡°Hey, are you fishing?¡± Yan Mingting walked over.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t turn his head, continuing to stare at the hook. ¡°You ask when you already know the answer.¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± Yan Mingting asked bluntly.


    ¡°Feeling?¡±


    ¡°There are rumors going around outside.¡±


    ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡±


    Yan Mingting turned back and shrugged at Housekeeper Qin, signaling that this man did not need comfort. Housekeeper Qin gave him a meaningful look ¨C this is Furen putting on a brave face, it¡¯s just the time to comfort him!


    Yan Mingting asked: ¡°What would you like to have for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Why? What do you want to eat?¡± Zhao Yelan raised his head to look at him. The sun was a little dazzling, and his pupils shrank slightly, his eyelashes fluttering like dragonflies in the sunlight.


    ¡°Dragonflies.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know that the General has such strange tastes that he likes to eat dragonflies.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± Yan Mingting waved his hand briefly, then bent down and pointed to his eyelashes with a smile. ¡°I mean, your eyelashes kind of look like dragonflies.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan was stunned for a moment, then turned his face away like nothing had occurred, staring at the hook in a daze. ¡°I can¡¯t catch any.¡±


    Yan Mingting wanted to persuade him to be patient, as fishing was not easy and not something that could be accomplished overnight, but the other person said: ¡°You go get me some.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Yan Mingting pointed to himself.


    ¡°En, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Zhao Yelan tilted his head. His face was covered with a layer of gentle sunlight, his expression was soft, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at martial arts? Quickly grab one and braise it.¡±


    Yan Mingting was quite pleased. He went down two steps to stand by the fish pond, and observed quietly for a while before quickly pulling out his sword. He deftly inserted it into the water, and when he took it out again, a perch was impaled upon it, frantically flicking its tail.


    ¡°Is one enough?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan looked directly at him and smiled lightly. It was as if a calm lake was touched by the feet of a bird, causing layers of ripples that formed a beautiful trap.


    ¡°Not enough.¡±


    Yan Mingting went to fish for several more.


    Housekeeper Qin was very pleased to see it, but couldn¡¯t help but want to persuade him to change his tool. This sword was a precious weapon bestowed by the Emperor, ah. Using it to spear fish was too excessive!


    In the end, a total of six fish were caught. Yan Mingting said regretfully: ¡°So many, how can I finish them? What a waste.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a few subordinates? They come to the house every day. Let¡¯s have them eat lunch together today,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Really?¡± Yan Mingting was slightly surprised. ¡°You actually took the initiative to invite them for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was a waste?¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s face straightened. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then forget it. Throw them away if you can¡¯t eat them.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll talk to them later.¡±


    He Cuizhang and the rest would come to the General¡¯s Mansion to discuss important matters these days, and they occasionally smelled the fragrance of the kitchen, so they left quickly, for fear of staying and having dinner with Zhao Yelan. According to He Cuizhang¡¯s report, this group of lieutenant generals had listed eating with Zhao Yelan as the third most difficult thing they encountered after returning to Beijing.


    However, as soon as they arrived at the mansion today, they were persuaded  by Yan Mingting to stay.


    At mealtime, everyone looked at each other in blank dismay. Finally, Zhong Yuehong stood up first to wash her hands, and the others followed suit.


    Zhao Yelan nodded in satisfaction: ¡°At will, everyone.¡±


    The result of letting this group of military officials do whatever they wanted was that he didn¡¯t have enough to eat. A table of vegetables and six fish was not enough for them all.


    Putting down the bowls and chopsticks, they felt belatedly embarrassed again, and smiled awkwardly.


    Seeing this, Yan Mingting turned his head and was about to order the kitchen to make more, but was stopped by Zhao Yelan: ¡°Don¡¯t bother, I¡¯m going out for a while.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Huichun Tower.¡±


    ¡°Look how finicky you are.¡± Yan Mingting immediately ordered the kitchen to prepare more.


    A vein twitched on Zhao Yelan¡¯s forehead. He kept smiling: ¡°By the way, let¡¯s go to the gambling hall to redeem your sword.¡±


    Everyone was astonished. Yan Mingting said in disbelief: ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re going to help me redeem it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded and looked at the table calmly: ¡°It¡¯s just as a thank-you for these few fish.¡±


    ¡°Ai, with our relationship, why are you being polite?¡± Yan Mingting stood up and urged, ¡°What are you waiting for, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    The subordinates also breathed a sigh of relief. Although the sword was not something expensive, people who practiced martial arts treated their swords as treasures. Losing it to the gambling hall was really neglectful.


    ¡°Although, I went to the shopkeeper before, and he refused to return the property to the original owner,¡± Zhong Yuehong said.


    ¡°That only shows that the money you gave wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Zhao Yelan took out a stack of bank notes. ¡°Gamblers only have money in their eyes.¡±


    Everyone was taken aback by the generous brush he conveniently took out, and thought it made sense, so they went together to get the sword.


    He Cuizhong suddenly felt that something was wrong, and pulled Zhong Yuehong over to whisper: ¡°It¡¯s strange, he obviously lost the General¡¯s sword and should be the one to get it back, so why do we still feel so grateful now?


    Zhong Yuehong: ¡° ! ¡±


    The group of people came to the gambling hall in a grandiose manner. Zhao Yelan said: ¡°Just wait here, lest anyone be too afraid to move when they see your swords.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Yan Mingting and his subordinates waited at the gate. The swords and knives on the waists of this group made them daunting, and no one dared to approach them at all.


    Suddenly, there was the sound of fighting inside.


    Several people rushed in quickly and saw Zhao Yelan being grabbed by the collar by a man black and thrown towards the wall.


    Before anyone could react, Yan Mingting exerted strength in his feet and leaped onto a table with good form, taking two or three steps forward to catch Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him in panic: ¡°There are more than one of them.¡±


    Yan Mingting looked over and found a few suspicious people among the shocked crowd around him. His men started to move immediately, and he rushed directly toward the man in black.


    There was instant commotion in the gambling hall. Tables and chairs were split apart and swept around the room. The sound of swords colliding was frightening, and the people rushed out with their arms covering their heads.


    Li Yucheng was caught in the crowd. He looked back at the man in black who was fighting Yan Mingting, and said in surprise: ¡°Where did you find this person? I just wanted to teach Zhao Yelan a lesson, I didn¡¯t want him to actually die! How can I explain it if he dies!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find this person!¡± The servant boy said anxiously. ¡°I only found a few ruffians, and they¡¯ve already been caught by those military officials!¡±


    ¡°Where did the man in black come from?!¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, the roof of the gambling hall suddenly broke open. The man in black jumped out, followed by Yan Mingting, and the two started fighting hand-to-hand on the roof.


    Yan Mingting noticed that the other¡¯s collar had several patterns embroidered with gold thread. Unlike ordinary nightwear, this should be from an organization.


    At this time, other men in black suddenly poured out from all directions, besieging them. There was gold thread on their collars.


    Yan Mingting drew out the sword at his waist, unsheathed the sharp blade, and slashed at them with an awe-inspiring sword aura.


    He Cuizhang and the others came out and joined the battle together, and soon gained the upper hand.


    This group of people were obviously martial artists. Yan Mingting was originally concerned about keeping them alive, but the other party had completely hit his weak point. With a cold look in his eyes, he struck quickly and ruthlessly. The vigilance gained through years of experience allowed him to always predict his opponent¡¯s moves first, and he quickly took down this group of people.


    Not having a rope at hand, Zhong Yuehong skillfully took out a nine-tailed whip and tied up the group of people: ¡°General, everyone is here.¡±


    Yan Mingting sheathed his sword, bowed his head to the dozen or so people on the ground, and frowned: ¡°No, one person is missing.¡±


    The one who attacked Zhao Yelan at the beginning was not among them.


    Oh no, Zhao Yelan.


    He turned and rushed into the gambling house. Almost everyone had fled, leaving only a messy floor and the crying shopkeeper.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan!¡± Yan Mingting yelled a few times, searched around, and was relieved when he saw the corner of his clothes hidden beneath a table in the corner.


    He picked up the broken table and saw Zhao Yelan crouched there. He bent over and laughed, stretching out his hand: ¡°You¡¯re not well-hidden at all.¡±


    Zhao Yelan seemed to be frightened, staring at his hand motionlessly.


    ¡°All right, it¡¯s okay. I lost one, but I¡¯ll catch him.¡± Yan Mingting looked at his slightly trembling body, and simply gathered him in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t go to Huichun Tower today, let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    Zhao Yelan froze and looked at him with a complicated expression.


    [1] Flower drum is a kind of folk dance where one person beats a small gong and the others play a small drum while singing and dancing. ?


    [2] Dead soldiers (ËÀÊ¿) is a term referring to people with special ops training, used to protect important people. They also carry out suicide attacks. ?

 CH 15

    The disturbance just now had gathered a lot of onlookers. It was only when he heard the commotion outside that Zhao Yelan came back to his senses and said in a lowered voice, ¡°Let me down.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t your legs weak?¡± Yan Mingting teased.


    Zhao Yelan pushed him away and stood firm on the ground to show that he was not affected in any way, but his clothes were dirty, which concerned him a bit.


    As soon as the two walked out the door, Zhong Yuehong reported: ¡°General, those people committed suicide.¡±


    The subordinates had arrested two groups of people. One group was hiding in the crowd and sneaking around, and the other group was the men in black with strong martial arts skills.


    Yan Mingting frowned slightly and walked quickly in front of the men in black. Breathing out, he pulled off their masks. Every face was ordinary, and when their robes were opened, they all wore uniform nightclothes with a sun pattern stitched in gold thread on the collars.


    ¡°They seem to be well-trained dead soldiers, but I don¡¯t know which organization this is. They dared to try to assassinate an official of the court in the capital,¡± He Cuizhang said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give these people to the government first, and see if they can find anything,¡± Yan Mingting said. He turned around and asked Zhao Yelan, ¡°Do you have any enemies?¡±


    ¡°I do, which one?¡±


    Zhao Yelan had more than one enemy. Looking at the group of corpses, he felt that he could smell them, so he quickly took out his handkerchief to cover his nose, and coughed.


    Seeing this, Yan Mingting arranged for his subordinates to stay in place and wait for the people from the government to come and take over, and then brought Zhao Yelan back to the mansion.


    ¡°My lord, what happened to you?¡± Gao Tan saw Zhao Yelan stepping through the door with a weary expression, and rushed to greet him.


    ¡°Go and get some hot water,¡± Zhao Yelan ordered.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Yan Mingting looked at Gao Tan¡¯s back as he left in a hurry, and his eyes narrowed imperceptibly.


    The water was soon ready. Zhao Yelan went back to the room to bathe, changed into new clothes, picked out a slightly scented sachet to wear on his waist, and carried a scent as he walked.


    Whether it was a different scent or he had just been exposed to it too much, Yan Mingting had gradually adapted to the scent that came out of the mansion at any time. It didn¡¯t seem too pungent anymore. He asked, ¡°How did the man in black find you today?¡±


    ¡°I went and asked someone to look for the shopkeeper, but a group of people in the crowd bumped into me, and then a man in black appeared,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Do you have anyone you suspect?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shook his head.


    Soon, Zhong Yuehong and He Cuizhang came to the mansion and said: ¡°The government interrogations are over, and the rest of the people said they were ordered by Li Yucheng to teach Zhao Yelan a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Who is Li Yucheng?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°The son of the Prime Minister,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting asked Zhao Yelan thoughtfully: ¡°What about the man in black? Were they with him?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t know about that group of people. I¡¯m not sure if they were other experts hired by Li Yucheng,¡± Zhong Yuehong said.


    ¡°Go and invite Li Yucheng to have a chat.¡± Yan Mingting put his sword on the table.


    However, it didn¡¯t take long before news came out that Li Yucheng had run away from home. They didn¡¯t know where he was hiding, and the Prime Minister was also looking for him everywhere.


    ¡°Send someone to track him down.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After they left, Yan Mingting glanced at Zhao Yelan and said: ¡°The man in black and Li Yucheng may not be part of the same group. Maybe there are other people who want to assassinate you. You should reduce unnecessary excursions for the next few days. If you must go out, call me to join you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s brows rose, and he smiled meaningfully: ¡°Why does General Yan treat me so well?¡±


    ¡°With our relationship, why are you being polite? I can¡¯t let you die as soon as you walk through the door, right? Then I¡¯m afraid that my fate as an evil star will truly be confirmed.¡± Yan Mingting also smiled.


    ¡°Then, thank you, General,¡± Zhao Yelan said modestly and politely.


    ¡°Hiss, why am I not used to you like this? You¡¯ve already said thank-you twice today.¡± Yan Mingting reached out and touched his forehead. ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever either, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan batted his hand away expressionlessly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s Zhao Yelan.¡±


    ¡°It turns out you have poor eyesight.¡± Zhao Yelan sneered and suddenly pinched his chin with force. His pupils shrank slightly. ¡°I haven¡¯t settled accounts with you just now. Don¡¯t make unreasonable requests. Did I agree to you holding me?¡±


    Yan Mingting frowned: ¡°Then how do you want to settle the score?¡±


    The distance between the two was less than half a foot, and every expression fell into the other¡¯s eyes. During this stalemate, Housekeeper Qin came into the hall: ¡°General¡­¡­oh! I didn¡¯t see anything! It is easy to go blind when you are old!¡±


    Housekeeper Qin covered his eyes and hurriedly backed away.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled and pushed his hand away. Touching his chin, the feeling of being tightly gripped by those slender fingers seemed to still linger on the surface of the skin, putting him in a good mood. But what he said made him in need of a spanking: ¡°I just like how you hate me but can¡¯t kill me.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was extremely angry, but he had unexpectedly hit the mark again, so he had no choice but to walk towards the gate, fuming.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yan Mingting shouted from behind.


    ¡°Going outside to seek death and confirm your reputation as an evil star!¡± Zhao Yelan was so angry that he couldn¡¯t control his mouth.


    Yan Mingting laughed loudly, then followed after him and found that he was not wandering aimlessly, but straight in a certain direction, and wondered: ¡°A clothing shop?¡±


    Zhao Yelan ignored him and walked straight into the store.


    ¡°Yo, why did Zhao-daren come in person?¡± When the shopkeeper saw the big guest, he happily greeted him. ¡°Are you here today to buy cloth or ready-to-wear?¡±


    ¡°Is the silk delivered a few days ago ready?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°The embroiderers are rushing to make it. The material you provided is so good, we don¡¯t dare to be sloppy.¡± The shopkeeper said with a smile, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at the newly arrived materials?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded and wandered around.


    Yan Mingting stood in the lobby, out of place and surrounded by women and children who secretly pointed at him and snickered. He awkwardly walked to Zhao Yelan¡¯s side: ¡°When are we going back?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Since I¡¯m out to seek death, of course I have to get results. Don¡¯t you want to find out who is working behind the scenes?¡± Zhao Yelan casually picked up some fancy fabric and held it to Yan Mingting¡¯s chest. ¡°How about this one?¡±


    ¡°They clearly want to kill you, how can you be sure that I can catch the mastermind?¡± Yan Mingting shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s no good, I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°Just a gut feeling.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s lips curled. ¡°Who said I would give this to you, it is for Gao Tan.¡±


    ¡°Is this the great General?¡± The shopkeeper covered his mouth in surprise and his eyes lit up. ¡°So striking and handsome, with a casual and elegant bearing!¡±


    The surrounding voices suddenly became louder, people looking at Yan Mingting in surprise as they pulled their companions in to whisper. The expressions of admiration and astonishment on their faces were beyond words.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched, and he said in a low voice: ¡°You are frequently active in the city these days. Before long, the rumors of your ugly appearance will crumble. General Yan might as well take a look at these women, each is beautiful in her own way, and if it¡¯s love at first sight, you can take her back to fill in a room.¡±


    The people around were peeping at them, so Yan Mingting could only lower his head and whisper in his ear with a smile: ¡°Furen is stunning, second to none in the capital. I am already satisfied.¡±


    Zhao Yelan shot him a cold look, threw the cloth on the table, and left angrily: ¡°Are you the only one who deserves such good material?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you get it for Xiao Gao?¡± Yan Mingting gave a muffled laugh, chased him out two or three steps, and suddenly stopped and grabbed his arm. He said in a low voice, ¡°There is someone.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was about to turn his head and look, when a big hand pinched his cheek.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look, just keep going.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The two went outside the city as usual, and as soon as they stopped, Yan Mingting pulled out his sword and stabbed in a certain direction behind him, provoking a black shadow from a tree, and the two quickly became entangled.


    The people had been drawn out. Yan Mingting fought at will. In the corner of his eye, Zhao Yelan was still standing there foolishly in his original spot. ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll follow behind!¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked up at their battle, but couldn¡¯t hear clearly, and frowned: ¡°What do you mean, braised pork?¡±[1]


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    As soon as Yan Mingting was distracted, the man in black immediately diverted his attention, turning around to stab directly at Zhao Yelan.


    In an instant, seven or eight men in black appeared from nowhere behind them to block the sword, attacking simultaneously. The man immediately sprinkled some poisonous powder and left the place in a flash.


    Zhao Yelan took two steps back, and his mouth and nose were covered by Yan Mingting just in time. The group of men in black ran into Yan Mingting head-on as they narrowly escaped from the poisonous powder.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The group of people didn¡¯t answer and were about to retreat, when they were stopped by Yan Mingting.


    Standing in front of Yan Mingting, Zhao Yelan had just said, ¡°Leave me alone,¡± when Yan Mingting hugged him tightly around his waist, and then his feet were in the air as his whole body flew up with him.


    ¡°Hold on tight, no matter what.¡± Yan Mingting thought that he was going to risk his life, and said with a straight face, ¡°At worst, we die together, and we will be a pair of good brothers in the next life!¡±


    Wind whistled in his ears along with the piercing sound of weapons clashing, and  danger visible to the naked eye was right in front of him. Numerous sharp weapons passed before him, his body was tugged back and forth, and he brushed shoulders with death several times. Zhao Yelan¡¯s heart almost stopped beating.


    Before he fainted, unable to take it anymore, he cursed: ¡°Yan Mingting, go to hell!¡±


    [1] Both sentences Yan Mingting spoke ( n¨« xi¨¡n z¨¯u, w¨¯ du¨¤nh¨°u) sort of rhyme with ¡®braised pork¡± (h¨®ngsh¨¡o r¨°u). ?

 CH 16

    ¡°My lord, it is physical weakness coupled with excessive fright that led to him fainting. I have given him acupuncture and prescribed another dose of medicine for him to take so that he can rest well,¡± said the doctor.


    Yan Mingting nodded and ordered Housekeeper Qin to follow him and retrieve the medicine. After sending the doctor away, he faced Gao Tan¡¯s resentful eyes and smiled awkwardly: ¡°You may not know that, with how critical the situation was at the time, he might have been assassinated by the enemy first if I didn¡¯t take him with me.¡±


    Gao Tan¡¯s expression was still aggrieved.


    ¡°Really, you have to trust me, I want to protect your master.¡± Yan Mingting moved towards the bed while talking and looked down at the weak person lying on the bed, his eyes closed tightly and his face pale. Gritting his teeth, he turned and walked out. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill that old hen to make soup for him!¡±


    The sound of footsteps got farther and farther away. Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyelashes trembled twice and he slowly opened his eyes, looking around. After confirming that he was in the house and not in the underworld, he propped himself up on the bed and prepared to sit up.


    ¡°My lord, you¡¯re awake.¡± Gao Tan quickly stepped forward to help him up and handed him a cup of hot water.


    Zhao Yelan took two sips and asked softly, ¡°How did I get back?¡±


    ¡°The General¡­¡­¡± Gao Tan recalled the scene at that time, and immediately changed his words. ¡°I brought you back.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to imagine that scene at all, and asked again, ¡°Where are those men in black?¡±


    ¡°Caught by the General and several lieutenants who rushed over later, but as soon as they were caught, they committed suicide immediately without leaving any identifying information.,¡± Gao Tan said.


    ¡°En.¡±


    Since the Gold Collar Guards were dead soldiers, they were ready to die at any time. No matter the reason for being caught, they must kill themselves immediately and not let others find out any information.


    Zhao Yelan nodded and then looked toward the door: ¡°Where is Yan Mingting?¡±


    ¡°The General is going to butcher a chicken to make soup for you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan coughed and pushed him hastily: ¡°Quick, go and stop him.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gao Tan asked nervously.


    ¡°I want white chicken noodles with shark¡¯s fin, barbecued suckling pig, hibiscus jelly in clear soup and drunken prawns, not chicken soup.¡±


    Zhao Yelan recited the names of several dishes in one breath. Since he had come to the General¡¯s Mansion, he was getting tired of the chicken and fish from the courtyard every day.


    Wasn¡¯t living in this world just for the sake of the desires of the tongue? What¡¯s more, his household was wealthy and powerful, so he couldn¡¯t bear this grievance.


    Gao Tan immediately ran to find Yan Mingting. The man had already slaughtered a chicken, and when he heard that Zhao Yelan was going to change the menu, he couldn¡¯t care less about washing up, so he came to the bedroom and asked: ¡°Do you not understand the concept of going easy on the stomach when you¡¯re ill?¡±


    Zhao Yelan saw the blood on his hands and sleeves and he still smelled like chicken. He instinctively covered half of his face with the blanket and glared: ¡°You stand over there! Don¡¯t come near me!¡±


    Yan Mingting glanced down and put his hands behind his back, but seeing his half-covered appearance, he felt it was extra fresh and cute, so he couldn¡¯t help approaching to say: ¡°It¡¯s going to be dark soon, where can I find so many fresh ingredients for you? How about eating lightly for these two days and having a big meal another day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, I¡¯m going to eat these today!¡± After Zhao Yelan spoke sharply, he started coughing again.


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay, I¡¯ll go and tell the kitchen to prepare them.¡± Yan Mingting was defeated and tried to reach out to pat him on the back, but Zhao Yelan abruptly glanced at his bloody hand. He took it back awkwardly, told Gao Tan to take care of him, and then went to the kitchen.


    Zhao Yelan slept in the room for a while before he heard Gao Tan calling him to get up for dinner.


    It was already dark outside, so he put on a cloak and walked slowly to the hall. When he arrived at the door, he saw several people sitting inside.


    ¨C A group of military officials.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, sorry to bother you,¡± He Cuizhang said loudly, smiling.


    ¡°The General asked us to discuss some matters, saying that you ordered the kitchen to cook some good dishes and wanted us to stay and eat together. Thank you, my lord,¡± Zhong Yuehong explained.


    The others also nodded in agreement, looking at him with a hint of gratitude in their eyes.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He looked at Yan Mingting, who was pretending to be obedient, and his eyes gradually turned cold.


    ¡°Come, take your seat quickly.¡± Yan Mingting didn¡¯t seem to notice his anger. He got up and walked in front of him with a smile, helped him untie the cloak, and led him to his seat. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s all your favorite food, eat it while it¡¯s hot.¡±


    The table was full of delicacies from the mountains and the seas, and Zhao Yelan¡¯s temper eased a little. He tasted every dish and they were beautiful and delicious. Raising his head in satisfaction, he found that the other people were staring at him. He said: ¡°Are you all just going to watch? Raise your chopsticks.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡±


    After receiving the order, the group of people immediately picked up their chopsticks with gleaming eyes and began to attack the table.


    A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Yelan regretted it so much that he wished he could go back and slap himself twice. What was the point of wasting those words? If he let this group of boorish people move their chopsticks, would he still have a share?


    Everyone put down their utensils in turn. He Cuizhang patted his stomach and said with emotion: ¡°The food in the capital is better than in the military camp. I¡¯ve never eaten so comfortably in my life as I have in the past few days.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong: ¡°Thank you, General and Zhao-daren, for your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no bother, the two of us can¡¯t finish eating so many dishes anyway.¡± Yan Mingting waved his hands magnanimously, then looked at Zhao Yelan with a deep expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Zhao Yelan put down his chopsticks and left the hall without looking back.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Zhao-daren?¡± He Cuizhang asked in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, he was just frightened today, so he¡¯s not in a good mood,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    The others expressed their understanding. Today¡¯s situation was very dangerous. If they hadn¡¯t arrived in time, it would have been very difficult for the General to escape from a group of masters while dragging Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°General, there is one thing I don¡¯t understand¡­¡­are you saving him frequently because you have cleared him of suspicion?¡± He Cuizhang asked in a low voice.


    Yan Mingting shook his head.


    ¡°Then why do you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so good-looking.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be my enemy, otherwise what could I do?¡± Yan Mingting touched his chin and pondered.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± He Cuizhang did not expect that General Yan, who had heroic features and a righteous body, was also a person who would be addicted to beauty!


    Yan Mingting saw his shocked mouth open wide enough to swallow two eggs, and laughed out loud: ¡°Just kidding.¡±


    He Cuizhang heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I have my own arrangements¡­¡­there is a man in black who escaped¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting thought of something, smiled suddenly, and started to chase people off. ¡°All right, all right, leave as soon as you finish eating. Don¡¯t hang around drinking in my house, I don¡¯t have time to entertain you.¡±


    ¡°Obviously you were the one who kept us here,¡± He Cuizhang muttered.


    After sending all of his subordinates away, Yan Mingting went to the kitchen, brought out the chicken soup and fish porridge that had been stewed for a long time, and walked to the bedroom. Seeing Zhao Yelan writing at his desk, he smiled and asked: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t respond, just continuing to write on the paper.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t full just now, come and have some porridge. It was specially prepared for you.¡± Yan Mingting casually walked to his side, looking down at the words on the paper. It turned out to be a divorce agreement.


    He read it with relish. The letter was voluminous and flowing, with remarkable literary talent. Every word was an indictment of his unjust treatment.


    Yan Mingting cried out in grievance: ¡°You have no conscience, why didn¡¯t you mention that I was ready to die for love when I saved you?¡±


    The brush stroked hard on the paper, and a stain appeared. Zhao Yelan took a deep breath and looked sideways at him, as if beholding a fool: ¡°Why were you going to die?¡±


    ¡°For love, ah. We¡¯re husband and wife, what else if not for love?¡± Yan Mingting teased. Every time he mentioned such mushy words, it would definitely make Zhao Yelan angry, and then his whole body would be endlessly vibrant and full of life. He would try every means to bully him, never tiring of teasing Zhao Yelan, as if it was a very fascinating thing.


    Sure enough, Zhao Yelan¡¯s face was indignant. His expression was no longer as cold as a casket, and he raised his hand to draw on his face. ¡°Who is the one who said we would be good brothers in the next life?¡±


    ¡°I regret it, let¡¯s be husband and wife in the next life, ba.¡± Yan Mingting smiled heartily, letting him do whatever he wanted on his face.


    ¡°Who will continue to be husband and wife with you!¡± Zhao Yelan put the brush on the table with a snap, and gave him a hard look. ¡°Don¡¯t be so pleased with yourself, ugly person.¡±


    Just as Yan Mingting was going to refute, he thought of something and walked up to the bronze mirror. A big turtle was drawn on his face, and when his mouth opened, it looked like the turtle was opening its mouth.


    He turned his head and happened to catch the corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth slightly curved. In an instant, he returned to his expressionless appearance, as if what he had seen just now had been an illusion. Yan Mingting pointed at the other party and said, ¡°You just smiled.¡±


    ¡°I did not,¡± Zhao Yelan denied cooly.


    ¡°You did.¡±


    ¡°Did not.¡±


    The two faced each other in silence for a moment. Yan Mingting took the lead and smiled: ¡°Okay, you didn¡¯t, can you come over to have porridge now?¡±


    Although he was angry, he couldn¡¯t joke around with his body. Zhao Yelan carefully folded the letter and handed it to him, then sat down at the table and sipped the porridge.


    Yan Mingting casually put the divorce agreement in a drawer, sat down beside him, and stared at him.


    Zhao Yelan frowned and shot him a sidelong glance, then picked up the bowl, turned around, and sat with his back facing him.


    ¡°How is it? Does it taste good?¡± Yan Mingting put one arm on the table and propped up his face with his hand, looking at his back with a smile. ¡°Be careful with your sleeves.¡±


    He reached out to lift the other¡¯s sleeve, so as not to let it brush the chicken soup. Who knew that Zhao Yelan would subconsciously push him away, causing his arm to bump against the table. He let out a muffled groan.


    Zhao Yelan turned his head and gave him a suspicious look.


    Yan Mingting retracted his arm silently.


    Seeing this, Zhao Yelan put down the bowl and turned around. He pulled up his arm and opened the sleeve to see that a small area of his forearm was wrapped in white gauze. A little blood oozed out, staining a small part of the gauze red.


    ¡°How did it happen?¡± Zhao Yelan looked up at him. ¡°The men in black?¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded in embarrassment and said offhand: ¡°I was just careless for a moment. Normally, even if a hundred or a thousand people came against me, they would not be able to land a strike.¡±


    Normally¡­¡­What was the difference between today and the usual?


    He¡¯d had an extra burden.


    Perhaps it was an injury he got by keeping that burden by his side. Perhaps it was from a sword that was blocked for that burden.


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment, then rolled his sleeves down, walked to the door, and ordered Xiao Gao to call the doctor in to check the wound again.


    Fortunately, there was no serious problem. Ater reapplying the medicine and rebandaging it, the doctor gave a few more instructions before leaving.


    Soon there were only two people left in the room. The night was deep. Zhao Yelan lay down under the blanket and glanced at the person lying flat on the floor. Maybe it was because of his tough constitution that he didn¡¯t need bedding and could sleep all night with a blanket on the ground.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the cold?¡± Zhao Yelan asked curiously.


    ¡°What cold?¡± Yan Mingting said casually, covering up the years he had experienced.


    ¡°You¡¯re not marching and fighting outside now, why don¡¯t you treat yourself kindly?¡±


    ¡°I fear that a life of luxury will eliminate my vigilance.¡± Yan Mingting yawned. ¡°As you can see, you can encounter danger at any time in the capital, so it is obvious that there is no place that is completely safe.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sighed. He got up, picked up a stack of books and placed them in the middle of the bed, and took out a blanket from the cabinet: ¡°Until your injury recovers, sleep here temporarily.¡±


    As soon as the words were spoken, a figure flashed before his eyes to lay on the bed with staggering speed.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan gave him a blank look. Taking off his shoes, he crossed over his feet and crawled inside. ¡°Don¡¯t you fear a life of luxury now?¡±


    ¡°Hey, how can this be called a life of luxury? This is sending charcoal on a snowy day,[1] ah.¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled as he watched his jet-black hair hang down, all the way from the end of the bed to the pillow.


    After putting out the lights, Zhao Yelan abruptly said: ¡°Tomorrow morning, you remember to tell the Emperor about this.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°The surprise attack by the men in black, and you single-handedly fighting against many.¡±


    ¡°Is this asking me to show off my heroic deeds in public?¡± Yan Mingting asked with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan scoffed coldly and stopped speaking.


    The next day, as soon as he heard the sound of someone rolling over, he rubbed his eyes and sat up. Right after calling Gao Tan, he realized that he didn¡¯t have to go to court anymore.


    He watched Yan Mingting put on his clothes and tie his hair in a few brief movements before donning his sword in high spirits. He exhorted: ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you have to tell the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Yan Mingting turned around and saw him sitting on the bed with one hand propped outside of the blanket, his eyes sleepy, like a wife watching her husband go out and nagging non-stop. He smiled. ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, go to the training grounds and practice with Yuehong and the others. It will be good for your health.¡±


    ¡°Who said I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Zhao Yelan fell on the bed as soon as he heard the words ¡°training grounds,¡± rolled up in the blanket and turned over, leaving a rear view of the person who was determined not to exercise.


    Yan Mingting smiled silently. Before leaving, he heard him cough twice, perhaps due to getting up too hastily and letting cold air in.


    He returned to the bed and tucked in the blanket, went to the kitchen alone to prepare a hot water bottle, put it at his feet, and then went out into the ink-dark night.


    There was silence all around. Zhao Yelan slowly opened his eyes. He was absent-minded for a moment before getting up, and when he caught sight of the hot water bottle from the corner of his eye, he was stunned for a moment and then carried it to the study.


    The study room had not been used for a long time, and some of the stored rice paper was starting to turn yellow, but he had ordered for them to be kept. At this time, he chose one of them and began to draw on the paper.


    A short while later, he glanced at the sky. It was almost time to go down, so he called Gao Tan: ¡°Give this to Eunuch Gao. Be sure to do it quickly.¡±


    In the court hall, after the politics were over, the Emperor took the initiative to ask Yan Mingting: ¡°General Yan, I heard that you handed over many unclaimed corpses to the government offices yesterday. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Answering Your Majesty, this servant went out with Zhao Yelan yesterday when we encountered assassins. This servant took them down, but the group of people unexpectedly committed suicide as soon as they were captured,¡± Yan Mingting replied.


    ¡°Do you know who it was?¡±


    ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know. This servant knows very little about the affairs of the capital, so he can only hand everything over to the government for investigation. If the government requires assistance, you can ask this servant to transfer people over at any time, and this servant will also send more people to ensure Zhao Yelan¡¯s safety. Please rest assured, Your Majesty,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s lips moved, but he had let him finish talking, so he could only let it go. Reviewing memorials after court, he suddenly became emotional and threw out the memorial in front of him.


    The Gold Collar Guard lost more than thirty people in one day, and it was even impossible to know the truth. They sent people to investigate, and the result was that the men in black attacked Zhao Yelan secretly, and Yan Mingting protected him. Countless people could testify to this.


    If this was the case, he couldn¡¯t blame Yan Mingting. Because Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know of the existence of the Gold Collar Guard, it was understandable that he would hurry to protect Zhao Yelan.


    But if someone designed it on purpose, it was only Zhao Yelan who knew the Gold Collar Guard well. But Zhao Yelan had been living in peace with the Gold Collar Guard all along, and still needed to rely on them to protect his safety, so how could he use Yan Mingting¡¯s hand to kill so many people?


    Could it be¡­¡­Zhao Yelan was certain that he could find someone more suitable than the Gold Collar Guard to protect him?


    Who? Yan Mingting?


    After only a few days of acquaintance, your heart is already set on Yan Mingting?


    While he was thinking about it, Eunuch Gao came in holding a painting and said: ¡°Your Majesty, this is Zhao-daren¡¯s painting. It was handed over to this old slave for safekeeping a few days before the wedding. Just now when I was tidying up, I remembered it and thought that His Majesty should decide where it goes.¡±


    ¡°What painting?¡± Zhao Xuan asked curiously.


    Eunuch Gao unfolded the painting, and he saw a boy holding a fan.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this me?¡± Zhao Xuan¡¯s thoughts shifted slightly. His fingers lingered on the painting for a moment, and he asked with some nostalgia, ¡°When did I look like this?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, have you forgotten? This is the first time Zhao-daren saw His Majesty. It was His Majesty¡¯s discerning eyes that picked him out of the pile of slaves who were covered in filth,¡± Eunuch Gao reminded.


    Zhao Xuan had long forgotten the day when he first met Zhao Yelan, but the scene at that time was still vivid in his memory. Zhao Yelan¡¯s fragile eyes filled with the will to survive made him seem to be looking at himself, and later he often saw the meaning of adoration in those eyes.


    ¡°It has been so many years, but he still remembers how I used to be,¡± Zhao Xuan said with emotion. ¡°This paper is so old, when did he draw it?¡±


    ¡°This slave does not know. He refused to reveal it, but he always remembered His Majesty¡¯s kindness.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, let us go to Xuanhe Hall.¡± Zhao Xuan smiled gently, all doubts wiped away by the memory. ¡°He has attracted so many enemies. This time, he probably caused a catastrophe unintentionally. Send a team of Gold Collar Guards to protect him secretly.¡±


    After Yan Mingting left court, he first went to inspect the training grounds. Zhong Yuehong and He Cuizhang approached him quietly.


    ¡°What are the General¡¯s orders?¡±


    ¡°In the past few days, you two have been covertly following Zhao Yelan,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    The two were startled and looked at him with complicated expressions.


    He Cuizhang: ¡°General, you are lovesick, obsessed with desire, ah.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong: ¡°General, you are confused, ah.¡±


    Yan Mingting was speechless, and then said in a low voice: ¡°There may be people from the Emperor following him in the near future, so let¡¯s just fight with them and kill as many as they come, so as not to have to circle around the General¡¯s Mansion every day and make a lot of trouble.¡±


    The two nodded, then stared blankly at him. ¡°What? The Emperor¡¯s people?!¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down.¡± Yan Mingting looked forward. While inspecting the drills of the soldiers under the stage, he said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s just my guess. He¡¯s likely the only one who dared to plant people around the General¡¯s Mansion, forcing Zhao Yelan to use my hand to kill people.¡±


    The two looked at each other, never having expected so many twists and turns. He Chuizhang asked: ¡°Zhao Yelan borrowed the hands of others to kill people? General, how do you know?¡±


    ¡°Remember the man in black who I said escaped? Every time, he attacked Zhao Yelan first and drew the other men in black out, letting everyone mistakenly think that he was with that group of people. The group was far away, so naturally they couldn¡¯t hear what happened. They saw that he was wearing the same clothes as them, so when they saw me fighting that person, they thought it was Zhao Yelan¡¯s companion who had attacked and rushed out to fight me. Then that person took advantage of the chaos to escape. In fact, his role was just to lure the snake out of the hole and confuse the public.¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t suspect this at first, and I was almost fooled until I confirmed the identity of the man in black.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± He Cuizhang asked.


    ¡°Gao Tan.¡±


    [1] The idiom, ¡°Sending charcoal on a snowy day¡± (Ñ©ÖÐËÍÌ¿) means to provide help to someone in their hour of need. ?

 CH 17

    Gao Tan concealed it very well. Most people would likely not realize that this loyal but somewhat silly servant was actually a martial arts master.


    Perhaps out of intuition, Yan Mingting just felt that this kid was a little unusual.


    First of all, Zhao Yelan was too relaxed knowing that someone might come to seek revenge at any time, usually only taking a servant with him when he went out. However, when he went out twice yesterday, Gao Tan didn¡¯t accompany him due to having something to do.


    Secondly, Zhao Yelan had picky tastes, and every day he would ask Gao Tan to go make purchases himself when these things could obviously be handed over to other servants. But as long as Gao Tan went, he himself would stay in the mansion during that time and never go out. As for the abnormality of going out to shop, Yan Mingting had not figured it out yet. He had only taken cherries from the basket twice, and they were not unusual.


    Furthermore, the sound of Gao Tan¡¯s footsteps were sometimes light and sometimes heavy, making them difficult to distinguish. If one did not observe carefully, it was difficult to detect his martial arts. And he didn¡¯t have thick calluses like soldiers, so Yan Mingting concluded that he was a qinggong[1] expert and was able to escape yesterday by virtue of these skills.


    If these were all coincidences, there was another piece of evidence to prove Yan Mingting¡¯s guess correct.


    The smell.


    Because he attended Zhao Yelan personally, he usually had to burn incense, and there was a trace of the fragrance on his body.


    When fighting yesterday, he could faintly smell a scent. After returning home, he casually approached and smelled the same scent on Gao Tan.


    Since it was a trap designed by Zhao Yelan, he might as well see what he wanted to do. It wasn¡¯t until Zhao Yelan reminded him to inform the Emperor about this last night that he figured out the key points.


    ¡°Since he¡¯s using us, why should we protect him?¡± He Cuizhang asked.


    ¡°Because getting rid of the spies does no harm to us,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    If he wanted to investigate the cause of his father¡¯s death in depth, the fewer people who knew about it, the better. What¡¯s more, this group of spies were not necessarily just to protect Zhao Yelan, otherwise Zhao Yelan would not want to get rid of them. Then it must be that this group of people would also monitor the movement in the General¡¯s Mansion, which was of no benefit to him. He would simply use his plan to get rid of this group by pretending to be confused, killing as many as they came, and returning the General¡¯s Mansion to a clean place.


    ¡°So troublesome.¡± He Cuizhang rubbed his head. ¡°This is much more complicated than our war!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, these calculations and conspiracies are not as straightforward as plots on the battlefield,¡± Zhong Yuehong echoed.


    Yan Mingting sighed. He didn¡¯t want to get involved if he didn¡¯t have to, but as long as the border was peaceful and his army was in command, he would be targeted in Beijing.


    Zhao Yelan was demoted first. Perhaps it would be his turn soon.


    But he still needed to investigate the cause of his father¡¯s death, so he couldn¡¯t hand over the power easily. The case had been going on for many years, and¡­¡­He glanced at the lieutenants who were each as overwhelmed as the other, and got a headache.


    This group of people followed him bravely and invincibly on the battlefield, but they were only suitable for obeying orders, not using their brains.


    He himself couldn¡¯t be regarded as Zhuge[2] in terms of conspiracies and tricks. At most, he discovered some clues because he was close to Zhao Yelan frequently.


    It seemed that if he wanted to find the truth as soon as possible, he would have to find a ¡°military advisor.¡±


    After Yan Mingting explained these things to them, he rode back to the house. It was already past time for breakfast, but when the servants saw him return, they rushed to prepare the dishes.


    ¡°Where is Zhao Yelan? Has he eaten yet?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Housekeeper Qin replied: ¡°He hasn¡¯t woken up yet. I went to knock on the door half an hour ago, but Xiao Gao stood guard by the door and said that he was very tired and would not have breakfast.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t good to skip breakfast.¡± Yan Mingting finished eating first, and then went to the bedroom with porridge and steamed buns.


    Gao Tan had disappeared at this time, most likely to go shopping.


    He pushed open the door and called: ¡°Get up.¡±


    The person on the bed didn¡¯t move.


    He put the food on the table and then walked to the bed, looking at the person sleeping curled up under the blanket. Only half of his face was exposed, and a few strands of hair covered his cheeks. Yan Mingting stretched out his hand and touched the delicate skin, which was as smooth as a freshly peeled egg. He couldn¡¯t help but pinch it, and then pinch it again: ¡°My Zhao-daren, it¡¯s time for you to get up.¡±


    Zhao Yelan slapped his hand away half asleep and turned over.


    ¡°Slacker, you big slacker, ah.¡± Yan Mingting patted him through the blanket.


    ¡°You¡¯re pressing my hair!¡± Zhao abruptly opened his eyes and roared.


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Yan Mingting quickly withdrew his hand, watched him sit up angrily, and asked humbly and flatteringly, ¡°What do you want to eat today?¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a look, put his hair all on the other side, and got out of bed without saying a word, walking to the door and ordering people to fetch hot water for washing.


    ¡°I heard from Uncle Qin that after I went to court, you got up?¡± Yan Mingting walked to the washbasin and watched him wipe his face with a hot towel. He didn¡¯t know whether it was from anger or from rubbing his face with a towel, but there was a trace of a blush on his face. The egg had turned into a red egg. He looked at it and laughed inwardly.


    ¡°Am I not allowed?¡± Zhao Yelan threw the towel into the basin, then went to change clothes and tie his hair up, but took some time to pick out the sachet.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s fine, but I thought¡­¡­you were reluctant to part with me and wanted to send me to morning court.¡± Yan Mingting walked to his side with a smile, looking at the various sachets. They were quite fresh. He picked one up to smell it, and felt a little refreshed. ¡°You still have so many good-smelling sachets, ah.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch.¡± Zhao Yelan snatched the sachet back from his hand in displeasure. After picking and choosing, he took a blue patterned cloth bag and put it in front of him. Yan Mingting immediately sneezed.


    Zhao Yelan immediately selected it, pinning it on his waist with a swagger.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting backed away, standing at the door, and then raised his voice to ask: ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡±


    ¡°Sweetgrass.¡± Zhao Yelan sat down at the table calmly and began to eat.


    ¡°Tsk, I say, which wife is like you?¡± Yan Mingting leaned against the door, pointing out, ¡°That Kan Chuan, who is so upright and bold to remonstrate his superior, was officially appointed by the Emperor as the Minister of the Ministry of Officials today. Not only is he a proud official, but his love life is even the envy of others. I heard people say that he and his wife are loving and sweet, and every day when he goes to court, his wife will escort him to the door and give him a few words of advice.¡±


    Zhao Yelan put down the bowl, smiled slightly, and walked towards him: ¡°You think you want something like that?¡±


    Yan Mingting looked at the sachet dangling at his waist and stepped back again and again, retreating into the courtyard, saying: ¡°Going, going, can¡¯t I leave?¡±


    When Gao Tan came back, he happened to see Yan Mingting fleeing in a hurry. He walked up to Zhao Yelan curiously and was taken aback for a moment: ¡°My lord, were you smiling just now?¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused: ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Come inside and talk.¡± Zhao Yelan returned to the room and took his basket, and Gao Tan obediently guarded the door.


    Today¡¯s basket contained some flower petals which were suitable for making sachets or for bathing. He dug inside and took out a piece of paper that had been placed in the basket. There was no writing on it.


    He observed it for a moment and then placed the paper into the water, and writing gradually appeared.


    ¨C ¨C Everything is going according to plan, don¡¯t worry, take care of your (crossed out) and take care of your body with peace of mind.


    Zhao Yelan squeezed the paper into a tight ball and threw it into the charcoal basin, rubbing the space between his eyebrows: ¡°Really becoming more and more undisciplined.¡±


    Gao Tan looked at him uncertainly, thinking he was talking about him, and asked aggrievedly: ¡°My lord, what did I do wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to do with you.¡± Zhao Yelan waved his hand, thought of something, and called to him again, whispering a few words.


    Gao Tan looked at him in astonishment and didn¡¯t ask for a reason. In any case, even if he asked, he wouldn¡¯t be able to figure it out, so he just obeyed.


    In the morning, people from the tailor shop came to deliver the clothes. They made three new sets, all of which were sewn with the silk received on the wedding day.


    When Zhao Yelan arrived at the hall, it happened that the doctor had come to change Yan Mingting¡¯s bandages, so the two sat on one side, each doing their own thing.


    The shopkeeper unfolded the clothes and explained in depth the details of the stitches and the uniqueness of the patterns.


    Zhao Yelan kept silent. When he finally finished his spiel, Gao Tan accepted it and gave some rewards, and the shopkeeper led his people away with a smile.


    ¡°You are so generous?¡± Yan Mingting was shocked by his extravagant spending. He had casually given away what would pay a servant for a year.


    ¡°Much silver was spent, and the service was attentive and satisfactory. Otherwise, what would I do with so much money? Should I leave it for descendants or spend it on you?¡± Zhao Yelang looked sideways at him.


    Yan Mingting was dumbfounded, and suggested after a while: ¡°Then should we go to adopt a descendent?¡±


    Zhao Yelan almost spit out the tea in his mouth. Setting the teacup down, he casually grabbed one of the snacks on the table and threw it at his face: ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just talking.¡± Yan Mingting laughed and was held down by the doctor¡¯s arm.


    ¡°General, don¡¯t move.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his head and saw Gao Tan holding a plate. There was still some money left from the reward that was given just now, so he summoned all the servants, whether they were from the General¡¯s Mansion or Zhao Mansion. They all stood neatly in the courtyard.


    Zhao Yelan rewarded everyone with a silver ingot.


    The people in Zhao Mansion were accustomed to this, but the people in the General¡¯s Mansion seemed to have gotten a windfall from heaven, holding it in their hands as if afraid it was a dream. Looking at the expression in Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes again, he instantly changed from a hot-tempered master into a parent reborn!


    Yan Mingting looked at his group of servants who had quickly defected, sighing helplessly. His hand hurt slightly all of a sudden, and he looked at the doctor.


    Seeing this scene, the doctor who was bandaging him was greedy, and accidentally used too much strength. He quickly let go to apologize.


    Zhao Yelan smiled at Yan Mingting, proud of himself, and tossed a silver ingot in front of the doctor: ¡°Bandage him well and this one is yours.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting clearly felt that he was more meticulous and patient.


    Zhao Yelan was about to go back to his room, and when he passed by him, he said quietly: ¡°Compared to power and force, money earns people¡¯s loyalty.¡±


    Yan Mingting could not refute.


    At noon, Yan Mingting looked at a table of rich and delicious food. The servants were scrambling to add food for Zhao Yelan, and he was almost squeezed under the table. He couldn¡¯t help feeling that the power of money was indeed infinite.


    According to Zhao Yelan¡¯s habits, he would take a nap in the afternoon, and after dinner, he would lie in bed and read a book slowly.


    ¡°You are rather leisurely.¡± Yan Mingting walked in with a plate of cherries. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Kan Chuan will trouble you?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve been dismissed, so why would he trouble me?¡± Zhao Yelan stretched out his hand, but the other party set the plate directly on the table. His eyes narrowed, and he was about to get angry.


    ¡°You really need to get rid of your laziness. Come here to eat, so you don¡¯t choke lying down.¡± Yan Mingting sat at the table, picked up two cherries to tempt him, and said, ¡°He impeached Chen Haoyi in court today for colluding with you.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Chen Haoyi was also demoted.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not surprised at all.¡±


    ¡°Now that I have fallen, Kan Chuan and his ilk will definitely take the opportunity to pick out everyone associated with me.¡± Zhao Yelan stared at the plate, then got up angrily and sat opposite him, grabbing the plate in front of him and not allowing him to eat.


    ¡°Stingy.¡± Yan Mingting quickly grabbed a handful from the plate, put it all in his mouth in one go, and gave him a smug smile.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± He had never seen such a childish person! Boor!


    There was too much stuffed in his mouth, and after chewing a few times, it started to taste sour. Yan Mingting¡¯s face wrinkled up, and he finished eating with a bitter expression.


    The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°You deserve it.¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled awkwardly and ate another one in embarrassment. Forcibly changing the subject, he asked vaguely, ¡°Did you take a nap?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really five years old.¡± Zhao Yelan gave him a sidelong glance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t nap, and since you didn¡¯t nap, why don¡¯t we go for a walk?¡±


    ¡°How is that better? Who knows if anyone will be following me.¡± Zhao Yelan ate the cherries calmly.


    ¡°Exactly. How about we lure the snake out of the hole and wipe out this group of people all at once?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you can take them all?¡± Zhao Yelan had exactly this intention. But looking at his arm, he said coolly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to fly into the sky again.¡±


    ¡°No problem, this time you just stay on the ground and I guarantee not a hair on your head will be harmed,¡± Yan Mingting solemnly promised.


    Zhao Yelan was dubious. Seeing the hot sun outside, he wanted to go to bed for a while, but just as he was about to refuse, his wrist was suddenly grabbed and he was pulled away effortlessly.


    ¡°Xiao Gao, get the sedan chair ready, your lord is going out,¡± Yan Mingting said loudly.


    ¡° ? ¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken to the sedan chair without any preparation, and after a while, he lifted the curtain to see Gao Tan. He turned to open the curtain on the other side, and saw Yan Mingting walking outside, saying gloomily: ¡°If you dare to injure me even a little, I will kill all the chickens in the coop, fill in your fish pond, and slaughter your mansion¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t get hurt. This time we¡¯re not getting attacked, but taking the initiative,¡± Yan Mingting said in a low voice. Seeing that his expression was very ugly, he reached out a hand to dig in his pocket, then took a bag of things out and tossed it inside. ¡°If you hear any movement later, don¡¯t poke your head out to look, understand?¡±


    Zhao Yelan sat back and opened the bag. It contained some candied fruit. He scoffed coldly and picked up a piece, eating it in silence.


    After about a stick of incense¡¯s time, there was the sudden sound of fighting outside, and the sedan chair abruptly fell to the ground. He knocked into the sedan chair twice before he held onto the table. Unconsciously grasping the bag of candied fruit in his hand, he listened carefully to the clashing of swords outside.


    After the sounds gradually stopped, he opened a corner to look out, then stepped out of the sedan chair and glanced around.


    Surrounded by a bamboo forest, more than a dozen men in black were lying messily on the ground. Yan Mingting was crouching beside one of the corpses to check his breath.


    ¡°Where is Gao Tan?¡± Zhao Yelan asked suddenly.


    Yan Mingting raised his head and looked left and right, slightly surprised: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that he could actually do martial arts? He just went to chase the fleeing people, nothing will happen, right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression tightened: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t let me be hurt at all?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true¡­¡­you weren¡¯t hurt, ah, aren¡¯t you standing there securely? A man¡¯s promise hasn¡¯t been broken,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan was furious, and threw the bag in his hand: ¡°Hurry up and save him!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Just as Yan Mingting ran away, he returned suddenly and stuffed a flare into his hand. ¡°Pull this out if something happens, someone will come to rescue you.¡±


    T/N: Happy New Year!!!


    [1] Qinggong, or ¡°light work¡± is basically being able to leap high, run fast, and appear to ignore gravity. You see this in a lot of wuxia novels and movies. ?


    [2] Zhuge was a genius military strategist in ¡°The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.¡¯ ?

 CH 18

    Zhao Yelan examined the corpses on the spot. There was gold thread on the collars, so there was no doubt that they were Gold Collar Guards.


    There were twelve people in total, exactly one team, and all of them were cut down by Yan Mingting. As for the group of people that Gao Tan went after, they should be others creating difficulties.


    He covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and walked to the sedan chair. Looking at the group of trembling bearers, he asked: ¡°Are you certain it was the men in black who escaped?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± one of the more courageous ones replied: ¡°Then your servant chased after them, my lord. They are all, all very powerful¡­..¡±


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°Go home.¡±


    Some of the bearers were so frightened that they had collapsed on the ground. When they heard the order, they got up unsteadily and hurried back, carrying the sedan chair with pale faces.


    The mansion was preparing dinner. Housekeeper Qin saw him return and asked cautiously: ¡°Is there anything that you want to eat tonight?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t eat.¡±


    ¡°One must eat to live, how can you not eat?¡± Housekeeper Qin followed behind him, earnestly explaining the importance of sustenance.


    ¡°Yan Mingting went to rescue Gao Tan,¡± Zhao Yelan said suddenly.


    ¡°Ha?¡±


    ¡°Still want me to eat?¡± Zhao Yelan turned around and asked.


    Housekeeper Qin sucked in a deep breath and immediately went to summon the people in the mansion, rushing out of the gate in a grandiose manner and a short while later turning back again: ¡°My lord, may I ask where our General is now?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Zhao Yelan went to the study room and picked up a book to read. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the trembling servants at the door. ¡°What are you doing here, don¡¯t you have work that needs to be done?¡±


    Housekeeper Qin waved his hand to drive the others back, and asked: ¡°My lord, are you not worried about the General at all?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to worry about, isn¡¯t he a master of martial arts?¡± Zhao Yelan said calmly.


    Housekeeper Qin had no choice but to go back to the front courtyard, standing at the gate and looking around from time to time.


    It wasn¡¯t until late at night, when the moon and stars were scarce, that Housekeeper Qin sat on the threshold and dozed off. Hearing the sound of hoofbeats, he stood up in a panic and saw Yan Mingting returning with Gao Tan.


    ¡°Aiya, General, you¡¯re back. Nothing happened, did it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Yan Mingting handed his horse over to the servants. ¡°Where is Zhao Yelan?¡±


    ¡°Furen has been worrying about you, he didn¡¯t even eat dinner.¡± Housekeeper Qin thought for a moment and added, ¡°But Furen has confidence in you, he firmly believes that you are strong in martial arts and will bring Xiao Gao back, so he has been reading in the study. Perhaps he has fallen asleep.¡±


    ¡°I see, you go get a doctor.¡± Yan Mingting took Gao Tan to the bedroom, but Zhao Yelan was already asleep.


    ¡°My lord always goes to bed early,¡± Gao Tan whispered.


    ¡°Okay, you go back to your room to rest first, and let the doctor check on you later,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Many thanks, General, for saving my life.¡± Gao Tan stepped back obediently.


    Yan Mingting stood in the room for a long time, staring at the figure¡¯s back, and quietly prepared to go to bed.


    After everything returned to silence and darkness, Yan Mingting called softly: ¡°Zhao Yelan, I have something to tell you.¡±


    No response.


    ¡°Are you really asleep?¡±


    The person on the bed remained motionless.


    Yan Mingting sighed lightly, thinking of all that had happened today, and fell asleep with complicated emotions.


    After hearing the sound of even breathing, Zhao Yelan opened his eyes, stared into the dark for a while, and then fell asleep peacefully.


    The sky was slightly bright the next day, and when Zhao Yelan woke up, Yan Mingting had already gone to court.


    Hearing a brief knock on the door, he responded, ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°My lord, I¡¯m back.¡± Gao Tan pushed the door open and entered. Seeing him sitting up, he stepped forward to gather clothes for him to change into.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zhao Yelan looked sideways at him. ¡°Are you injured?¡¯


    ¡°A little flesh wound.¡± Gao Tan patted his chest. ¡°The group of people whipped me, then took out money to tempt me, and I recruited.¡±


    ¡°What did you recruit for?¡±


    ¡°According to your orders, if one is kidnapped and questioned, one should just pretend to confess, mixing the true with the false,¡± Gao Tan said. ¡°It¡¯s just that this group of people was a bit strange.¡±


    Yesterday Gao Tan was guarding beside the sedan chair, and saw Yan Mingting suddenly rush into the bamboo forest and start fighting with the men in black. Just when he was debating whether to reveal his skills and help, another group of men in black slowly appeared, clearly running towards him, and he couldn¡¯t avoid it even if he tried.


    After chasing him out of the bamboo forest, these men tied him up, blindfolded him, and took him to a woodshed.


    The group covered their faces and threatened him to tell the truth. He refused, so they lashed him with a whip. He refused again, and these people looked at each other, but after a long time, didn¡¯t give him a second lash.


    It made him a little depressed. It was written in books that there would be many kinds of torture and he would be beaten to confess. He was ready to beg for mercy, but the group of people stopped beating him.


    ¡°A man came from behind and stood outside the door. He threw a large bag of silver ingots through it and told me to be obedient, and that I could get more treasures in the future, so I at once seized the opportunity to be recruited.¡± After Gao Tan finished speaking he asked with a smile, ¡°My lord, am I not clever?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shook his head helplessly and smiled. It was only because he met these particular kidnappers that he didn¡¯t suffer. He got dressed, sat down at the table, and asked, ¡°Tell me carefully, what did they ask you?¡¯


    ¡°They asked me how long I¡¯ve been with you.¡±


    ¡°How did you answer?¡±


    ¡°I told the truth, that I¡¯ve followed you since I was twelve. Then they asked me who your enemies were. I told them all the officials I knew the names of, some true and some false, making them confused,¡± Gao Tan said proudly.


    Zhao Yelan nodded.


    ¡°They also asked me if I knew a boy named Bao Lun.¡±


    ¡°Bao Lun?¡± Zhao Yelan frowned slightly.


    ¡°En, I didn¡¯t know who that was, so I just said I didn¡¯t know. Then they asked me if twelve years ago, you had ever been in a military camp or were proficient with poisons.¡± Gao Tan said, ¡°I told them I was not your servant at the time, so I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Twelve years ago¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes narrowed. Recalling the major events that had happened twelve years ago, he took out a brush and paper and started to record everything that had left an impression.


    In the end, there were only two points that could be connected with the General¡¯s Mansion.


    One was that General Yan died for his country, and his body was sent back to the capital for a state funeral.


    The second was the death of Yan Mingting¡¯s first fiance, and the rumors that began to spread in the capital.


    It seemed that what Yan Mingting wanted to investigate was related to these two matters. Zhao Yelan poured a cup of tea, moistened his throat, and continued to inquire: ¡°Did they ask you anything else?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, they asked another question,¡± Gao Tan said. ¡°The leader asked me through the door, ¡®what is your lord¡¯s attitude toward General Yan?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Childish.¡± The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched. He picked up the teacup as if nothing had happened, sneered, and drank tea leisurely. ¡°So what did you say?¡±


    ¡°Of course I said that my lord likes General Yan the most!¡±


    ¡°Pfft ¨C¡±


    ¡°My lord, what¡¯s wrong!¡± Gao Tan took the teacup in a panic. ¡°It¡¯s not even hot.¡±


    Zhao Yelan stiffly took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the liquid from the corners of his mouth, looking at him coldly: ¡°Who told you to say that?¡±


    ¡°Was it not my lord who wanted me to give a half-true answer?¡± Gao Tan looked innocent. ¡°I was worried that it was someone seeking revenge, so I spoke about your good relationship with the General. That should make them a little apprehensive, right? The General is very good, and I like him very much.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows: ¡°Do you know that the person who kidnapped you is¡­¡­never mind. When you said that, did he believe it?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t believe it at first, but the man asked me what evidence I had that you like General Yan.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gazed at him, motionless.


    Gao Tan said honestly: ¡°I lied to him and said that although you have a sharp mouth, my lord, you have a tofu heart. Every time the General goes to morning court, you can¡¯t sleep. The General likes to wield swords and spears, and you are worried and tense. The General loves to raise chickens and fish, and you happen to like to eat the chicken and fish that he butchers with his own hands. Such a good man as the General, so handsome, isn¡¯t it natural for you to like such a man?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± Zhao Yelan clenched his fists slowly. ¡°Did he believe it?¡±


    ¡°He believed it, he said I was right.¡± Gao Tan glanced at him and asked curiously, ¡°My lord, is the mastermind truly looking for revenge?¡±


    Zhao Yelan slapped the table and looked at him with a complicated expression. While he was thinking about how to educate this kid, he heard the servants say that the General had returned to the mansion.


    Yan Mingting headed straight toward the bedroom in high spirits, walking with ease and humming a little tune. As soon as he walked to the door, he saw Zhao Yelan sitting at the table, only having time to change his clothes but not put up his hair. He smiled and blurted out: ¡°You couldn¡¯t sleep, so you got up and waited for me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Zhao Yelan had nothing to say, so with a straight face, he ordered a maid to come over and tie up his hair.


    ¡°Gao Tan is back, did you know?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°He just came back and went to his room to apply medicine. His back is injured, and it is inconvenient for him to apply medicine himself. Why don¡¯t you go help him?¡±


    I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help but sprinkle salt on the wound,  Zhao Yelan silently condemned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Uncle Qin to go over and help.¡± Yan Mingting went out for a while, and when he returned, Zhao Yelan had already tied up his hair and was bending over to pick up a sachet in front of the bronze mirror. His waist was slender, as if Yan Mingting could wrap his hands around it.


    Yan Mingting stepped forward curiously, raised his hands, and measured his waist in the air.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan turned around, he saw that he seemed to be trying to grasp him, and asked angrily: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled guiltily and put his hands behind his back. Pretending to be coquettish, he walked to the table, opened the collar of his robes dashingly, and sat down confidently with his back straight: ¡°So, I have something to tell you¡­¡­I know that I am handsome and humble, as well as meticulous and thoughtful, which naturally causes people to admire me. You don¡¯t have to be shy, let alone pretend to be strong¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not awake yet, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan grabbed a sachet and threw it at his forehead.


    After Yan Mingting took the sachet, the corners of his mouth turned up and he said meaningfully: ¡°Do you know what it means to give a sachet?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression froze. He walked over and snatched the sachet back.


    Yan Mingting was all smiles, and couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to look into the bronze mirror not far away.


    Zhao Yelan sat opposite him, and said slowly: ¡°What did you mean just now? Are you saying I have feelings toward you? Why do you have this illusion?¡±


    Yan Mingting paused, then said with a guilty conscience: ¡°I just guessed.¡±


    ¡°Then stop guessing, I don¡¯t like you,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting raised his eyebrows with an expression of, ¡°you continue to pretend.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He truly couldn¡¯t wash himself clean even if he jumped into the Yellow River.[1] At this time, he couldn¡¯t directly say that Gao Tan was the person he deliberately sent to be kidnapped in order to gather information.


    After thinking for a moment, he asked lightly: ¡°By the way, how did your first fiance die? Did you have a close relationship with her? Were there feelings involved?¡±


    ¡°Vinegar, isn¡¯t this just vinegar!¡±[2] Yan Mingting had a sudden realization and couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°You say you don¡¯t like me and then start to drink old vinegar, ba.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    [1] This idiom means that he has already been labeled and is unable to remove the stigma from his name. ?


    [2] Drinking vinegar means ¡°being jealous.¡± ?

 CH 19

    Zhao Yelan clenched his fists and then loosened them. Picking up the teacup on the table, and seeing that there was no more tea to pour, he set it back down heavily and abruptly raised his voice: ¡°You sober up!¡±


    ¡°Look, you¡¯re embarrassed to the point of anger.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting reached out and patted his back: ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry, I understand, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s pretend we don¡¯t know about this, you don¡¯t like me at all.¡±


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and kicked him: ¡°Get the hell out!¡±


    Yan Mingting went to the door, then turned around with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s time for breakfast, no matter how shy you are, you can¡¯t starve yourself.¡±


    ¡°Scram!¡±


    Breakfast was eaten separately. Yan Mingting waited in the hall for a while, until Gao Tan came to serve the dishes and said that his lord would eat in the room.


    Yan Mingting assented, but asked another question: ¡°Were you seriously injured yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Not seriously,¡± Gao Tan said. ¡°Thank you, General, for coming to rescue me.¡±


    With a guilty conscience, Yan Mingting turned back to his food.


    Zhao Yelan finished his meal in the room. Looking at the time, it was time to go to the Imperial Academy.


    The new official uniform was a green robe, and there was no need to wear an identification talisman. Although it was all a single piece, it was difficult to hide his elegance.


    Gao Tan watched in amazement: ¡°My lord, you look the best in whatever clothes you wear.¡±


    ¡°Now your tongue is nimble again?¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at him coldly, picked up the sachet in his hand, and smacked him on the head with it. ¡°Do you know how much trouble you have caused me?¡±


    Gao Tan covered his head and asked blankly: ¡°Am I in trouble again?¡±


    ¡°En, big trouble.¡± Zhao Yelan put the sachet on and handed him a piece of silver: ¡°Go see the doctor yourself, ba.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡± Gao Tan took the silver and sent him to the door, then turned around and took the silver to buy snacks.


    The Imperial Academy did not need to go to morning court, and used a shift system for when the Emperor called. Today was a day that Zhao Yelan was on duty. He stood at the courtyard gate and looked up at the plaque, his thoughts inscrutable.


    After stepping through the gate, he saw that his colleagues had arrived and were compiling classics. There were many people, but it was a little quiet. Those who became scholars were addicted to it, and didn¡¯t care about worldly affairs.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Zhao Yelan, Zhao-daren?¡± A Bachelor[1] took the lead to identify him, greeted him with a forced smile, and then went about his business.


    Others looked over one after another with varied expressions, but it was obvious that nobody welcomed him.


    Most likely it was scholarly contempt, or their dislike of Zhao Yelan¡¯s intrigue in court, which made them look down on him.


    Although the Imperial Academy was the place many students aspired to, it was a big joke that Zhao Yelan was transferred from a first-rank minister to the Imperial Academy.


    Everyone nodded their heads in embarrassment, not knowing what trouble Zhao Yelan would cause the Imperial Academy in the future.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, excuse me for not going out to meet you. I hope you will forgive this Ruan Xian.¡± A young man in his prime came to greet him generously. ¡°I am also an editor, so how about I give you a tour first?¡±


    ¡°Ruan Xian?¡± Zhao Yelan smiled slightly. ¡°I have admired you for a long time.¡±


    ¡°My lord knows me?¡±


    ¡°The talented and elegant previous third place scholar in the Imperial examinations, who doesn¡¯t know your name?¡±


    Never thinking that Zhao Yelan would remember him when he was a mere third place, Ruan Xian smiled shyly and led him inside, saying, ¡°It was just a little bit of luck. If I were to take the Imperial examinations with Zharo-daren, in which round would I be able to make third? What¡¯s more, the first and second place scholars are more talented than me, I can only do some small errands and try my best to solve problems for the Emperor and the people.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled but said nothing.


    When the people around saw the two talking and smiling together, their faces became a bit strange, especially the previous first and second place scholars, whose brows never loosened.


    The top three in each Imperial examination would enter the Imperial Academy, starting as editors. Seeing that this year¡¯s spring was coming soon, and a new batch of talents was about to enter the Imperial Academy, it would be difficult if they wanted to stand out.


    They usually couldn¡¯t go to court, and the Emperor didn¡¯t like people who flattered and curried favor, so they could only follow orders diligently and steadfastly. But how many gray-haired people in the Imperial Academy had yet to achieve success?


    This Ruan Xian immediately got involved with Zhao Yelan. Even if Zhao Yelan would never return to court in this life, if he could find out the Emperor¡¯s preferences through him, the road to promotion would be much smoother.


    After they circled around, Zhao Yelan was brought to Jingshi Pavilion, where he would compile and write historical records in the future.


    Others saw him pick up the annals of the late Emperor and read it quietly. He didn¡¯t make trouble, so they each breathed a sigh of relief and got busy.


    Not long after, someone outside shouted that the Emperor was coming, and everyone put down their work one after another, getting up to go and pay respects.


    Zhao Yelan fell in at the back of the line.


    There was a group of court ladies and eunuchs standing in front, with Zhao Xuan at the head. He asked, ¡°Where are the chess players?¡±


    The Imperial Academies also recruited some chess players and musicians for entertainment when the Emperor had leisure time.


    As soon as the chess players stood up, Zhao Xuan heard a familiar coughing sound and looked at the person in the back. Kneeling on the ground with everyone, he coughed until his face turned pale, but refused to raise his head.


    ¡°You got down first.¡± After giving orders to the chess players, he walked to Zhao Yelan¡¯s side and said, ¡°Come and play with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± When Zhao Yelan stood up, he was dizzy for a moment after kneeling for so long. His blood supply was insufficient, and he almost lost his footing.


    Zhao Xuan subconsciously tried to reach out, but the other party had already taken two steps back while pressing his head, then cupped his hands respectfully: ¡°Your Majesty, this way, please.¡±


    Everyone looked at these familiar yet slightly estranged people and were a little uncertain about the Emperor¡¯s attitude toward Zhao Yelan.


    The chess room was not large. Usually if the Emperor wanted to play chess, he could just call someone into the palace, and he rarely came to the Imperial Academy in person.


    Zhao Yelan coughed hard a few more times before feeling better, pressed his throat, and walked to the chessboard to sit down.


    ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight.¡± Zhao Xuan examined his figure. ¡°How are you these days?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am very well,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    The two looked at each other silently, and after a moment, Zhao Xuan abruptly said: ¡°Three teams of Gold Collar Guards all died at the hands of Yan Mingting.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sighed deeply: ¡°It was only when I checked the corpses that I found out that they were our Gold Collar Guard. Yan Mingting was very vigilant, and as soon as he found that someone was following us, he took action. Without His Majesty¡¯s order, I dared not inform him of the existence of our Gold Collar Guard.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Xuan nodded, inexplicably pleased with the phrase ¡°our Gold Collar Guard,¡± and was even more convinced that this was not arranged by him. He said with a smile, ¡°If that is the case, then I will take back the Gold Collar Guard and you will be more careful in the future. If you are in danger¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°This official will be careful.¡±


    ¡°En¡­¡­¡± Zhao Xuan placed a black chess piece and asked, ¡°How is the Imperial Academy?¡±


    ¡°Fair,¡± Zhao Yelan said vaguely.


    ¡°Is there anyone who is impressive?¡±


    ¡°Ruan Xian.¡± Zhao Yelan set a white chess piece down leisurely. ¡°He treats others comprehensively. It is difficult to guarantee that he possesses tact and sophistication, but further observation can be made.¡±


    ¡°En, continue to help me look. Let us see if we can find another Zhao Yelan from here,¡± Zhao Xuan joked.


    Zhao Yelan played with his chess piece, the corners of his mouth curling slightly: ¡°Your Majesty, it is your turn.¡±


    While Zhao Xuan played chess, he thought about the sophisticated and tactful person and asked: ¡°In the Imperial examination last year, Ruan Xian¡¯s literature was indeed not as good as the first place scholar, but he found new ways to answer the questions and won in wit.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll listen to you, and observe for a while longer. There are many vacancies in the court now¡­¡­¡± Zhao Xuan felt as if he had returned to the past, chatting with him about the affairs of the court and almost forgetting that the most sought-after vacancy in the court today was the position of Deputy Prime Minister. He stiffly brought a halt to the topic and continued to ask, ¡°Does Ruan Xian have other strengths?¡±


    ¡°He is very good-looking.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was slightly taken aback: ¡°Good-looking?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Xuan looked at him meaningfully. ¡°When did you learn to judge others by their appearance?¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled back: ¡°I have only known Ruan Xian for half an hour, so how could I know his nature well? Of course I can only judge him by his appearance.¡±


    Only then did Zhao Xuan nod, wondering: ¡°Is he really so good-looking that you are full of praise?¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t His Majesty seen him?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ve seen him, he¡¯s obviously not half as good as you¡­¡­¡± Zhao Xuan stopped abruptly and looked up at the other party.


    ¡°Your Majesty jokes, how can this sick and weak official compare to him?¡± Zhao Yelan set down a chess piece calmly. ¡°There are many men in the world, each with their own advantages. Ruan Xian and this official are not of the same kind.¡±


    ¡°What about Yan Mingting? Is he the same kind as you?¡±


    ¡°Why did His Majesty bring him up?¡± Zhao Yelan made no secret of his distaste. ¡°He is wretched.¡±


    Zhao Xuan laughed loudly, lost two games in a row, and said with a smile: ¡°It is still the most comfortable to play against you. You will never let me win. The chess players will only try to let me get ahead.¡±


    After playing chess in the Imperial Academy for half a day, Zhao Yelan rested for a while after returning to the General¡¯s Mansion. When he woke up, the sun was already positioned in the west.


    Not long after, Yan Mingting also returned. When he returned to his room, he saw that Xiao Gao was massaging Zhao Yelan¡¯s legs. He walked over to pat Xiao Gao: ¡°You¡¯re still injured, why are you still attending to him? Go back and rest properly.¡±


    ¡°But my lord¡¯s legs are uncomfortable,¡± Gao Tan muttered, unwilling to go.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, you go back first.¡± Yan Mingting pushed him to the door, then sat next to Zhao Yelan. As soon as he touched his calf, his hand was slapped away. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do it, you¡¯re clumsy. Get me a different person,¡± Zhao Yelan said indifferently.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t massaged it yet, how do you know I¡¯m clumsy?¡± Yan Mingting was unconvinced. ¡°This kneading bones and pressing tendons, I¡¯m good at it.¡±


    Zhao Yelan put on a stern face and was about to push him away, when his calf suddenly hurt. He let out a muffled grunt. Immediately afterward, the painful place was relieved. The feeling of soreness and swelling faded, and his expression eased. He even enjoyed it a little.


    ¡°How about that, my technique isn¡¯t bad, right?¡± Yan Mingting was like a dog showing affection to its master, smiling and wagging his tail straight at him.


    ¡°So obedient.¡± Zhao Yelan took a piece of sugarcane from the table and ate it, then smiled and patted Yan Mingting¡¯s face. ¡°W¨¡ng[2] twice if you¡¯re listening?¡± (T/N: please read the footnote or this is not going to make any sense.)


    ¡°W¨¡ng what?¡±


    ¡°W¨¡ng W¨¡ng.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I heard that, very cute.¡± Yan Mingting patted his head triumphantly


    Zhao Yelan reacted belatedly. With a surge of energy and blood, he picked up a sugarcane and smacked him with it: ¡°Yan Mingting! Don¡¯t go too far!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a fool and you curse me, ai, it¡¯s so hard for me,¡± Yan Mingting complained to himself.


    Zhao Yelan scoffed coldly, watching him patiently massage his legs in silence. The strength was even and the tension was moderate, causing him to let down his guard and speak with a rare good temper: ¡°Today I read the annals of the late Emperor when he was alive. Only then did I find out that your first marriage was granted by the late Emperor himself.¡±


    Yan Mingting wore an ¡°as expected¡± expression. This fellow had already started to inquire about his early marriage, and he said he wasn¡¯t drinking vinegar?


    But he didn¡¯t say this, so as not to annoy the other again, just pretending to be calm as he said: ¡°Yes, ah, these royal children have a habit of giving marriages to others.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded in agreement, feeling the same way.


    However, for that first marriage, the late Emperor was only the matchmaker, and that woman was the eldest daughter of the current Prime Minister. At that time, the Prime Minister was a second-rank official whose daughter was well-read in poetry and books, both knowledgeable and reasonable.


    The late Emperor decided to discuss with the two elders, and both parties had no objection, so the matter was settled.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know anything about love affairs, and just felt that it was better to go into battle to kill the enemy. When he had returned to Beijing to recuperate, he didn¡¯t have the face to see anyone, so the two of them had never met.


    Unexpectedly, within two months of returning to the frontier, the capital sent a letter saying that his fiance had died of illness, and the matter was left alone.


    ¡°As far as I can remember, her name was Li Yanran,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Did she really just die of illness?¡±


    Yan Mingting was taken aback: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zhao Yelan observed his expression and narrowed his eyes slightly: ¡°You didn¡¯t have any doubts about her death?¡±


    ¡°We had never met each other, not to mention that I had been at the border. If the letter from Beijing said she died of illness, then she died of illness. What else could I do? Perform a ritual to bring her back to life?¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan understood. Since he wasn¡¯t investigating the cause of his fiance¡¯s death, then it could only be another, more important person.


    It was only that the whole nation knew that the old general died on the battlefield for the country. Could there be more to it?


    Even the always-scheming Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help but feel alarm in his heart.


    With years of war at the border, and the Yan family army living and dying to avert disaster, who acutally murdered old General Yan regardless of the safety of the common people?


    It was fine if Yan Mingting succeeded in taking over the army. If it was a good-for-nothing waste who shouldered this responsibility, the entire Xuan Dynasty would experience disaster.


    Zhao Yelan was immersed in his own thoughts when he suddenly felt a warm fingertip pressing on his brow, gently kneading twice. The eyebrows that had been squeezed together gradually loosened.


    He raised his eyes to look at the other party, and Yan Mingting smiled: ¡°Why were you frowning so hard?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him gravely.


    Yan Mingting asked: ¡°Is there really something strange about Li Yanran¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just skeptical. According to the annals, three days before she died of illness, she attended the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet. If she was seriously ill, how could she attend? However, it is also possible that she suffered from a sudden illness, and only the Li family knew the details.¡± After Zhao Yelan finished speaking, he stared at his hand again.


    Yan Mingting continued to rub his brow for him.


    ¡°After rubbing my legs with your hands, you touch my face?¡± Zhao Yelan asked coldly.


    Yan Mingting immediately retracted it and smiled mischievously: ¡°You are disgusted by your own legs?¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his head, put one arm on the table, and rested his chin in his hand, falling deep into thought. Even Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t read his eyes.


    Yan Mingting stared at his profile, just admiring it quietly. It was worthy of being a famous painting. It would be great if this painting could not make any noise, but when it opened its mouth, it was full of sarcasm and cynicism.


    Ai.


    After a long silence, Yan Mingting dropped his legs and asked: ¡°How about I tell you about my second marriage?¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    See, ba, just don¡¯t open your mouth, you ruin everything when you open your mouth.


    After dinner, Zhao Yelan was a little bored. He suddenly didn¡¯t have to go to court or think about the opinions of officials for the Emperor, let alone exhaust his thoughts and ingenuity to calculate benefits. He was still not used to this kind of life.


    It happened that Yan Mingting was about to leave the mansion at this time, so he asked casually, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while, why, do you want to go together?¡±


    ¡°Since you have sincerely invited me, then I will go.¡±


    Yan Mingting was confused. Seeing him neatly get into the sedan chair, he lifted his heels and followed him in, saying: ¡°I¡¯m going to Zhong Yuehong¡¯s house for a drink.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a real man, going to drink at the house of an unmarried girl in the middle of the night. What are you thinking?¡± Zhao Yelan cast a mocking glance at him. ¡°If you want to take her as a concubine, just welcome her openly, why bother to be sneaky?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, if Zhong Yuehong hears you, I will be beaten,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile. ¡°Today is her mother¡¯s birthday, and she just invited us to have a drink at home, why do you have such a strong smell of vinegar?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan finally knew what it meant to play an instrument for a cow.[3]


    Moreover, this cow was just obstinate, and it seemed that nothing could make him bend.


    Zhong Yuehong¡¯s house was a little far away, and the sedan chair stopped after half an hour. Yan Mingting stepped out first and waited for a moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve been here before, but the road is not easy to walk on, so be careful.¡± As Yan Mingting spoke, he led the way with familiarity.


    It was not bustling here, and there were only sporadic candles peeking out from the windows of each house, occasionally accompanied by spouses talking about trivial matters at home.


    Zhao Yelan concentrated on looking at the surrounding environment. When he coughed, his voice echoed. He didn¡¯t notice the hole that he stepped in, his whole body swayed, and he instinctively grabbed the person next to him to stabilize himself.


    Yan Mingting laughed.


    Zhao Yelan withdrew his hand in embarrassment, and the next moment, Yan Mingting took the initiative to grab his wrist.


    ¡°This section of the road is dark and narrow, and the sedan chair can¡¯t get in, so just follow me,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    A wise man knew better than to fight when the odds were against him. In order to avoid a shameful stumble, Zhao Yelan followed him carefully all the way inside without shaking off his hand.


    After passing through the dark alley, he heard a commotion, which was caused by the group of lieutenant generals.


    When the two appeared at the door, the laughter stopped abruptly. The people who were drinking and playing a finger-guessing game stiffened and paused, looking dumbfoundedly at the two. They couldn¡¯t help looking at hands being held together by the two of them, and someone lost their grip on a bowl, dropping it to shatter on the ground.


    Zhao Yelan looked down in bewilderment and quickly freed his wrist. Pretending to be composed, he put his hands behind his back and leisurely met the eyes of the group of people.


    On the contrary, this group of people didn¡¯t dare to look him in the eyes anymore.


    ¡°General, you¡¯re here.¡± Zhong Yuehong was the first to break the silence, greeting, ¡°Zhao-daren, come and sit down. We didn¡¯t know you were coming, so we started drinking first.¡±


    ¡°Right, right, we didn¡¯t know,¡± He Cuizhang immediately said. ¡°General, you¡¯re late, you will be fined a drink!¡±


    Yan Mingting walked over and proudly drank a cup. At this time, an old woman came out with food and drink. Yan Mingting stepped forward to say hello and let her open the gift box.


    Zhao Yelan looked over curiously, and saw a kitchen knife inside.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Was this a reasonable birthday gift?


    ¡°Oh, General, thank you for the great gift, I like it so much.¡± The old woman took it cheerfully. ¡°Your gift is the one I like the most!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan was speechless. He found an empty seat to sit down, and He Cuizhang happened to be on his left.


    As if guessing that he was confused, He Cuizhang took the initiative to explain: ¡°My lord doesn¡¯t know that Zhong Yuehong¡¯s mother is a butcher who kills pigs for a living, so the General gave her a butcher¡¯s knife.¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused: ¡°Butcher? Where is her father?¡±


    He Cuizhang hurriedly motioned for him to keep his voice down, but Zhang Yuehong, who had very good hearing, heard him. She took a few bottles of unopened wine, put them on the table, and sat down on the other side: ¡°He ran away with a woman of unknown origin. In order to support me, my mother had no choice but to take over the job at the stall.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at Mother Zhong again. She was slightly fat and her hands were covered in thick calluses, but she had a cheerful face and kept adding food and wine for everyone, busy at work.


    Mother Zhong pushed Yan Mingting to sit down to drink and eat food. Seeing Zhao Yelan next to him, she said happily: ¡°This is Zhao Yelan, Zhao-daren, right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded.


    ¡°You girl, isn¡¯t this just a small birthday party? Why did you bring the General and Zhao-daren?¡± Mother Zhong said a few words to Zhong Yuehong as if to cast blame, but she couldn¡¯t hide the smile on her face. So many great people came to celebrate a small butcher¡¯s birthday, it was an honor.


    ¡°Yuehong is popular, and everyone was willing to come, but I am afraid Auntie will think we eat too much,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, Yuehong is very powerful in our military camp, and everyone likes her, so why would we not come to eat and drink on your birthday?¡± He Cuizhang said.


    The others echoed this as well, drinking again after saying a few words.


    The table was full of people, and Zhao Yelan sat for a long time, watching this group of rustic fellows exchanging toasts and making a lot of noise. Getting up impatiently, he went to the courtyard alone and couldn¡¯t figure out how he had ended up here.


    The moonlight was strong, and it would be a long walk to find the sedan chair from here. The road was not easy to walk, and it would be easy to encounter enemies. After much deliberation, he could only wait for Yan Mingting and go back together.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, I feel embarrassed, there is nothing good to eat and drink in my home, I¡¯ve neglected you,¡± Mother Zhong said, suddenly appearing behind him.


    He turned and said lightly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°You are so handsome and well-dressed, no wonder Yuehong always says that you are prettier than the people in paintings.¡± Mother Zhong smiled simply and honestly.


    Zhao Yelan smiled slightly: ¡°She doesn¡¯t know me well.¡±


    Mother Zhong nodded and sighed: ¡°This girl was not well-liked by the neighbors when she was a child. She jumped up and down all day, dominating the streets and alleys, never regarding herself as a daughter of the family. These years¡¯ salaries are either sent home or just used to buy swords and spears. I thought she had already raised herself as a man, but I saw her washing her hands with soap recently, and she always says that Zhao-daren in the General¡¯s Mansion dresses like a fairy in the sky and looks exceedingly beautiful in whatever clothes he wears¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at her in silence.


    Mother Zhong took out an old purse from her bosom, poured out the fine silver inside, and held it in front of him with both hands: ¡°Zhao-daren, I don¡¯t know much about the world, and I don¡¯t know where you buy your clothes. Can you help me use this silver to buy a beautiful dress for Yuehong?¡±


    Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes to look at the pile of broken silver which had passed through the hands of many people, stained with oil and stench from the pork stall.


    ¡°Is it not enough?¡± Mother Zhong was a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll get some more¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡± Zhao Yelan reached out to take the silver, weighed it, and said without batting an eye, ¡°With this much, it is enough to buy several pieces.¡±


    Mother Zhong was dubious, but seeing that he had only a mild expression on his face, he shouldn¡¯t be lying. So, feeling relieved, she said with a smile: ¡°That is good. Thank you for your help, my lord, you are such a good person.¡±


    ¡°I am not a good person.¡± Zhao Yelan pocketed the silver and heard a slight laugh. When he looked up, Yan Mingting had come to stand at the door at some point, folding his arms and looking at him with a slight smile.


    He looked away.


    ¡°Auntie, we still have something to do, so we¡¯ll take our leave.¡± Yan Mingting came over and bid farewell to Mother Zhong.


    ¡°Eh, alright, come back next time to play at home, I¡¯ll cook for you.¡± Mother Zhong knew that these bigshots had a lot to do, so she didn¡¯t keep them and sent them to the gate.


    When Zhao Yelan turned his head, he could still see a figure waving their hands in the distance. He turned his head expressionlessly, not knowing what he was thinking, and didn¡¯t even notice that Yan Mingting had grabbed his wrist.


    Sitting back in the sedan chair again, his wrist was bare, the slight heat vanishing suddenly. Yan Mingting had already withdrawn his hand when he looked down. He didn¡¯t pursue it further, and asked, ¡°Going back so early? Why don¡¯t you have a few more drinks with them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to court tomorrow,¡± Yan Mingting replied. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s getting so late. Don¡¯t you go to bed early?¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°When do I go to bed early?¡±


    ¡°Last night.¡± Yan Mingting looked at him. ¡°I thought you would be worried about Gao Tan¡¯s safety and not be able to fall asleep, but I didn¡¯t expect that you would already be asleep when I came back.¡±


    Zhao Yelan had pretended to be asleep in order to avoid confronting Yan Mingting face-to-face, and he had to wait for Gao Tan¡¯s report before he could figure out how to face the other party. He said calmly: ¡°It is because I trust in your martial arts, and I knew you would definitely be able to bring Gao Tan back.¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately beamed with joy: ¡°I knew it!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan deeply suspected that this person¡¯s brain pathways were developing in a strange direction again. Maybe he had already started to imagine that he loved him so much that he couldn¡¯t extricate himself, and even started to practice martial arts for him.


    ¡°I give up, ba. I won¡¯t practice martial arts,¡± Zhao Yelan said abruptly.


    Yan Mingting was startled, and his smile froze: ¡°How do you know what I¡¯m thinking?!¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± You really thought so?!


    The two of them looked at each other for a moment and then glanced away, each with their own thoughts. Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to the fool. He opened a corner of the curtain and ordered the bearers to stop when they were almost at the tailor shop.


    He put the money in his pocket on the countertop. Looking at these dirty pieces of broken silver with some surprise, in disbelief that they had been taken out of Zhao Yelan¡¯s purse, the shopkeeper cautiously said: ¡°Zhao-daren, do you want to buy a few handkerchiefs?¡±


    ¡°Take out your newest clothes and let¡¯s have a look.¡± Zhao Yelan paused, coughed slightly, and subconsciously lowered his voice. ¡°It is for a young lady.¡±


    ¡°My lord, you want to buy clothes for a girl? Are you not afraid that General Yan will find out?¡± After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he saw General Yan appear from behind him with a grin.


    The shopkeeper immediately covered his mouth, nodding again and again, and led them to the side, introducing: ¡°These are the dresses for girls. As far as patterns and styles are concerned, our household is the best in the entire capital. I don¡¯t know which one you two want, ah?¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know anything about this business. After looking at the clothes hanging all over the walls, he only felt that his eyes were a little dazzled, and then looked at Zhao Yelan.


    Zhao Yelan browsed casually and didn¡¯t select anything ready-to-wear, but touched the fabric on the tables and finally selected three silks and satins, ordering: ¡°Customize this and replace the inner shin coat with trousers.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The shopkeeper suspected that he hadn¡¯t heard clearly. ¡°My lord, this is a dress. I have never heard of any lady who wears trousers under a dress. It¡¯s not meant to be worn by men, aren¡¯t you embarrassing me?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just embarrass you. I¡¯ll come to pick it up in a few days. If you can¡¯t even fulfill these requirements, then you won¡¯t be able to do business with my household in the future.¡± Zhao Yelan took out a few more silver ingots, put them on the table, and turned to leave.


    Yan Mingting followed and said with a smile: ¡°Our Zhao-daren is rather considerate. Knowing that Yuehong is used to being armed, even the clothes have to be custom-made for her.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a sideways glance: ¡°Will you die if you don¡¯t talk?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so anxious? I¡¯m complimenting you.¡± Yan Mingting smiled even more happily. ¡°I would like to thank you on behalf of Yuehong and Auntie.¡±


    ¡°Since you want to give thanks, just don¡¯t talk.¡±


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Money, manpower, one of the two, you choose it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren really does not trade at a loss.¡± Yan Mingting looked around, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he dragged him to the other side of the street. ¡°I know what to give you.¡±


    A moment later, Zhao Yelan was standing by a small river, looking at the blurry reflection in the water and stiffly holding tanghulu. Turning to look at the person eating tanghulu beside him, his face was gloomy: ¡°This is your thank-you gift?¡±


    ¡°Yes, how delicious this is!¡± Yan Mingting bit down on another hawthorn berry as if he was eating some kind of delicacy. With a smile on his face, he ate a bunch in a few bites and looked helplessly at the one in Zhao Yelan¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you not like to eat them? How about I help you out?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    If the other party didn¡¯t take the initiative to ask, he might have thrown it at him in disgust, but when Yan Mingting asked this, he immediately bit into one. ¡°You can¡¯t have it.¡±


    Yan Mingting saw that he had sucked it down in a hurry, his cheeks bulging. There was some childishness hidden under that indifferent skin, and he couldn¡¯t help laughing: ¡°You are a strange and interesting person.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t think that was high praise, so he turned his back and didn¡¯t look at him anymore. It was a shame that after eating three, he got a little tired of them, which was discovered by Yan Mingting.


    ¡°Come on, leave the rest to me.¡± Yan Mingting rubbed his hands eagerly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t give it to you even if I have to throw it away.¡± Zhao Yelan walked past him, but Yan Mingting took the things in his hands first and quickly bit off two sugar-coated hawthorns.


    ¡°Have you not eaten for hundreds of years?¡± Zhao Yelan frowned.


    ¡°Ai, I¡¯ve been craving this stuff since I was a child, and haven¡¯t eaten it but a few times,¡± Yan Mingting said carelessly. ¡°Those few times, they were all eaten in the capital. People like you who have lived in the capital since childhood and grew up carefree and without worries wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Zhao Yelan scoffed coldly: ¡°Carefree and without worries?¡±


    Yan Mingting paused and looked at him uncertainly.


    ¡°Do you think everyone in the capital grew up carefree and without worries?¡±


    ¡°It was a slip of the tongue. Naturally, there are some unfortunate children, such as He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting looked at him unhurriedly. ¡°How about you? Were you carefree and without worries?¡±


    ¡°What concern is it of yours?¡± Zhao Yelan finished speaking with a half smile, then turned and left the small river.


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking¡­¡­by the way, there is something I¡¯m curious about. How did you meet the Emperor? He was powerless at the time, how could you work for him?¡± Yan Mingting followed him all the way and didn¡¯t stop talking at all.


    There were many people coming and going on the streets. Among them were many successful Imperial examination candidates with foreign accents, who had come to the capital with great ambition to participate in the exams.


    When passing Hongxiu House, girls with tulle shawls could be seen at the gates, luring guests inside. Some clever girls would specially select from the examination candidates passing by in order to make a fortune from them.


    Looking at the scenes of women recruiting all around, and the thin-skinned young men at the doors, Yan Mingting asked with emotion: ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the Imperial examination directly? With your talent, winning top marks would be easy, right?¡±


    ¡°Yan Mingting, you are trying to cause trouble!¡± Zhao Yelan had endured all the way, and finally couldn¡¯t help but yell, ¡°When is it your responsibility to take care of my business? !¡±


    Yan Mingting went quiet. Clearly he was angry, and not just a little. He quickly apologized: ¡°Forgive me, I was talking too much.¡±


    ¡°Yo, did you two young masters come together?¡± An attractive beauty walked over with her slender and supple waist swaying. ¡°Would you like to come in and have some wine? Our girls will keep you satisfied ~¡±


    ¡°No need, we¡¯re just passing by¡­¡­eh, Zhao Yelan, where are you going! Is that a place you can go into!¡± Yan Mingting called to Zhao Yelan in a panic, but Zhao Yelan turned his head and ran toward the brothel so decisively that he had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan entered, he attracted the attention of many of the girls. As soon as the girls saw his clothing, they knew that he simply must be rich. Looking at that face again, a lot of them immediately jumped on the opportunity.


    ¡°Call the most beautiful girls you have here for me.¡±


    After speaking, Zhao Yelan tossed out a purse so skillfully that Yan Mingting suspected that he was a regular customer. He secretly asked the girl next to him: ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°I know him, ah.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°My future husband~¡± The girl held her face and smiled shyly, and in the next moment rushed forward as well.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    With such a big commotion, everyone upstairs and downstairs glanced over. Yan Mingting still saved face and lowered his head, but the smell of cosmetics in this building made his nose start to itch again.


    ¡°Yo, who is this young man?¡± The Madam brought a few girls down from the second floor, dismissed all the girls around Zhao Yelan, and looked at him with a smile. These here are all pretty girls. The best one already has a customer, I truly apologize, but you can pick a few here, young master, and take them with you, ah.¡±


    Yan Mingting was stunned for a moment. This Madam was quite different from what he had imagined. Dressed in red clothing, with gold beads and silver hairpins, her features were very beautiful and her bearing was elegant. She was not like commonplace women, even better than these girls in front of him.


    But as it happened, nothing could be perfect. There was a scar stretching from the brow to the cheek on that beautiful face, and it was like adding a bit of bitter water to fine wine.


    Just when Yan Mingting was feeling sorry, he heard Zhao Yelan say: ¡°I just want the most beautiful girl, bring her down quickly.¡±


    ¡°I truly dare not, Qingyan is accompanying Liu-daren from the Ministry of Rituals.¡± The Madam fluttered her round fan. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the young master dares to offend Liu-daren?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Zhao Yelan!¡± Someone from upstairs said.


    Everyone was shocked, and the girls also looked at him in surprise.


    Now Yan Mingting was sure it was Zhao Yelan¡¯s first time coming to the brothel, so he breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Is it really Zhao-daren?¡± The Madam immediately changed her expression and told the people next to her, ¡°Go, bring Qingyan down from the room.¡±


    Seeing the situation getting worse and worse, Yan Mingting finally stood forward: ¡°Zhao Yelan, follow me back.¡±


    ¡°Is this General Yan?¡± The Madam¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°So handsome, do you want to stay and play together?¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s face darkened. Seeing Zhao Yelan standing still and staring at the room upstairs, he simply lifted him up.


    ¡°What are you doing? !¡± Zhao Yelan exclaimed, and was taken away amongst the jeering and laughter of the crowd.


    He could only imagine what kinds of rumors there would be in Beijing tomorrow.


    ¨C ¨C Shocking! Zhao Yelan lived up to his infamy and snatched a brothel¡¯s famous beauty; Yan Mingting was furious and carried him back in public!


    Yan Mingting brought Zhao Yelan back to the mansion without stopping, and put him on a chair. Seeing that he was about to resist, he pressed his arms firmly: ¡°If you move again, I will draw my sword.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him sullenly, but took no other action, so Yan Mingting tried to persuade him: ¡°I know it was me who spoke out of proportion just now, and you were angry. Don¡¯t go to that kind of place to play, it¡¯s not good for your health.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Your fountain is originally poor, what kind of tricks can you play? You don¡¯t want to be clever all your life just to end up dying under the peonies, do you?¡±


    In the end, Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t hold back and kicked him hard.


    Yan Mingting laughed: ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it, just let it out on me if you¡¯re angry. What were you doing running off to the red-light district?¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°If I vent my anger on you, you will threaten me with a sword.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just to scare you, come on, just kick me.¡± Yan Mingting stood up straight with a heroic look on his face.


    ¡°Then you sit down and don¡¯t resist.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Yan Mingting immediately changed seats with him and sat obediently in the chair.


    ¡°What should I do if you resist?¡±


    ¡°I swear, if I resist, I will be your grandson!¡±


    After Yan Mingting spoke these firm words, he saw that Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t do anything, but went to the room to fetch the rope, saying in surprise, ¡°You, you, what are you going to do?¡±


    When Housekeeper Qin heard that the two masters had returned to the mansion, he brought Xiao Gao and a group of servants to the courtyard. He had originally wanted to discuss the anniversary of the death of the old general, but as soon as he arrived at the door, he saw the General tied to a chair with his chin being pinched by Zhao Yelan: ¡°Stay obediently and don¡¯t move around.¡±


    Just as Gao Tan was about to speak, Housekeeper Qin covered his mouth and made a gesture to everyone, slipping away bent at the waist.


    Xiao Gao: ¡°Wuwuwu, why are you stopping me?¡±


    ¡°You almost spoiled the General and his wife¡¯s happy occasion!¡± Housekeeper Qin said bitterly. Seeing that he was so stupefied, he only waved his hand and said, ¡°You all go and boil some hot water.¡±


    Xiao Gao thought that the General¡¯s Mansion was no good at all! There was nowhere to display his skills, and he was always dragged off to boil hot water!


    The two people in the room naturally heard the footsteps of the servants. Zhao Yelan turned around and closed the doors and windows without leaving a single gap.


    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± Yan Mingting looked down at the ropes on his body, his face flushed and his heart beating hard. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be making advances and forcing me to submit, ba?¡±


    Zhao Yelan circled the table. Hearing this, he looked back at him with his lips curled up: ¡°You¡¯re always saying I like you, but when you mentioned it, you smiled so happily. Is it me who likes you, or you who likes me?¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled once, as if stunned by this question. His brain stopped working for a moment, and his body even felt slightly numb. When Zhao Yelan walked towards him slowly, he heard the sound of his heart beating again, much faster than his opponent¡¯s footsteps.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s facial features gradually and clearly appeared before his eyes. Yan Mingting¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly and he subconsciously swallowed. His expression was at a loss and mixed with indescribable expectations. When he was about to speak, he saw what the other was holding in his hand and was shocked: ¡°What are you doing with the incense! Put that thing down! Don¡¯t use it, don¡¯t use it, ah!¡±


    Yan Mingting struggled on the chair. Zhao Yelan smiled slightly, lit several incense sticks, and placed them in a circle around him: ¡°Dare to resist and you are my grandson.¡±


    ¡°Achoo! Zhao Ye¡­¡­achoo! Let me tell you¡­¡­achoo! I¡¯m going to pull out¡­..achoo, my sword!¡±


    [1] A Bachelor here is an accomplished scholar with a degree. ?


    [2] W¨¡ng (Íô) can mean several things, and can also be used as an onomatopoeia for a dog barking. So w¨¡ng w¨¡ng = bark bark. I couldn¡¯t come up with an English equivalent for this wordplay. ?


    [3] To play an instrument for a cow is to play to the wrong audience/reason with stubborn people. ?

 CH 20

    The room was full of fragrance, rich and potent.


    Zhao Yelan lit a dozen or so incense sticks in one go, and Yan Mingting was smoked so thoroughly that physical tears began to form in his eyes, so he had to beg for mercy: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong, Zhao-daren, achoo¡­¡­Zhao-daren, you let me go, ba!¡±


    Zhao Yelan leaned in front of him, staring at his wet, red eyes, and felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction: ¡°The great General was actually made to cry because of a little incense?¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°Achoo! Yes, yes, let me go, wuwuwuwuwuwu, I beg you!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± So spineless.


    Seeing that he never broke free of the rope and was willing to be tossed to such an extent, Zhao Yelan undid the rope and let him go.


    Yan Mingting, who had regained his freedom, ran to the courtyard and opened his mouth, taking a big gulp of fresh air.


    ¡°Someone come and get some hot water ready,¡± Zhao Yelan stood at the door and shouted.


    As soon as these words fell, Housekeeper Qin brought some servants to deliver the water.


    Zhao Yelan looked at the old housekeeper suspiciously: ¡°You¡¯ve been quite vigilant lately.¡±


    ¡°I ought to, I ought to. After all, I have experience,¡± Housekeeper Qin said with a smile.


    After delivering the water, Housekeeper Qin approached Yan Mingting and saw him wiping tears from the corners of his red eyes. He said worriedly: ¡°General, what is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I was bullied by Zhao Yelan,¡± Yan Mingting complained.


    ¡°Then he¡­¡­bullied pretty hard, ah.¡± Housekeeper Qin was very surprised, and patted him on the back reassuringly, ¡°However, this may be my lord showing favor to you.¡±


    Yan Mingting was stunned: ¡°Ah? This is a show of favor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah. Otherwise, has he done this to any other people?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting wasn¡¯t sure if Zhao Yelan would burn incense for others if they made a mistake.


    It happened that Gao Tan was passing by, so he grabbed him and asked: ¡°If someone speaks taboo words, how will your family¡¯s lord deal with it?¡±


    ¡°Kill them,¡± Gao Tan said innocently.


    Housekeeper Qin was inwardly taken aback, but he saw Yan Mingting¡¯s expression relax slightly: ¡°You¡¯re right, he really treats me differently.¡±


    After breathing the fresh air in the courtyard for a long time, Yan Mingting felt that his nose and throat were much more comfortable. Pushing open the door lightly, a faint fragrance could still be smelled in the room. He heard a rustling sound and turned his head to see Zhao Yelan stretching out a wet hand from behind the screen. He tried to grab the clothes hanging on the side, but it seemed that he couldn¡¯t reach them. The man stood up with the sound of splashing water, and his slender fingers touched the air a few times.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Yan Mingting asked loudly, walking up to the screen.


    Perhaps because he didn¡¯t expect him to enter the room without permission, Zhao Yelan exclaimed in surprise.


    Yan Mingting heard his voice and went over, and was stupefied. He had just wanted to come help, but that white upper body was presented in front of his eyes, and his heart beat noticeably faster.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    Not only was his heartbeat wrong, but the scars on Zhao Yelan¡¯s body were also wrong. There were two short scars beneath the beautiful collarbones, and one on his waist and abdomen that sloped around to his back.


    These were not things that should be present on a pampered body. Yan Mingting finally understood why Zhao Yelan was so angry when he asked about the past.


    ¡°Who told you to come in!¡± Zhao Yelan immediately sat back in the basin. Water splashed onto his hair, and there was animosity in his eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, I just thought you needed someone to lend a hand.¡± Yan Mingting immediately turned his back, thought for a moment, and then picked up the clothes behind him, passing them over without looking back.


    ¡°Put on your clothes first, the water is cold and you might catch an illness.¡±


    After a long time, Zhao Yelan grabbed the clothes.


    Yan Mingting heard the sound of lapping water and the sound of a towel being rubbed. Holding his breath, he didn¡¯t dare to look back at all, until he heard the sound of a sharp sword piercing the air. A long sword pressed against his back.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Zhao Yelan asked coldly.


    ¡°I saw¡­¡­a beauty who fell into the water?¡± Yan Mingting said cautiously.


    The sword poked in again.


    Yan Mingting raised his hands and surrendered: ¡°I admit it, I saw the scars.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes went cold, and he was about to poke in again, but Yan Mingting dodged and turned to look at him.


    The two confronted each other for a short while, and Yan Mingting suddenly and outrageously pulled open the lapel of his clothes, saying righteously, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a few scars? Come, let me show you mine.¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused. His eyes fell to the scars on his chest, which were much more serious than his own.


    ¡°This is only the chest. Do you want to see? There¡¯s more on the back, ba.¡± Yan Mingting turned around and was about to take off his clothes.


    ¡°Enough.¡± Zhao Yelan threw the sword on the floor indifferently, took a deep breath, and walked to the side to dry his hair with a towel.


    Yan Mingting sighed, straightened his clothes, and called someone to carry the basin out. Then he looked at the person sitting on the bed and said: ¡°Don¡¯t be flustered, scars are the symbol of  a man!¡±


    ¡°From your point of view, it is indeed symbolic.¡± Zhao Yelan sneered. ¡°For others, it is only shameful.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Perhaps it is because of these scars that you are who you are today?¡±


    ¡°Who I am today?¡± Zhao Yelan raised his head with a false smile on his face. His voice was cold. ¡°A courtier whom everyone detests, a colleague hated by the court, a pawn feared by the Emperor, a man who married into the back house, which identity can be worthy of my rejoicing and gratitude?¡±


    Yan Mingting watched him in silence, then sat down beside him and said, ¡°Have you ever thought about changing your path and becoming a good official praised by everyone?¡±


    Zhao Yelan scoffed and said: ¡°I only know that there are two roads in the world, toward life and toward death. There is no middle road for me to take.¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± Yan Mingting said softly. ¡°It¡¯s just that you dare not.¡±


    Zhao Yelan threw the wet towel at him, then turned over on the bed to go to sleep.


    ¡°Your hair isn¡¯t completely dry yet, if you fall asleep, you might get a headache,¡± Yan Mingting reminded him.


    However, the other party turned his back to him, remained motionless, and didn¡¯t intend to speak to him.


    Yan Mingting took a dry towel and continued to wipe his wet hair for him, saying: ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about this. Let¡¯s talk about something interesting¡­¡­en, do you still want to hear bedtime stories?¡±


    ¡°Get lost,¡± Zhao Yelan said without looking back.


    ¡°Then I could tell you how the soldiers¡¯ drills went?¡± Yan Mingting remembered another thing. ¡°By the way, I have been going to morning court these days and haven¡¯t had time to supervise your horse stance. How about we set a new time and practice hard?¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to live a long life? Having a good foundation is better than taking too many medicines and eating delicacies. You know He Cuizhang, when he first joined the army, he was as thin as a monkey, and like you, he could have been blown away by the wind. Look at his appearance now, isn¡¯t he very¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting coughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell him that.¡±


    In this way, Yan Mingting continued talking to him in a low voice and Zhao Yelan occasionally responded, relaxing his vigilance.


    Dazed, he was a little at a loss, aware that his anger seemed to inexplicably disappear at some point.


    Maybe it was because his scalp felt slightly relaxed when his hair was wiped, or maybe because Yan Mingting had never expressed strong hostility toward him, making him forgive the other¡¯s lack of propriety again and again.


    But too many things had happened today, and he couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his thoughts anymore. He closed his eyes, even forgetting to cover himself with a blanket.


    Waking up the next day, Zhao Yelan found that he was tightly wrapped in a blanket. He sat up slowly and looked at the bedding and pillows on the floor, which were neatly folded.


    The corners of his mouth curved slightly, and after breakfast, he went to the Imperial Academy. The gazes of his colleagues were extremely strange. Because the news of him snatching the beauty at the brothel had been publicized last night, everyone had remarkable expressions on their faces when they saw him.


    Zhao Yelan even wanted to make a painting of each of them in order to study the changes of human expressions.


    Ruan Xian didn¡¯t show any extra sentiments, and after greeting him familiarly, he went to attend to his own business.


    In the afternoon, the Emperor came to the Imperial Academy to play chess again and got straight to the point: ¡°It was very lively outside. Did you really go to a brothel last night?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°Yes, I had a conflict with Yan Mingting on the street and rushed in impulsively.¡±


    Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t expect such an answer, and laughed out loud: ¡°So that is the case. I didn¡¯t expect you to display such a temper and catch Liu-daren from the Ministry of Rites in the courtesan¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°This official didn¡¯t know that Liu-daren was there.¡± Zhao Yelan looked slightly embarrassed. ¡°If I had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If you hadn¡¯t inadvertently barged in, I wouldn¡¯t have known that Liu-daren, who has always kept himself clean, would go to the red-light district in private.¡± Zhao Xuan said coldly, ¡°It seems that we need to change out the Chief Examiner.¡±


    The Imperial exams were just around the corner, and in the Xuan Dynasty, people from the Ministry of Rights were in charge of this matter every year. If there was a problem with the examiner¡¯s conduct, he would likely be criticized, making people doubt whether he could take up the position. What¡¯s more, Zhao Xuan had only been on the throne for one year, and was thirsty for talents. He urgently needed a large number of talents to fill his decaying Imperial court.


    ¡°Do you have any recommendations for the position of Chief Examiner?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked up from playing chess: ¡°This official has no intentions of going to court, and can only hope that this person will be fair and upright, without unhealthy tendencies, and be an example for students.¡±


    ¡°En, I think so too,¡± Zhao Xuan said with satisfaction.


    Seeing that he looked confident, Zhao Yelan knew that he had someone he favored, so he didn¡¯t ask any further questions and just smiled lightly for show.


    After returning to the mansion, he saw servants rushing in and out, and went to the inner courtyard. Seeing that Yan Mingting was discussing with Housekeeper Qin, he casually asked in passing: ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Answering Furen, tomorrow is the anniversary of the death of the old general. We are discussing what preparations need to be done. Furen, will you go together?¡± Housekeeper Qin asked.


    In previous years, Housekeeper Qin took all his servants to the grave to pay homage on the anniversary of his death. The General was back this year and married a new wife, so he still needed to confirm it.


    Yan Mingting originally thought that Zhao Yelan would refuse, but who knew that Zhao Yelan would consider it for a moment, his thoughts obscure, and then readily agree.


    Housekeeper Qin beamed with joy, and then immediately retreated to start making purchases. When he passed a balm shop, he suddenly stopped, thinking that the General and his wife were often noisy at night. Furen was already in poor health, and if he was a little careless, he could easily encounter trouble.


    He asked the others to bring some things home first, then walked into the shop and whispered to the shopkeeper: ¡°Is there any ointment for the boudoir?¡±


    The shopkeeper was about to fetch it, but was stopped by Housekeeper Qin again: ¡°Ei, that is¡­¡­the kind for men.¡±


    The shopkeeper looked at Housekeeper Qin¡¯s old appearance in surprise, smirked suggestively, then went to a dark case on the other side to rummage through it.


    Knowing that he was misunderstood, Housekeeper Qin waved his hands again and again: ¡°No, it¡¯s not for me.¡±


    ¡°I understand, you have a friend?¡± The shopkeeper gave him a meaningful glance.


    ¡°Aiya, you don¡¯t care who it is, just get me some boxes!¡±


    After dinner in the evening, Yan Mingting saw Zhao Yelan go to the study to lie down and read a book again, and stopped him: ¡°Don¡¯t read, come and exercise with me.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t go. Leave.¡±


    ¡°How about a walk to aid digestion? Take a walk after dinner and live to ninety-nine.¡±


    Zhao Yelan refused again, but was forced to take a walk in the back courtyard. Yan Mingting persuaded him persistently: ¡°It¡¯s such an auspicious time, a dark and windy night[1]¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a sidelong glance.


    Yan Mingting coughed twice and reorganized his language: ¡°It is an auspicious time, the moon is bright and the wind is quiet, which makes you look elegant and refined. If you could make a few horse stances under this bright moonlight, Chang¡¯e[2] will be put to shame when she sees you.¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    To prevent Yan Mingting from dragging him forcefully again, Zhao Yelan decided to run away first.


    He turned around and started to run, but couldn¡¯t see clearly in the dark. Accidentally stepping on an uneven stone, he fell hard on the cobblestone path.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan lay on the ground, made a fist in slight annoyance, and thumped the ground.


    What extraordinary shame and humiliation!


    In the next moment, he was carried into Yan Mingting¡¯s arms. ¡°See, when you don¡¯t exercise when you are told to exercise, you fall after running only a few steps. Will your left foot trip over your right foot when you are walking another day?¡± Yan Mingting laughed happily and wantonly.


    Zhao Yelan continuously beat his chest in anger: ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, let me down!¡±


    ¡°You are the one who said it, ba.¡± Yan Mingting put him down. ¡°Come on, take two steps.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took two unwilling steps and looked back at him angrily.


    ¡°Not bad. Let¡¯s not go for a walk tonight, and make an appointment for another day.¡± Yan Mingting walked to his side, and then kept going. As soon as he took another step, his sleeve was grabbed by someone.


    He looked back to see Zhao Yelan staring at the ground, gritting his teeth as he said: ¡°¡­¡­Bring me back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll stop showing off?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was quiet for a moment, and then nodded, enduring the humiliation.


    The corners of Yan Mingting¡¯s mouth curved up silently, and then he lifted him horizontally into his arms.


    When Housekeeper Qin was cleaning the corridor, he saw General Yan carrying Zhao-daren back to the room and couldn¡¯t help but blush, quickly lowering his head and pretending not to see. He only inwardly hoped that the General would quietly figure out what he had done.


    When Yan Mingting brought him back to the room and lifted his trouser leg to check the wound, Zhao Yelan frowned tightly.


    He moved as gingerly as possible and rolled it up above his knee. It was visibly scraped and bruised, with a little blood oozing out.


    It was so late, too late to find a doctor. Yan Mingting rummaged through the boxes and cabinets, looking for medicine, but found several bottles of new ointment in the cabinet next to the bed. As soon as he opened one, he smelled a faint fragrance, which Zhao Yelan should like.


    While cleaning all the way to the side room, Housekeeper Qin saw that the door to the masters¡¯ bedroom was open. Suspiciously looking inside, he saw Yan Mingting taking the ointment he had specially prepared and rubbing it on Zhao Yelan¡¯s knee.


    Housekeeper Qin said in horror: ¡°General Yan, that stuff is not used there!¡±


    [1] A dark and windy night (Ôºڷç¸ß) is a metaphor for a dangerous environment. ?


    [2] Ch¨¢ng¡¯e: The lady in the moon in Chinese mythology. ?

 CH 21

    The two people in the room were stunned by Housekeeper Qin¡¯s cry.


    Zhao Yelan lowered his head, looked at the ointment on Yan Mingting¡¯s hand, and pushed it away: ¡°I just said not to give me medicine casually, are you a doctor?¡±


    Yan Mingting knew that he was in the wrong, so he turned around and asked Housekeeper Qin: ¡°Where should this medicine be used? Does rubbing it into the wound help?¡±


    Housekeeper Qin also didn¡¯t know the whys and where-fores. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would be useful, but it should be harmless.


    ¡°Go and call the doctor,¡± Zhao Yelan said regretfully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go right away!¡± Housekeeper Qin felt relieved. Knocking on the doctor¡¯s door in the middle of the night, he dragged him to the General¡¯s Mansion.


    After such tossing and fuss, it was already past bedtime. Zhao Yelan, who was unable to take a bath due to his injury, was a little displeased, and lay on the bed sullenly for a while before going to sleep.


    The next day was the anniversary of the death of Old General Yan. Yan Mingting took a leave of absence from the Imperial court, and Zhao Yelan was just an idler in the Imperial Academy. With so much staff, he was not needed at all, but the Emperor had arranged such a position to appease him, and he was happy to be at leisure.


    Housekeeper Qin and the staff prepared all the things needed for worship. After being urged several times to go out the door, Zhao Yelan slowly¡­¡­was helped out by Yan Mingting.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you not go, it¡¯s rather far away. You can rest your legs at home,¡± Yan Mingting fretted.


    Zhao Yelan insisted: ¡°It¡¯s fine, Old General Yan still deserves to be paid homage.¡± Yan Mingting glanced at him in surprise and agreed.


    The General¡¯s tomb was on a mountain outside the north of the city, facing the capital from a distance.


    The sedan chair stopped at the bottom of the mountain about an hour later, and several other military officials had already arrived.


    ¡°General, Zhao-daren,¡± Several people clasped their hands and shouted.


    Yan Mingting nodded: ¡°All right, let¡¯s go, ba.¡±


    The group of people climbed up the steps but didn¡¯t see the General¡¯s figure among them. When they looked back, they saw Yan Mingting crouching in front of Zhao Yelan and were shocked.


    Zhao Yelan was also slightly surprised: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Climb on, with your leg it will definitely be hard to go up. I can¡¯t take responsibility for you being hurt again,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan looked down at his knees. He was not someone who would wrong himself, so he got on.


    Yan Mingting stood up with him on his back, walked to the front of his subordinates with ease, and led the way: ¡°What are you doing standing there in a daze, hurry up, the old man is still waiting for you to toast to him.¡±


    A group of military officials walked briskly and left the servants behind in a short while. Housekeeper Qin rubbed his legs and called out to Gao Tan: ¡°Xiao Gao, you know martial arts, don¡¯t you? Help deliver these things to the military officials, so that they won¡¯t be anxious later.¡±


    Gao Tan was walking beside Zhao Yelan, bored, and suddenly said: ¡°My lord, let me carry you instead.¡±


    The others were taken aback, but Zhao Yelan had no objections. Just as he was about to change over, He Cuizhang said, ¡°That¡¯s right, the General has carried him for so long, how about me instead?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also willing.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Everyone expressed their willingness to carry the wounded, and finally even Zhong Yuehong said: ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He originally would have rather enjoyed it if the matter hadn¡¯t become so awkward.


    Yan Mingting turned his head to look at his subordinates, suddenly aware that Zhao Yelan had a stranglehold on his neck, as if secretly unwilling to let go. He said with a smile: ¡°What are you thinking, is it your turn to carry my wife?¡±


    The subordinates laughed simply and honestly. Gao Tan no longer insisted, was soon distracted by the wild flowers and fruits on the road, and turned his head and disappeared.


    Zhao Yelan wasn¡¯t worried about his safety. He only felt that his body was slightly hot. It was still March, but with his chest against the other¡¯s back, their body temperatures would inevitably rise. This broad back inexplicably made him feel at ease, and he almost fell asleep.


    When they reached the top of the mountain, the sun was almost at its zenith. Zhao Yelan stood feebly on the ground, and Yan Mingting helped him to rest under the shade of a nearby tree, then prepared to worship with his subordinates.


    Zhao Yelan looked at the mausoleum. It was very large, and besides the main tomb, there were two other tombs beside it.


    After a while, incense smoke rose from the censer in front of the tombstone.


    Zhao Yelan walked over with a limp. Yan Mingting brought him three sticks of incense and then stood beside him.


    ¡°Father, mother, younger brother, this is the new master of the General¡¯s Mansion. He came with me to see you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan had no words to say, and only stared at the characters on the tombstone, solemnly bowing three times with him.


    After burning the incense, Yang Mingting fell silent. Rather, it was the subordinates who went to the grave to chatter, talking about the unforgettable battles they had experienced.


    Zhao Yelan listened for a while, and found that Yan Mingting had gone to the shade of the tree at some point, watching quietly like a wooden sculpture.


    He walked over slowly and stood beside him. Only then did Yan Mingting react, pointing to the two side tombs and saying playfully: ¡°There is my mother, and my brother. When I die, I will be buried here too.¡±


    Zhao Yelan said coldly: ¡°Saying this, are you not afraid that your parents will rise from their coffins in anger?¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled, saying abruptly: ¡°My mother took me out to ride horses and died of a sudden illness within a few days of returning. My younger brother was very weak, completely different from me. He died of a serious illness when he was only a few years old. Tell me, am I really an evil star? Will I kill everyone close to me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him in surprise: ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t believe such nonsense.¡±


    ¡°There will always be times when people are afraid, when their hearts are fragile,¡± Yan Mingting said softly.


    ¡°Then you must not let others become your weakness. It would only be a burden and a hindrance,¡± Zhao Yelan said decisively.


    ¡°Is that why you keep yourself closed away?¡±


    ¡°Is that not good?¡± Zhao Yelan smiled faintly. ¡°In this way, nothing can harm me again, and my life is in my own hands.¡±


    Yan Mingting was noncommittal, but he felt intuitively that this sentence contained many things. Zhao Yelan must have had extremely painful experiences. Just now, he said, ¡°nothing can harm me again,¡± words that caused him to be completely afraid of showing his weakness.


    ¡°Have you ever thought that the successive deaths of so many people around you was caused by a person?¡± Zhao Yelan prompted.


    As expected, Yan Mingting regained his spirit: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The tallest trees in the forest are the first to be blown down by strong wind. Although your Yan family has been at the border all year round, the most dreadful existence is the presence of a large army. Perhaps your father¡¯s death was not that simple,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Are you guessing wildly, or do you have evidence?¡±


    ¡°Guessing.¡± Zhao Yelan observed his expression, and could see that the other party was very cautious about this matter. He continued seamlessly, ¡°I am suspicious by nature, which is why I asked this question. If it is intrusive, I won¡¯t ask any more.¡±


    Yan Mingting shook his head and asked: ¡°Then who do you think would want my father to die?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but anyway, it wouldn¡¯t be me.¡±


    Yan Mingting was taken aback.


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°I have no grievances or enmities with your father, and would not harm him. Do you believe me?¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan, who had been mentally compiling a lot of arguments, was suddenly blocked with a single sentence.


    ¡°You truly believe me?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you are Zhao Yelan.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him doubtfully.


    ¡°Did you guess what I have been looking for?¡± Yan Mingting said, ¡°After Xiao Gao was rescued, he would definitely tell you what questions he was asked, and with your intelligence, it should have been easy to guess that I ordered people to kidnap him. If you had a guilty conscience, you would have definitely struck first. At this time, it would have been impossible for me and my subordinates to come to worship at the General¡¯s tomb unscathed.¡±


    ¡°So you deliberately asked Xiao Gao those leading questions? To see if I would tip my hand?¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at him appreciatively. Unfortunately, the other party still didn¡¯t guess that even Gao Tan¡¯s kidnapping was arranged by him.


    Yan Mingting did not deny it: ¡°I just wanted to confirm.¡±


    Zhao Yelan narrowed his eyes slightly: ¡°Then asking about what my attitude is towards you was also intentional?¡±


    ¡°That was on a whim,¡± Yan Mingting blurted out, then paused and looked at him with some embarrassment. ¡°Is what he said true?¡±


    Zhao Yelan pondered for a moment, thinking about whether to tell him the truth of the abduction or not. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gao Tan coming back, and immediately diverted his attention: ¡°Xiao Gao, what are you holding?¡±


    Yan Mingting did not wait for an answer, having received it from his tangled expression. He didn¡¯t deny it! According to Zhao Yelan¡¯s temperament, if he didn¡¯t like someone, he just didn¡¯t like them, so how could he be so tangled!


    Not denying it was tantamount to acquiescing.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s peripheral vision kept falling on Zhao Yelan, and he saw Zhao Yelan taking a bouquet of wild flowers from Gao Tan.


    ¡°I picked them just now, do you like them, my lord?¡± Gao Tan asked.


    Zhao Yelan lowered his head and fiddled with the colorful mountain flowers: ¡°Where did you pick them all?¡±


    ¡°On the way.¡±


    For some reason, when Yan Mingting looked at this scene, he was inexplicably depressed. Snatching the flowers from his hand, he said righteously: ¡°These flowers are nice, my mother likes them the most, can you give them to her?¡±


    Zhao Yelan said generously: ¡°Take them.¡±


    Yan Mingting gave Gao Tan a haughty look and took the flowers, placing them in front of the tomb. Turning around, he saw Gao Tan take some wild fruits out of his pocket and offer them to Zhao Yelan.


    He stepped forward quickly and snatched the fruit away, saying, ¡°This fruit is good, my brother likes it very much, can you give it to my brother?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Take them.¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°Unexpectedly, your family is quite easy to provide for.¡±


    Gao Tan saw that the flowers and fruits given to his lord were gone, and felt aggrieved and frustrated. He said, ¡°My lord, those were all for you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zhao Yelan patted his head. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are still a lot of flowers on the side of the road. You can pick some more.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Gao Tan hurriedly ran down to pick flowers.


    After the worship was over, the group went down the mountain. Zhao Yelan was still lying on Yan Mingting¡¯s back, and had the leisure to slowly appreciate the spring flowers and mountain scenery on both sides.


    ¡°My lord, I¡¯m back!¡± Halfway up the mountain, Gao Tan chased after him, his arms full of wildflowers. When he was about to catch up with Zhao Yelan, Yan Mingting suddenly accelerated to a pace that was like flying.


    Gao Tan: ¡° ? ¡±


    ¡°Yan Mingting, slow down!¡± Zhao Yelan let out a cry of surprise, caught off guard, and hugged his neck tightly. The surrounding scenery sped by before him, and he buried his head in terror.


    Yan Mingting hesitated for a moment, then ran even faster.


    ¡°General, wait a moment, let me hand over the flowers to my lord!¡± Gao Tan continued to chase after him.


    The other military officials didn¡¯t understand, but they used qinggong to catch up. The poor group of servants looked at their backs, which disappeared in the blink of an eye, and continued down the mountain bitterly.


    After finally arriving at the city, Housekeeper Qin remembered another matter, tremblingly came to the balm shop, and asked the shopkeeper, ¡°Do you have any picture books or the like?¡±


    When the shopkeeper saw it was him, he immediately understood, mysteriously taking a book out of a hidden compartment: ¡°This is a treasure, a good thing that is hard to buy outside. It also depends on if you are old in age but young in mind, so I will show you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, old of age but young of mind?¡± Housekeeper Qin felt wronged but was unable to appeal, so he simply didn¡¯t explain. He opened the picture book and glanced at it. There was both text and pictures, and he paid the money before leaving in satisfaction.


    Since the General had actually used the ointment to rub Zhao-daren¡¯s knees, he was sure that the two of them didn¡¯t know how to have sex properly.


    Fortunately, before the big wedding, the General was not in the mansion when the nanny from the palace came to teach some instructions, so he had to write down some pointers. At first he thought he would never need it in his life, but he didn¡¯t expect the General to be so fast¡­¡­


    After running around for much of the day, Zhao Yelan went to the study to lie down and read after finishing his meal. Gao Tan crouched at the door, still mourning the wildflowers that were blown away in the wind while running.


    Yan Mingting had gone to discuss matters with his subordinates, and returned around midnight. Zhao Yelan had already briefly washed up and lay down to sleep.


    Perhaps due to going to the tomb that day, not long after Zhao Yelan closed his eyes, the figures of his parents appeared in his mind. Waking up in a cold sweat, he heard Yan Mingting whispering instructions to Gao Tan at the door. ¡°Your lord is asleep, why don¡¯t you go back and rest? By the way, tomorrow morning, you can go to Ming Ji Restaurant to buy some of his favorite stuffed steamed buns and come back.¡±


    There was the sound of the door closing. If Yan Mingting stepped lightly, no one would be able to detect his footsteps.


    Zhao Yelan turned over curiously. Seeing Yan Mingting standing beside the bed, he was startled: ¡°Must you be so creepy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just seeing if you¡¯re asleep.¡± Yan Mingting smiled shamefacedly and turned to lay on the floor.


    Zhao Yelan supported his head with one hand, looked at him for a while, and said, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t sleep, does there need to be a reason?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you a bedtime story?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°A different story, I don¡¯t want to hear the one about Wang-gongzi.¡±


    ¡°Then how about I tell you how He Cuizhang caught a sword with his bare hands?¡±


    ¡°Not interested.¡±


    Yan Mingting guessed that he was only interested in literary anecdotes. Thinking that Zhao Yelan also kept a lot of books in this room, he planned to find one and read it to him.


    Walking to the drawer beside the bed, he opened it and saw a book sitting on top. Taking it out in a dignified way, he sat down by the bed, opened it to the first page, and said very articulately: ¡°A god came down to earth, dressed in women¡¯s clothes. Because of his beauty, he was favored by the prince and brought back to the palace for a night of romance. Only then did he know that this person was the rabbit god who had descended to the world¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting was taken aback for a moment. ¡°Ah, this¡­¡­the rabbit god?¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave a slight frown and sat up suspiciously to look at the book. He saw the painting on the other side was of two men entangled together, with a line of small characters attached below: Backyard flowers are very delicate, and need to be picked carefully.


    Only now did Yan Mingting notice the painting, and looked at him in surprise.


    The two looked at each other with strange and complicated expressions ¨C because they each thought that the picture book had been prepared by the other party.

 CH 22

    The atmosphere was a little ambiguous.


    The two looked at each other for a long time before Yan Mingting broke the silence first, saying with a little surprise: ¡°Unexpectedly, a dignified fellow like you also secretly keeps these kinds of books.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was indignant: ¡°What nonsense are you speaking, why would I hide this away? The way I see it, you clearly have evil intentions and prepared this dirty picture book! Get your things and get out!¡±


    Wronged, Yan Mingting said: ¡°If you didn¡¯t hide it away, nor did I prepare it, then where did this thing come from?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him suspiciously, then had second thoughts and said, ¡°Call Housekeeper Qin over here.¡±


    After a while, Housekeeper Qin walked into the room with a puzzled expression: ¡°My lord, are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Where did this thing come from?!¡± Zhao Yelan threw the picture book in front of him.


    Housekeeper Qin picked it up and replied: ¡°I prepared it.¡±


    The two looked at each other, and Yan Mingting saw that Zhao Yelan was about to blow up, so he hurried to Housekeeper Qin, pretending to be angry, ¡°Uncle Qin, I didn¡¯t tell you to do this. We don¡¯t need this thing, hurry up and throw it away, go, go!¡±


    Housekeeper Qin was pushed out the door. He considered that the General was prideful and arrogant, obviously not getting the point, and was still unwilling to learn with an open mind. Thinking about it, he still didn¡¯t throw away the picture book. Anyway, the General would regret it sooner or later and come to him to take it back.


    Although this matter was not related to Yan Mingting, while he was lying on the ground, he was unable to sleep. The two people in the painting had left an indelible impression on him.


    Ai.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, are you asleep?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t disturb me when I¡¯m sleeping!¡± Zhao Yelan said angrily.


    Yan Mingting laughed. ¡°How about we talk? Since you already know what I¡¯m looking for, can you help me? This matter is of great importance, and it is old business, so it¡¯s a bit difficult to investigate. I have been on the frontier these years and have no influence in Beijing, no trusted colleagues. I need someone to help me.¡±


    This was Yan Mingting¡¯s plan: To test whether Zhao Yelan was the murderer first, and if not, to win him over.


    No one was more suitable to be a ¡°Military Advisor¡± than Zhao Yelan.


    The two had become a couple in name, bound together for good or ill. Because of the stakes involved, Zhao Yelan would never let him take risks. Furthermore, Zhao Yelan had a clever mind and had been immersed in officialdom for many years. He was proficient at scheming and knew every official well, so he couldn¡¯t be more suitable.


    However, Zhao Yelan ignored him.


    Thinking about it, judging by Zhao Yelan¡¯s nature, it was really not that easy to get him to agree. He asked: ¡°What do you want? As long as I can afford it, I will give it to you.¡±


    ¡°I want two elite teams,¡± Zhao Yelan responded immediately.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°To protect me.¡±


    Zhao Yelan had completely separated the Gold Collar Guard from his camp, but with so many enemies, it was impossible to rely on Gao Tan alone when traveling, so he needed to recruit a new group of people.


    But the people he recruited now may not be able to beat the Gold Collar Guard. Before Yan Mingting had returned to the capital, he had wanted to recruit some people from the commander of the Imperial army. But the Imperial army had long since been crippled, a little three-legged cat showing off its power by virtue of its status. He didn¡¯t need these kinds of people.


    What he wanted was people who were capable, well-trained, and unshakably obedient to military orders. Yan Mingting had returned to the court with an army of hundreds of thousands, and he had secretly observed them while he was at the training grounds. It was easy to pick dozens of such people from among them.


    ¡°And these people can only obey my orders in the future, not yours.¡±


    Yang Mingting thought about it: ¡°Hey, have you wanted someone for a long time before you told me you were innocent?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t answer, and after a while, he said: ¡°You decide for yourself. But I have to remind you that although the Tiger Talisman[1] is still in your hands, the current situation is stable, and the Emperor will split up your team into various places.¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m aware. The Emperor has told me several times that the Imperial army is short of manpower. But the battle is over. It is useless for me to keep so many people in my hands. If the soldiers can get stable jobs in Beijing, then I will not protest. I hope that the day will never come when I order them to go into battle against the enemy.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhao Yelan¡¯s mind moved slightly and he turned over: ¡°You are a good general.¡±


    ¡°There is no choice, their lives are all at risk. To live and eat the Emperor¡¯s food is already a great happiness.¡± Yan Mingting looked at him and smiled helplessly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll pick someone for you tomorrow, but you can¡¯t treat them harshly.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, I will go tomorrow as well.¡±


    ¡°Afterward, you must help me find out the truth. Whatever you want, I can give it to you,¡± Yan Mingting repeated. He got up suddenly and lay down beside him on the bed, stretching out a hand. ¡°Come shake hands as a seal of agreement, and to wish us a smooth cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Childish.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up, I won¡¯t leave if you don¡¯t shake it.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned, looked at his shameless face, and stretched out his hand impatiently. The next moment, it was held by a big hand, full of strength. Even though he had witnessed countless life-or-death battles and knew that his father had been murdered by a traitor, he still held hands with him with the heart of a child.


    The next afternoon, Zhao Yelan¡¯s legs and feet were nimble. When he came to the training grounds with him again, his mood was completely different from the previous time. At least he wouldn¡¯t be forced to do horse stance in front of the soldiers.


    Yan Mingting led him onto the stage. There were crowds of people in the audience, and he ordered the groups to fight, then began to pick people.


    There were a total of forty-eight people lined up in two rows, all looking at Yan Mingting energetically. Having been specially selected, there must be some kind of reward or task!


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Yan Mingting asked in a low voice.


    Zhao Yelan nodded, and suddenly said to the forty-eight people: ¡°You all, go and fight him.¡±


    Everyone stood speechless in astonishment, because he was referring to Yan Mingting. One of the soldiers was puzzled and asked, ¡°Why do you want us to fight the General?¡±


    Zhao Yelan took out a gold ingot and displayed it in his palm, immediately attracting everyone¡¯s attention: ¡°Fight.¡±


    Even the soldiers with no desire for gold or silver still had family members, so who wouldn¡¯t want to add some good things to their homes? These people were very eager to move. It was simply a dream to be able to get rewards and compete against the General, ah.


    They looked at Yan Mingting one after another, and he nodded: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Immediately, someone rushed up: ¡°General, I have offended you!¡±


    A fight broke out instantly on the stage. Zhao Yelan took two steps back and was escorted by Zhong Yuehong outside of the stage to watch.


    These forty-eight people were all good fighters, with strong bodies and nimble legs and feet, and they were not willing to give up easily. Even if they were knocked down, they would jump up again in an instant and continue the next round of fighting.


    Yan Mingting was in the center. With one person against a crowd, he was better than each one. As soon as the rabbit got up, the falcon pounced down,[2] and the group of people were knocked down one after another. He even had time to guide the defeated one by one: ¡°Your weakness is too obvious, your arm is not strong enough, your foot isn¡¯t stable¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan was dazzled at the sight. He had known that Yan Mingting was very skilled, but in the previous battles against the Gold Collar Guard, he either didn¡¯t see it or had been passed out, unable to witness Yan Mingting¡¯s strength with his own eyes.


    The current contest was truly eye-opening. Even Zhao Yelan, who had always only preferred cultured things, also noticed his blood flow accelerating at this moment.


    The surrounding soldiers were even more enthusiastic, and the cheers and shouts pierced the sky.


    Zhong Yuehong was not her usual calm self, yelling unrestrainedly beside him, and Zhao Yelan had to move away from her.


    About fifteen minutes later, after a high-intensity battle, forty-eight people were defeated one after another, but were extremely exhilarated.


    Yan Mingting held his scabbard calmly, having never drawn his sword: ¡°Not bad, you¡¯re making progress fast.¡±


    Zhao Yelan received Yan Mingting¡¯s glance and nodded in affirmation.


    This group of people had been able to fight against Yan Mingting for so long without using weapons. Their strength could at least compete with the Gold Collar Guard.


    Zhong Yuehong stepped forward and said, ¡°General, can we fight you?¡±


    He Cuizhang: ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s try it too!¡±


    Yan Mingting beckoned, and several lieutenants all jumped onto the stage.


    This time the number of people was not as large as before, but they were a little more ruthless. They all used their weapons, and Yan Mingting¡¯s sword was also unsheathed as they went heartily back and forth.


    The soldiers were ashamed to see it, and bluntly said that they must practice more attentively in the future and not slack off.


    It took a little longer this time, and at the end, the group of subordinates submitted cheerfully. They hadn¡¯t fought like this for a long time, and it was very enjoyable. They gathered together to recount the process of the battle just now.


    Yan Mingting did not join them, but came to Zhao Yelan¡¯s side and asked: ¡°How was it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at his sweaty face and said: ¡°Wipe your sweat first.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m used to it¡± As soon as Yan Mingting refused, he saw that the other¡¯s face was a bit serious, and remembered that this person disliked bad smells. Just as he raised his hand to wipe it, Zhao Yelan stopped him, then took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and stuffed it into his hand.


    ¡°Use this to wipe.¡±


    Yan Mingting examined the handkerchief repeatedly, returning it awkwardly: ¡°I¡¯m not used to this.¡±


    ¡°I told you to wipe, so wipe.¡± Zhao Yelan took the handkerchief and wiped hard across his forehead.


    The soft, soothing handkerchief rubbed against his skin, and with a different feeling, Yan Mingting eagerly lowered his head and pointed to the side of his face: ¡°Here too.¡±


    Zhao Yelan wiped the sweat off his face impatiently with a stern expression.


    Unexpectedly, there was the sound of jeering nearby, and when he looked to the side, he found that the soldiers were all looking at them and laughing.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan threw the handkerchief at Yan Mingting: ¡°It stinks to death, take it and throw it away.¡±


    Yan Mingting caught the handkerchief on his chest and turned around to gesture to everyone, signaling them not to jeer again, but the noise became louder.


    Yan Mingting called the forty-eight people into a corner to instruct them. Zhao Yelan stood watching from a distance, noticing that those people wore doubt on their faces and seemed reluctant to take the job. He didn¡¯t know what Yan Mingting told them, but the group of people suddenly looked serious, nodding in agreement.


    After a short while, Yan Mingting came back and said: ¡°Okay, these people will be yours from now on. Treat them well.¡±


    ¡°What did you tell them?¡±


    Zhao Yelan knew that it would not be easy for these people to follow him wholeheartedly, especially for his orders to override Yan Mingting¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Yan Mingting raised his head proudly. ¡°This is an agreement between us men.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan stopped asking, and turned to ask Gao Tan to give those forty-eight people a large sum of money.


    Others were envious, and everyone was dumbfounded.


    Seeing this, Zhao Yelan murmured a few words to Yan Mingting. Yan Mingting gave him a surprised look, and the corners of his mouth curled up: ¡°Brothers, let us go to Huichun Tower for a drink tonight, Zhao-daren will be the host!¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren is mighty! ! !¡± All the soldiers shouted in unison.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth raised slightly. He returned to his indifferent look in an instant, but Yan Mingting caught that moment without pointing it out, just looking at him with a smile.


    As the sun set, everyone finished their practice and rushed to the restaurant.


    Zhao Yelan was riding in the sedan chair, a step behind them. When he arrived, the restaurant was full and they were already drinking.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, this cup of wine is a toast to you,¡± a soldier in the hall said. The others also raised their wine cups and drank.


    Zhao Yelan nodded, and walked slowly to the number one room. After a while, Yan Mingting also came in and said: ¡°They want to come and drink with you, okay?¡±


    ¡°No, our lord cannot drink alcohol,¡± Gao Tan immediately refused. His family¡¯s lord had a very poor capacity for alcohol, and would exhibit strange behavior after drinking, so he never indulged in front of outsiders.


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Yan Mingting thought it was because of his weak body. Looking at the food on his table again, he salivated and simply sat down to eat with him.


    Zhao Yelan pointed to a certain place, and Yan Mingting saw that there was a water basin there. Understanding immediately, he walked over obediently to wash his hands. Thinking of something, he took out the handkerchief in his pocket to wash it, and set it aside to dry.


    Zhao Yelan chewed and ate slowly, and glanced at Yan Mingting halfway: ¡°Go drink with them after eating.¡±


    ¡°I should really go?¡±


    ¡°Get out, you¡¯re an eyesore sitting here.¡±


    After Zhao Yelan finished his meal, he opened the door and took a look downstairs. Among the forty-eight people, he picked a fellow who seemed to have a decent brain and called him into the room for questioning.


    ¡°What are you called?¡±


    ¡°Yu Dali!¡±


    ¡°Yan Mingting ordered that you will follow me from now on.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Zhao Yelan rubbed his temples: ¡°In the future, you don¡¯t need to speak so loud while talking to me, I¡¯m not deaf.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked up, his eyes cold.


    Yu Dali immediately cowered: ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What did he tell you?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡­the General won¡¯t let me tell you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan knocked on the table: ¡°Who do you take orders from now?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, what did he say to you?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yu Dali glanced at him cautiously, and a subtle blush appeared on his dark face: ¡°The General said that a man must protect his family. Zhao-daren is his wife, and the General adores him very much, so we must protect you and put you first in everything. If you are gone, my lord, he will not be able to live. So don¡¯t worry, my lord, for the sake of the General being able to live well, we will definitely protect and listen to you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s temples twitched: ¡°¡­¡­He adores me?¡±


    Yu Dali: ¡°En, don¡¯t you love the General, my lord?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± This really stumped Zhao Yelan.


    Speaking of adoration, his conscience really gave him trouble. If he said he didn¡¯t love him, would the group of soldiers he just recruited throw him into the moat to feed the fish?


    The good thing was that Yu Dali¡¯s brain didn¡¯t seem to be working very well, so he directly changed the subject: ¡°What else did he say?¡±


    Yu Dali rubbed his hands shyly, showing an honest smile: ¡°The General also said, my lord, that you are¡­¡­very rich.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    [1] The Tiger Talisman (»¢·û) was used in ancient China as proof of military authority. ?


    [2] A metaphor for quick movements. ?

 CH 23

    The restaurant¡¯s business was booming that night. Some soldiers had to rush back to accompany their families, and left after drinking to make room for other guests.


    After Yu Dali went out, Zhao Yelan opened the window and watched the guests coming and going below. It wasn¡¯t until a group of scholars approached that he ordered Gao Tan: ¡°Go, tell the shopkeeper to have these people go to the number two room.¡±


    Not long after, there was a burst of laughter from the corridor. Gao Tan was about to speak, but Zhao Yelan made a gesture for silence and listened carefully to the movement next door.


    This group of people was made up of the candidates who were to compete in the Imperial examinations, and they were already somewhat famous. After taking a seat in the room, they soon began to drink and compose poems. Occasionally, some people boasted, attracting the applause and praise of others.


    Among the high-spirited voices, only one person¡¯s voice was a little weak: ¡°I won¡¯t drink, I don¡¯t have enough silver on me.¡±


    ¡°How can you leave without having a drink? How about this, you read a fu essay and if we are all satisfied, we will let you go without paying any money. Okay?¡±


    The man was quiet for a while, and read a fu essay in front of everyone, referring to the theme of tonight¡¯s banquet and satirizing inebriated people who made a pretense at being cultured. The blow hit, causing everyone¡¯s expressions to change slightly. Knowing that he was making oblique accusations, they simultaneously challenged him.


    The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth curled up, and he whispered something to Gao Tan in a low voice.


    Gao Tan nodded, and knocked on the next door: ¡°My lord, will you take a step out to speak?¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Someone asked.


    Gao Tan didn¡¯t answer. The man just wanted to escape this place, so he immediately followed him to the next room. As soon as he entered, he saw a handsome gongzi sitting upright and was a little surprised: ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°May I have your name?¡±


    ¡°Wang Guisheng.¡±


    ¡°It is really you. Please sit down.¡±


    Recently, Zhao Yelan knew a little about some well-known candidates, but only a few people caught his eye, and one of them was Wang Guisheng. Born in a poor family, not good at poetry, but with unique insights in his fu essays, their text full of critical words and phrases, with extraordinary courage.


    ¡°I have read a few of your articles, and I really admire them,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Wang Guisheng was a little surprised. Anyone who heard that their talent had been recognized would be delighted, not to mention Wang Guisheng, who had always been ridiculed because of his family background. He flattened the corners of his lips and tried to appear calm: ¡°Thank you, brother. May I ask which one is your favorite?¡±


    ¡°I like the one where you scold Zhao Yelan the most.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Wang Guisheng looked at him incredulously. Just because this article was discovered and publicized, many people laughed at him and condemned him for being overconfident, and even scolded him for not being afraid of death.


    ¡°Few people liked this article.¡± Wang Guisheng felt that he had met a confidant, and looked at him excitedly. Seeing his extraordinary clothes and appearance, he asked again, ¡°May I ask who this gongzi is? Perhaps we can be friends?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Yelan.¡±


    ¡°En?¡±


    ¡°This one is Zhao Yelan.¡±


    Thump ¨C


    Wang Guisheng directly fell off the chair. His face was pale, and he felt that his days were really over.


    It was one thing to make insinuations against someone in an article, but another to meet them face to face. He said tremblingly: ¡°So¡­¡­are you here to kill me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhao Yelan took a slow sip of tea and smiled slightly. ¡°I truly admire your talent. Do you dare to write articles like this during the exam?¡±


    Wang Guisheng clenched and loosened his fists, and said, ¡°Yes, I will still write like this!¡±


    ¡°You may try, but they might not necessarily let you write the characters.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll write about injustice.¡±


    ¡°Not bad, a little backbone. I hope you will remember that sentence when you take the exam.¡± Zhao Yelan waved his sleeves. ¡°Come, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Wang Guisheng looked at him in surprise: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to kill me?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of killing you? Since we met here by chance, why not make friends.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled and ordered someone to add bowls and chopsticks, along with a few more dishes. ¡°Come, hurry and eat.¡±


    Wang Guisheng ate the most thrilling meal of his life. In the end, he left safely, and the other party gave him a treasured fu essay.


    While walking out the gate, he looked back at the shadow in the window of the second floor, a little confused ¨C what kind of person was Zhao Yelan? Was it consistent with the rumors?


    ¡°My lord, he bad-mouthed you, why did you invite him to dinner?¡± After the other left, Gao Tan had some complaints.


    ¡°Because he has a bright future,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    This person¡¯s words and deeds proved that he was the kind of person Zhao Yelan needed the most now. He was talented, courageous, and upright. The last person like this was Kan Chuan, who had already risen to the top.


    Two days ago, Liu-daren of the Ministry of Rites was temporarily removed from the position of Chief Examiner due to his conduct. An exception was made for Kan Chuan, and it could be seen that Zhao Xuan favored this type of person.


    He had read several articles written by Wang Guisheng, and the possibility of him entering the top grades of the Imperial exam was very high. Once Zhao Xuan discovered Wang Giuisheng¡¯s innate disposition, he would definitely have use for him.


    Then why not give Wang Guisheng favors in advance?


    It was getting late. Zhao Yelan walked downstairs and saw the drunken soldiers in the lobby. Frowning subconsciously, he walked outside.


    A short while later, he went back again. He grabbed the ear of Yan Mingting, who was lying on the table, and said with gritted teeth: ¡°Stand up, we¡¯re going back!¡±


    ¡°Aiayaya.¡± Yan Mingting stood up in a daze, his body slanted to the side as he touched his hand. ¡°Not so hard.¡±


    ¡°General, you¡¯re henpecked, ah.¡± He Cuizhang¡¯s face was flushed from drinking, and when he spoke loudly, everyone at the tables laughed, pointing at Yan Mingting and jeering.


    ¡°Non-nonsense.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s face went red. He could barely keep his eyes open as he put his hands on his hips in protest. ¡°I¡¯m standing because I want to!¡±


    ¡°Speak less nonsense and go back quickly, you¡¯re making a fool of yourself.¡± Zhao Yelan pulled his ear hard and Yan Mingting begged for mercy.


    Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Yan Mingting followed him out at a crooked angle. He fell directly into the sedan chair and collapsed on the seat.


    Shortly after Zhao Yelan sat down, the man closed his eyes and tipped over to lean against his shoulder. He seemed to feel uncomfortable and held onto his arm firmly. ¡°Not drinking?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk, get off of me.¡± Zhao Yelan ruthlessly pulled his arm away, but the other directly embraced him instead.


    ¡°Not allowed, not allowed to leave without finishing this cup!¡±


    The more Zhao Yelan struggled, the tighter the other party hugged. He sighed powerlessly toward the sky. Why did he bother taking this drunkard home?¡±


    Fortunately, after he stopped struggling, Yan Mingting stopped moving, and the two maintained this posture as everything finally became quiet.


    He regulated his breathing and looked sideways at the fellow hugging him. A straight nose, moist lips, red face, and rather long eyelashes. In fact, he was considered one of the most outstanding romantic figures, but the two of them couldn¡¯t get along from the beginning, so when looking at Yan Mingting, he always found his appearance distasteful.


    But the conversation last night made Zhao Yelan slightly change his view of him.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t get along in harmony, it didn¡¯t hinder his appreciation of the other party.


    Today, seeing him compete with so many masters with his own eyes, he knew that his position of General was not in vain.


    If there was no marriage, the two may have become friends, or Yan Mingting might have shunned him like everyone else.


    Right and wrong, cause and effect, these were truly not things that could be figured out through random assumptions.


    ¡°My lord, over there¡­¡­oh, sorry!¡± At this time, Gao Tan lifted the window curtain, saw Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan tightly embracing each other, and immediately covered his face in embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t bother to explain, and feigned being calm. ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    ¡°There are two sneaky fellows over there, and one of them looks familiar, like Li Yucheng,¡± Gao Tan whispered.


    ¡°Go catch them and return.¡±


    Li Yucheng had just walked into an alley to meet the young servant boy. The last time he found someone to beat Zhao Yelan secretly, but who would have thought that a group of men in black clothes would suddenly appear. He was used as a scapegoat, and he could not give a clear explanation when he opened his mouth. He might be beaten to death by his father if he went back, so he simply ran away to hide for a while to see if the government could find the real culprit.


    In the past few days, he was relieved to hear that the government had closed the case, but he didn¡¯t dare to go home for a while for fear of being scolded, so he had continued to hide outside for a couple of days. The money he had on him was no longer sufficient, so he had to ask the servant boy to secretly get some money from home.


    The two of them were covertly exchanging the money when someone grabbed their collars from behind.


    ¡°Hey, hey, who are you? Do you know who this gongzi is?!¡± While shouting, Li Yucheng looked back and discovered that it was a familiar-looking young man, but couldn¡¯t remember who he was at the moment. ¡°Let go of me, you hear!¡±


    Although this man looked thin and weak, his strength was not small. He and the boy flailed for a time, but couldn¡¯t escape from the other¡¯s grasp.


    Gao Tan walked up to the sedan chair with one in each hand, and said, ¡°My lord, I brought them.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you! Let go of me, believe it or not, I will send someone to arrest you!¡± Li Yucheng stared at the culprit in the sedan chair and shouted, ¡°Come out if you have the ability, what are you doing hiding in the shadows!¡±


    The sedan chair suddenly shifted, and he heard a cold voice: ¡°You behave for me, don¡¯t go out and make a fool of yourself!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Li Yucheng faltered: ¡°Zhao Yelan¡­¡­?¡±


    The curtain was lifted, and Li Yucheng saw Zhao Yelan coming out, followed by a drunk fellow.


    Zhao Yelan first glanced at Li Yucheng, and then glared at Yan Mingting: ¡°Go back, do you hear me?¡±


    Yan Mingting lowered his head, leaned on his right shoulder, and didn¡¯t move.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Li Yucheng looked at the two standing together and his expression sank. He completely stopped making a fuss and stared at them silently, his eyes filled with resentment and anger.


    ¡°The people you sent have been arrested by the government and also pleaded guilty. Your father made several trips for you to spare you from being sentenced,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Li Yucheng¡¯s mouth curled, and tears rolled down unconvincingly. He turned his head and sniffed hard, saying, ¡°In the end, it¡¯s in your hands. If you want to kill me or cut my flesh, you can do as you please, just don¡¯t touch my father.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said this yourself.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked over, and Yan Mingting was supported by the bearer next to him before he could fall to the ground.


    Li Yucheng was slapped crisply with a pa, followed by another slap on the other side, leaving hot and painful slap marks on both cheeks.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, you really dare to hit me!¡± Li Yucheng held his face in his hands and glared at Zhao Yelan furiously. He wanted to resist, but was held tightly by Gao Tan, unable to fight back as occasional passers-by glanced at him. He had never lost so much face!


    ¡°Hitting you is a light punishment, what did you intend for those people to do to me?¡± Zhao Yelan asked condescendingly.


    Li Yucheng was at a loss for words. Naturally, he was going to have him punched and kicked inside of a sack.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t wait for him to quibble about it, and directly ordered: ¡°Hang him up.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the son of the Prime Minister, how dare you hang me? You are demoted now, believe it or not, I will have my father kill you!¡± Li Yucheng cursed.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°You don¡¯t even dare to return home, but you remember your father after having a mishap?¡±


    Li Yucheng felt dejected at these few words, and in the blink of an eye, he was tied up by Gao Tan. By the time he realized it, he had already been hung upside down on the willow tree next to him.


    ¡°Let me go, you let me go!¡± Li Yucheng was strung up by his feet with his head down, and he was so uncomfortable that it was difficult to curse others. ¡°Heh, Zhao Yelan, you don¡¯t have many good days left, sooner or later you will be killed by that evil star, Yan Mingting!¡±


    When Yan Mingting heard his name, he stood up straight in a daze. Looking up at him, he walked up to Zhao Yelan, tugged at his sleeve, and said dizzily, ¡°Wife, he scolded me. Beat him up.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°He is an evil star, he¡¯ll kill everyone! My sister was killed without even entering the door. Zhao Yelan, your days are numbered, haha!¡±


    A gust of cold wind blew by. Zhao Yelan coughed a few times and suddenly noticed a figure passing by swiftly to let down the person in the tree.


    ¡°Yan Mingting, what are you doing? Are you opposing me?¡± He was about to become angry, when he saw Yan Mingting stuff a piece of cloth into Li Yucheng¡¯s mouth, slap him twice, and kick him before hanging him up again.


    ¡°The mouth is for eating, not for farting,¡± Yan Mingting said in a profound voice.


    Li Yucheng: ¡°Wu wu wu wu wu¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting clapped his hands, turned around, and walked toward Zhao Yelan: ¡°Let¡¯s leave, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked him up and down with a half-smile: ¡°General Yan is quite sober.¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡° ! ¡±


    ¡°Aiya, I¡¯m so dizzy.¡± Yan Mingting rubbed his temples and leaned against him weakly.


    Zhao Yelan kicked him on the calf and turned around to get into the sedan chair. When he bent down, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulders.


    He turned his head to see that Yan Mingting had taken off his cloak and placed it on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s cool at night, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Yan Mingting smiled.

 CH 24

    After returning home, Zhao Yelan did not spare a glance for Yan Mingting.


    Yan Mingting was self-aware of his guilt. While the other was taking a bath, he conscientiously stood outside the door and apologized: ¡°Sorry, I was wrong, I will never pretend to be drunk again. I was just playing around for a while, disregard this villain, my lord. Forgive me this time?¡±


    ¡°General, what are you doing?¡± Housekeeper Qin passed by with a broom.


    ¡°Cough.¡± Yan Mingting immediately stood up straight, put his hands on his hips, and looked up and around. ¡°Nothing, I just came out to look at the stars.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin raised his head: ¡°It¡¯s so dark, how can there be stars?¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°Then I¡¯m looking at the moon.¡±


    ¡°Then you continue to appreciate it, ba. I¡¯ll deliver some food for the Furen. Before going out today, he said that he wanted to eat jujube cake.¡±


    ¡°What are you waiting for, go get it quickly,¡± Yan Mingting urged, and when Housekeeper Qin returned, he directly took the snack from his hands. ¡°Just leave it to me, Uncle Qin, you can go rest.¡±


    He stood at the door with the snack for a while before the door opened.


    Zhao Yelan refused to look at him, standing at the door and calling Xiao Gao, who brought someone to take the basin away.


    Only then did Yan Mingting enter the room cautiously and wave the snacks in front of his eyes for a special purpose: ¡°You¡¯re tired, ba. Have something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t eat.¡± Zhao Yelan gave him a sidelong glance, lay down on the bed, and prepared to go to sleep.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to eat it?¡± Yan Mingting picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and said with gusto: ¡°Mmm~ It¡¯s delicious~¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting ate several in a row, and there was a faint sweet smell in the air.


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t endure anymore and sat up, glaring at him.


    Yan Mingting offered the plate forward: ¡°No matter how angry you are, you need to eat, ah. Who¡¯s to blame if you get hungry?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s stomach rumbled, and he really wanted to block his damn mouth.


    Yan Mingting was truly capable. Every time his mood improved slightly, he could anger him again in the next moment.


    The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He furiously picked up a piece of jujube cake and stuffed it into his mouth, but accidentally choked on it and coughed uncontrollably.


    ¡°Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you. These are all yours.¡± Yan Mingting patted him on the back.


    After finally slowing down, Zhao Yelan began to eat quietly, and then said: ¡°Stay away from me, you smell like alcohol. It stinks to death.¡±


    Yan Mingting obediently put the plate beside the bed and stood a little farther away, then spoke about proper business: ¡°I¡¯ve already found the men that you wanted. When will you start to help me find out the truth?¡±


    ¡°What is the hurry? Can an old case be solved in such a short time?¡± Zhao Yelan calmly picked up a second jujube cake. ¡°What does that boy named Bao Lun have to do with the matter?¡±


    Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t help leaning forward again, and was glared at by Zhao Yelan. He explained: ¡°Careful, the walls have ears. It¡¯s safer to speak closer. This Bao Lun was a servant who used to take care of my father, and he had always been loyal. After my father was injured, he was the one who oversaw his medicine. He put poison in the medicine, which eventually caused my father to fall on the battlefield and be killed by the enemy. Afterwards, this boy returned to Beijing with the team that transported my father¡¯s body, and then disappeared. After being caught some time ago, he admitted that an overwhelmingly powerful person had instructed him to do it, but because the lives of his family were in the hands of that person, he refused to reveal anything and committed suicide.¡±


    ¡°Overwhelmingly powerful¡­¡­so you suspected me?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yan Mingting smiled and offered him a cup of hot water: ¡°Come, eating too many pastries will make your mouth dry. Did you think you would not be suspected in this matter?¡±


    Zhao Yelan took a sip of water and said, ¡°Perhaps he was talking about someone who was powerful when your father died.¡±


    Yan Mingting was taken aback for a moment, then gave him more water: ¡°You¡¯re so clever! So is there anyone you suspect?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡­take it away.¡± Zhao Yelan, who was forcibly poured more water, said in disdain, ¡°That¡¯s too much. The late emperor was cruel by nature, and many officials tried their best to gain his favor by cruel means, but there were also people who offended him, and there were often big changes in personnel.¡±


    ¡°So what can be done?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go to Bao Lun¡¯s house first to check the situation,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Perhaps there is another person who can be of help to us.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The Prime Minister.¡±


    ¡°Li Jinyu? Isn¡¯t he only good at reciting poems and doesn¡¯t care about the affairs of the court at all?¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°Even though you were demoted, he didn¡¯t take the opportunity to take over your operations, and still recited poems and wrote essays. The Emperor has not appointed a Deputy Prime Minister after a long time, and almost everything is taken care of by the Emperor himself.¡±


    ¡°The position of Deputy Prime Minister will temporarily not exist,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    In the year since Zhao Xuan ascended the throne, he had been stabilizing his court and had gradually won the trust of the courtiers. Now that he had finally transferred the power to himself, he would not delegate power easily.


    Yan Mingting gave him a meaningful look: ¡°You suspected this early on. That¡¯s why you agreed so quickly when you were dismissed, so as to hide your strength and bide your time?¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled faintly.


    He knew Zhao Xuan too well. Once the throne was firmly established, Zhao Xuan would start to carry out drastic reforms, starting with the courtiers, and establish his own center of power. This was necessary in order to both restrain and strengthen each other.


    This art of checks and balances was exactly what he had taught Zhao Xuan in the past.


    Yan Mingting only felt that the water inside was very deep. Although he knew that Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t care about his dismissal, when he saw that he knew everything like the back of his hand, he admired him from the bottom of his heart. He was sitting here plainly weak and lacking in strength, but had clear insight into the court.


    ¡°Then according to what you¡¯ve said, Li Jinyu¡¯s power exists in name only, so how can he help us? Shall he compose a poem for us?¡±


    ¡°Stupid.¡± Zhao Yelan knocked on his forehead. ¡°He has been an official for three generations, don¡¯t you think he could know more?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Yan Mingting nodded.


    ¡°And don¡¯t think that he is only capable of writing a few poems. In terms of great wisdom, there are truly few people in the entire court who can match him. He is the one who knows best how to hold the middle ground. He has been an official for three generations, promoted step by step, and has also protected the prosperity of his Li family.¡±


    Yan Mingting suddenly realized that when he was in court, he usually only saw Li Jinyu¡¯s various excuses and felt that this person was pedantic and incompetent. But if he was really incompetent, how could he have gotten all the way to the position of Prime Minister?


    Even Zhao Yelan, who had been working for Zhao Xuan since he was a child, was demoted one year after Zhao Xuan ascended the throne.


    It was truly admirable that Li Jinyu could survive three generations and was able to be promoted safely when the previous five princes competed for the throne so fiercely.


    ¡°But how can he help us? We just beat up his son,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Why be anxious, it was his son¡¯s fault that we beat him. Just wait, he will take the initiative to come to our door.¡± Zhao Yelan ate and drank enough, and then lay down again.


    ¡°Could it be that you planned to beat Li Yucheng just now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but I have wanted to beat him for a while. Sooner or later, he would have to suffer.¡± Zhao Yelan yawned.


    Yan Mingting looked at his back for a while, then suddenly said: ¡°Zhao Yelan, it¡¯s really good to have been able to marry you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan stiffened slightly, then turned his head to look at him doubtfully.


    ¡°If this marriage didn¡¯t work out, I don¡¯t know if I would be plotted against by you to die someday.¡± Yan Mingting laughed.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan smiled slightly. ¡°If you dare to disturb my sleep again, I will kill you tonight.¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately lay down on the ground: ¡°Sleeping. See you tomorrow.¡±


    The next day, Gao Tan went to buy fruit and came back, happily telling Zhao Yelan about the excitement outside: ¡°Last night, Li Yucheng¡¯s servant went back to the mansion to inform the Prime Minister, and he quickly led people to rescue Li Yucheng back. The common people were laughing at Li Yucheng, saying that his face was swollen like a pig¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°That was a light punishment.¡±


    If Yan Mingting hadn¡¯t shown mercy, he would have been killed with one punch.


    A few days later, it was the day of the Imperial examinations. There were officers and soldiers guarding the examination hall, and common people were waiting outside.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t take Gao Tan with him when he went out, and followed Yan Mingting and his group to the house where Bao Lun lived. It was said to be a house, but it was actually a wing room rented from a family. It was a bit dilapidated and the building was full of firewood, with little room to live.


    These days, Yan Mingting had sent people to patrol the area covertly, but no suspicious person had been seen.


    Zhao Yelan picked up a wooden stick and looked around carefully, saying: ¡°These should be his tools to guard against thieves. There are many traces of friction on them, indicating that they were used often.¡±


    ¡°But public security in this area is very strict, so why use it so often?¡± Zhong Yuehong asked.


    ¡°That means he had a guilty conscience. He was afraid of enemies knocking on the door in the middle of the night, so he made many preparations,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Since his family members aren¡¯t here, there must be some correspondence or traces left behind. Search carefully.¡±


    The seven or eight people searched all over the room, and when Yan Mingting passed by a window, he abruptly paused: ¡°Does this count?¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked over and saw a small groove on the window sill, like a wire had been embedded in it. He walked out the door, observed the wall for a while, and said: ¡°His family is likely already gone.¡±


    Everyone was stunned.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°This groove should be the evidence they left behind when they sent messages. But looking around here, it is worn and decayed, which shows that it has been a long time since anyone has passed a message.¡±


    Another trail was blocked, and everyone was inevitably discouraged. Yan Mingting sighed, then cheered up and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go to eat first, and we will have the strength to continue searching after we¡¯re full.¡±


    The group of people walked in the direction of Huichun Tower just as the Imperial examination ended. A large group of people poured out, and the streets instantly became crowded.


    As Zhao Yelan walked, he was inadvertently separated by the crowd. Yan Mingting was surrounded by his subordinates, talking about the matter just now, and didn¡¯t notice that he had fallen behind.


    Zhao Yelan was hit at the waist by a child who wasn¡¯t paying attention to the road. He took a few steps back, pressed his stomach, and heard someone behind him ask: ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his head and saw that it was Wang Guisheng, whom he had only met a few days ago. He shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the side first, there are many people here.¡± Wang Guisheng squeezed a path for him and brought him under the big tree by the side of the road. Only then did he have a chance to breathe.


    ¡°Many thanks.¡±


    Wang Guisheng was still surprised, seeing that his form was thin and weak as he took out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and cough into. He didn¡¯t seem to be as scary as the rumors said.


    ¡°How was the written test?¡± Zhao Yelan met his eyes and smiled lightly, like a spring breeze blowing over a green branch, glowing with vitality.


    Wang Guisheng was stunned for a moment, then replied: ¡°It was fine, but I don¡¯t know if the examiner will approve it.¡±


    ¡°Why? Were you really so bold as to remonstrate and criticize again?¡± Zhao Yelan smiled.


    Compared with the last time, Wang Guisheng was more courageous now and nodded calmly: ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°No matter, the head examiner is not better than you. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Having been encouraged by him, Wang Guisheng had mixed feelings, and seeing that he was coughing badly, he couldn¡¯t help but step forward. He didn¡¯t know what to do, and while he was lost in thought, a figure suddenly appeared beside him and rushed towards Zhao Yelan, patting him on the back: ¡°Why are you over here? I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time.¡±


    Wang Guisheng took a closer look and saw that the man had a tall figure and an extraordinary and dignified appearance. His hair was half-tied, and the tail of his hair blew in the wind, brushing Zhao Yelan¡¯s fair cheeks. Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression suddenly became more lively as he glanced at him and said meanly: ¡°Do you still have me in your eyes?¡±


    ¡°How could I not, didn¡¯t I come around to look for you as soon as I found out you were gone? I didn¡¯t expect you to be with this¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting was immersed in his own emotions just now. When he had realized that there were many people around, he subconsciously went to look at Zhao Yelan, but found that he had disappeared. Quickly looking around, he saw him standing under a tree with a strange man, talking and smiling.


    The smile was so gentle. He had never been smiled at for that long!


    Yan Mingting looked at Wang Guisheng with a fake smile on his face and continued: ¡°¡­¡­this plain-looking young man.¡±


    Wang Guisheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a strange look, and said in his heart: This plain-looking young man will impeach you in court in the future.


    ¡°General, my lord, I finally found you.¡± Zhong Yuehong and several others rushed over one after another.


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go eat. I won¡¯t pay for the meal today.¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°I¡¯ll pay, I¡¯ll pay, you can get whatever you want.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°I want to buy Huichun Tower.¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°Ah? What did you just say? The wind here is so strong, the road is so wide¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Wang Guisheng watched the group of them leaving noisily, only then realizing that the other person was the famous General Yan Mingting.


    But he felt that General Yan was a little bit more unpleasant than Zhao Yelan.


    On the other side, Yan Mingting approached Zhao Yelan and asked in a low voice: ¡°Who was that person just now?¡±


    ¡°Wang Guisheng.¡±


    ¡°Oh, him¡­¡­I don¡¯t know him.¡± Yan Mingting turned his head and asked his subordinates, ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    Everyone shook their heads together: ¡°Never heard of him, never seen him.¡±


    ¡°You may know each other later.¡± Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t say any more.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s lips twitched: ¡°Why are you pretending to be mysterious, it isn¡¯t rare for me not to know him¡­¡­how did you meet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I remember! I¡¯ve seen that kid!¡± He Cuizhang suddenly said, ¡°A few days ago when we were drinking in Huichun Tower, I saw that kid enter my lord¡¯s private room, and the two of them stayed there for a long time!¡±


    As soon as these words fell, everyone looked at Zhao Yelan one after another. They wore varied expressions, but were all undoubtedly looking at him with strange eyes, as if they were saying ¨C


    ¡°You have someone else in your heart?! You¡¯ve found a lover?! You¡¯re standing with each foot in a different boat?!¡±[1] Yan Mingting said in horror.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

 CH 25

    Business at Huicheng Tower was as good as ever, and the lobby was full of people and guests.


    The private room on the second floor was very quiet.


    When they were walking just now, Zhao Yelan came to the restaurant quietly without saying a word, sitting down to eat in silence. However, this silent attitude made people suspect that they had guessed correctly!


    Everyone looked at Yan Mingting cautiously, then looked up at the top of his head, feeling that the General was missing a colorful hat.[1]


    Yan Mingting was crestfallen, picking at the food on his plate once in a while without picking it up.


    ¡°Can you still eat well?¡± Zhao Yelan asked coldly.


    Yan Mingting took a deep breath, picked up his chopsticks, and then just sighed listlessly.


    Zhao Yelan kicked him on the calf and said impatiently: ¡°Fine, there¡¯s no end to this, he¡¯s only my favorite¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Favorite?!¡±


    ¡°Pawn.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting worriedly ate a mouthful of food. ¡°What do you like about him?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him a few times: ¡°It seems that he has a big appetite and eats quickly.¡±


    ¡°You joke, who can have a better appetite and eat faster than me?¡± Yan Mingting picked up the bowl and chopsticks and started to shovel down food.


    All of the subordinates were dumbfounded, not expecting the General to be so easy to coax. Several people buried their heads and ate. As long as they pretended not to see, the General was still the most upstanding man in their hearts!


    At the end of the meal, only Zhao Yelan was still eating slowly, so Yan Mingting asked the others to go back first and stayed to wait quietly.


    Zhao Yelan put down his chopsticks, wiped the corners of his mouth, and got up to leave, walking in a certain direction.


    After Yan Mingting paid the bill, he seemed to know where he was going and caught up with him within a few steps.


    In a short while, the two returned to Bao Lun¡¯s house again. He had brought his subordinates just now to facilitate the search for clues, but it was inconvenient for them to participate in the details. Even though Yan Mingting trusted them, the fewer people who knew about it, the better.


    It was very strange. Even though he had been unwilling to reveal more to his subordinates for many years, he chose to trust Zhao Yelan unconditionally, which was simply unimaginable.


    He looked at Zhao Yelan, who was standing by the window with his head lowered in thought, and asked in a low voice: ¡°Did you see something?¡±


    Zhao Yelan bowed his head, sniffed the window sill for a moment, and said: ¡°This smell¡­¡­is a bit terrible.¡±


    ¡°How can it not smell? The wood is rotten,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the smell of rot, but¡­¡­the smell of herbs,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Herbal medicine? Maybe he drank medicine all year round, then poured the dregs out the window?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°That¡¯s right, if you drink medicine all year round, you¡¯re either in poor health, sick, or poisoned. Check the nearby doctors to see if any of them have treated him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send someone to do it.¡±


    The two searched around again, but couldn¡¯t find anything else for the time being, so they left the place.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan got into the sedan chair, he heard Yan Mingting ask: ¡°What about your body?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback: ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is it really just because of your poor foundation that you have been taking medicine for a long time? Or¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting looked at him hesitantly, and even began to go through who might poison him one by one in his mind.


    He put them all in a line and was startled by how long it was. It seemed as if everyone would like to poison him.


    The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°Who knows.¡±


    ¡°Unacceptable. Don¡¯t eat outside in the future, and don¡¯t give anyone a chance.¡± Yan Mingting said sternly: ¡°There is no need to recruit servants for the mansion, who knows if there are people with evil intentions.¡±


    Zhao Yenal gave him a cryptic look.


    Yan Mingting paused slightly, raised his chin, and turned his head to look elsewhere: ¡°It¡¯s better to be careful. I¡¯m¡­¡­still waiting for you to help me find out the truth.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave a laugh: ¡°All right, then Zhao Yelan¡¯s life will be in the hands of General Yan.¡±


    General Yan didn¡¯t answer, but just tightened his hand on his scabbard, as if in silent promise.


    ¡°The exercising must continue.¡± Yan Mingting suggested again, ¡°Let¡¯s do it step by step, and do lower-intensity exercises first.¡±


    ¡°Stop the sedan chair.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why are you stopping the chair?¡± Yan Mingting thought he was tired of listening to him, and only after chasing him out did he realize that he was going to a tailor shop.


    As soon as the shopkeeper saw them coming, he showed them the custom-made clothes: ¡°Zhao-daren, please look and see if this meets your requirements. The inside is specially made silk trousers, and the outside is the favorite style of pleated skirt for ladies and young misses.¡±


    These were women¡¯s clothes after all, and Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t have the time to examine them carefully, so he nodded after taking a look: ¡°En.¡±


    The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°My lord, it¡¯s like this. Because this small shop has never received such a request, I didn¡¯t dare to finish up using all the materials, and only made this one for you to have a look at first. If you are satisfied and can give me a few days grace, I will hurry and do the remaining two.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Only, the price¡­¡­you know, the silk of these trousers is not cheap¡­¡­¡± The shopkeeper said cautiously.


    Zhao Yelan took out a purse and threw it to him: ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡±


    The shopkeeper was delighted beyond measure, but didn¡¯t dare to take too much. He wrapped up the dress with a smile and sent the people and their belongings out the door together.


    Zhao Yelan stared at the clothes in his hands, frowned, and handed them to Yan Mingting like a hot potato: ¡°You take them to her.¡±


    Yan Mingting laughed: ¡°You¡¯re not going? We should go together and let her know how much money you spent on her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for her.¡±


    ¡°Then you are¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting recalled, ¡°Because of her mother?¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned slightly, stopped answering, and went straight into the sedan chair.


    After Yan Mingting sent him back to the mansion, he went to the Zhong residence with the things. Before he left, Zhao Yelan called to him: ¡°Don¡¯t say what you shouldn¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, ba.¡±


    When he returned, Yan Mingting brought back a big piece of pork, shouting when he entered the mansion: ¡°Zhao Yelan, come and see the big gift Yuehong¡¯s mother gave  you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan could hear his spirited voice from the study. He took a scroll and went to the front courtyard to have a look, seeing him hand the pork to the cook and walk towards him with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan hurriedly took a few steps back: ¡°Have you washed your hands yet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Yan Mingting turned to fetch water, and said while washing the oil from his hands, ¡°Yuehong¡¯s mother never told Yuehong in order to surprise her. When I handed over the dress to her just now, tears almost fell from her eyes. I couldn¡¯t handle that kind of situation, so I ran away quickly.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled silently. Glancing at him inadvertently, he saw him take out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his hands. It was embroidered with spring peach blossoms. This was the same piece that he had wiped his sweat with before and asked Yan Mingting to throw away, yet the other party still carried it with him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Yuehong will like it, what if she doesn¡¯t like it and hurts her mother¡¯s heart? Do you think I should talk to Yuehong in advance?¡± Yan Mingting asked, pouring the water out and turning around.


    ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Zhao Yelan picked up the scroll, then turned and walked to the study.


    Yan Mingting chased after him and rolled his sleeves back down: ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be necessary, I think she¡¯ll like it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhao Yelan looked sideways at him.


    Yan Mingting stopped and looked him up and down appreciatively: ¡°Although the prices at that shop are outrageously expensive, the clothes made are all very good-looking. I have seen a lot of them, after all, and no one would dislike them.¡±


    Zhao Yelan stared at him for a moment, then turned his head away.


    ¡°You smiled again.¡±


    ¡°I did not.¡±


    ¡°The corner of your mouth was curved a little.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡±


    Zhao Yelan strode forward and Yan Mingting insisted on following him. Housekeeper Qin saw the two chattering in the corridor, turning around to say to the servant next to him: ¡°See that? They are now more affectionate than the old general and the old lady.¡±


    ¡°I never saw how the old general and his wife loved each other. Can you tell me about it?¡± The servant said.


    ¡°Just¡­¡­in any case, they were not as loving as these two are now. Oh, I have to go burn incense to the old general and tell him that everything is fine in the mansion.¡± Housekeeper Qin happily went to the ancestral hall, completely forgetting how many times he cried here when Zhao Yelan first entered the mansion.


    Now more than a month had passed, and the people in the mansion had gotten used to this picky and difficult master. Not to mention his generosity, his relationship with the General was getting better and better!


    ¡°Have you sent someone to look into the doctors?¡± Zhao Yelan asked as he walked into the study.


    ¡°En, I found a few reliable people to check. Ai, I knew I should have brought those two guys back together, but it¡¯s a pity that they didn¡¯t want to come to the capital,¡± Yan Mingting said with emotion.


    ¡°Which two guys?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know them, the little think tank and the troublemaker in the military camp.¡± Yan Mingting sighed. ¡°The old military advisor also passed away at the end of last year, ai.¡±


    ¡°Little think tank? I think I would like to meet him if I have the chance.¡± Zhao Yelan sat down leisurely and continued to read.


    ¡°There will be a chance, if you¡¯re willing to go to the military camp,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    ¡°Why is it so difficult to see them?¡± Zhao Yelan scoffed. ¡°Not seeing them is also fine.¡±


    Yan Mingting laughed loudly.


    After a while, one of them was lying on the couch flipping through a book, and the other was sitting on the threshold polishing his sword. Neither spoke, and they were so quiet that only the sound of pages turning and the sharp sound of a weapon being wiped could be heard.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t think it was noisy, and when he occasionally heard the sound of walking over there, he knew that he was going to get another sword to clean.


    He turned his head to look out the window. Everything was calm, and the flowers in the yard were in bloom, but there were too few varieties and some elegance was missing from the view.


    He called Xiao Gao out the window, and he appeared quickly: ¡°My lord, what are your orders?¡±


    ¡°Make preparations to go view flowers tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay, should we still prepare as before?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± He remembered something and turned to look at the person at the door. Who knew that Yan Mingting had turned to look at him at some point with eyes full of anticipation, like a big dog hoping to be taken away by its master. He asked, ¡°Are you going¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going,¡± Yan Mingting quickly interrupted him, raising his sword and walking in. ¡°What do you need to prepare? Do you need my help?¡±


    ¡°Keep your sword away from me.¡± Zhao Yelan pointed to the sharp, dangling sword.


    Yan Mingting immediately inserted it into the scabbard.


    Zhao Yelan turned his head and told Gao Tan: ¡°Just prepare more food, this pig has a big appetite.¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡° ? ¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Gao Tan covered his mouth and ran away with a smile.


    The spring day was beautiful, the breeze fragrant with flowers and plants.


    In order to enjoy the flowers every spring season, Zhao Yelan would make a special trip out on the mountain outside the city to drink spring tea, look at the clouds in the sky, and view the flowers on the mountain, stealing half a day of leisure.


    As they set off, Yan Mingting thought it was just a simple viewing of flowers, but unexpectedly, the sedan chair was almost full. He wondered: ¡°Why are you bringing these things?¡±


    Zhao Yelan replied, ¡°Naturally, in order to use them.¡±


    The sedan chair stopped at the foot of the mountain, and the servants carried things to climb up. Zhao Yelan ascended the stairs, and after walking a few steps, began to wipe his sweat.


    Gao Tan habitually went to help him continue walking, but he was lightly pushed aside, his place taken by another.


    ¡°Xiao Gao, go ahead and lead the way, they don¡¯t know where they¡¯re climbing to,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± Seeing that he was supporting Zhao Yelan, Gao Tan smiled sincerely. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go find them.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked sideways at Yan Mingting: ¡°You can help people?¡±


    ¡°Sure I can, ah.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you grabbing me? My arm hurts!¡± Zhao Yelan said sharply.


    ¡°Oh, oh, excuse me¡± Yan Mingting quickly rubbed him and helped him climb up with care, taking advantage of this opportunity to exercise. However, after climbing for a while, they saw a pavilion where Gao Tan had already ordered people to put down all the things.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°Otherwise, did you think we would climb to heaven?¡± Zhao Yelan shot him a sidelong glance, walked slowly to the pavilion, and sat down on the padded stone bench.


    In an instant, the table was covered with pastries and candied fruit, and tea was brewed.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡± What extreme enjoyment, ah.


    ¡°All right, you go and amuse yourself.¡± Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t like being disturbed, so after dismissing the servants, only Gao Tan and Yan Mingting were left by his side.


    He could see the joy in Gao Tan¡¯s eyes. This kid had been protecting his safety for so many years. Now that Yan Mingting was by his side, he could go play with peace of mind.


    Gao Tan was as happy as a monkey, scurrying back and forth between the trees.


    Yan Mingting sat down beside him and picked up a piece of fruit. Stuffing it into his mouth, he said out of boredom: ¡°I thought you scholars would do something special when appreciating flowers. Are you really just going to look at them, ah? What¡¯s so good about these flowers?¡±


    ¡°Boor.¡± Zhao Yelan gave him a blank look. ¡°No matter how good the scenery is, it will be spoiled when it enters your eyes. Why did you have to come here?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see how you enjoy flowers.¡± Yan Mingting raised his chin with a smile, staring intently at his side profile.


    After watching for a long time, the center of his vision gradually only accommodated one person. The colorful spring flowers outside the pavilion became embellishments, red, yellow, blue, and purple, all of which were not as good-looking as the white skin, red lips, and black hair of the person in front of him.


    Noticing the other¡¯s progressively serious gaze, Zhao Yelan¡¯s hand holding the tea paused slightly. He didn¡¯t look back, not wanting to delve into it, but lowered his head to drink the tea.


    It was unclear if he was too lazy to answer, or attempting to evade.


    After sitting for a while, Zhao Yelan was at last willing to stand up. He looked around and took in the beautiful scenery around him.


    There was a peach grove not far away. Yan Mingting noticed that Gao Tan was playing with the fallen petals. Thinking that it looked interesting, he raised his sword and leaped over, exchanging pointers with Gao Tan in the grove.


    Gao Tan was baffled and returned a few moves. Feeling that he could not win, and afraid of hurting the master, he simply slipped away with qinggong.


    Yan Mingting had just warmed up. Looking at the flowers and vegetation around him, he finally felt the pleasure of understanding the people who appreciated flowers. It seemed as if he was the only one left in the world, one with nature, and this naturally lifted his mood.


    He raised his sword and brandished it between the trees, treating every falling petal as an enemy, and the grove was filled with a rustling sound. His figure was agile and vigorous, like a phantom in the wind, forming an excellent picture along with the spring scenery.


    With a slash of the sharp sword, he happened to catch a flower. He stopped, took the flower casually, and walked out of the grove to find that Zhao Yelan was painting in the pavilion, his movements smooth and flowing.


    Just at this moment, Zhao Yelan raised his head and gazed at him.


    For some reason, Yan Mingting looked at the nearby person as if he was in a painting. His heart moved at will, and he subconsciously threw the petals through the air. They directly landed in Zhao Yelan¡¯s hair, forming an interesting contrast.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan raised his hand to brush them off, but two drops of ink splashed from his brush onto his sleeve, and he hurried to wipe it away.


    ¡°What are you drawing?¡± Yan Mingting walked into the pavilion with a smile, looked at the rice paper on the table, and saw that the other party had nearly finished drawing the mountain scenery.


    Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow, pointed to the peach grove in the painting with a smile and said: ¡°You drew me in, why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡±


    There was only one figure in the entire painting, and those few strokes outlined the brisk, easy movements of the person as he danced with his sword.


    Zhao Yelan picked up the brush and dipped it anew in the paint, turning his head to look at him: ¡°Who let you barge into my painting?¡±

 CH 26

    It was a rainy spring day, and bean-sized raindrops splashed on the green tiles. Rainwater formed waterfalls along the eaves and poured to the ground, moistening the earth.


    Holding an umbrella, He Cuizhang rushed to the General¡¯s Mansion and met Zhong Yuehong, who had just arrived with several other lieutenants at the door. They shook the rainwater from their umbrellas and patted their trouser legs.


    ¡°Is there something serious going on that he called us here so urgently?¡± He Cuizhang asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll know when we meet the General,¡± Zhong Yuehong said.


    The group of people nodded and went to Yan Mingting with damp bodies, only to find that the location for today¡¯s discussion was the study.


    Everyone was used to meeting in the armory, where they could discuss business and practice their skills at the same time. The occasions they went to the study were indeed negligible.


    As soon as the group stepped into the study, they could smell the scent of brush and ink. He Cuizhang said: ¡°Ai, my head starts to hurt when I catch sight of a book. I feel dizzy.¡±


    Everyone laughed, including Zhong Yuehong. Seeing Yan Mingting with his back turned to them, he cupped his hands and said: ¡°General, we¡¯re here. Has something happened?¡±


    After a good while, Yan Mingting came to his senses and looked back at them, wide-eyed.


    The atmosphere was very strange.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here.¡± Yan Mingting beckoned them to him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, I just wanted to ask how your search for the doctors is going.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still investigating, but people nearby say they have never heard of Bao Lun. I suspect he did not use his real name to see the doctor. We brought portraits along, and none of the doctors knew him,¡± Zhong Yuehong said.


    ¡°Speaking of portraits, ah¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting suddenly became animated and pointed behind him. ¡°What do you think of this one?¡±


    Following the direction of his finger, everyone realized that Yan Mingting had been standing in front of a painting.


    Hanging high, that painting was full of mist and colorful flowers that were competing to bloom, very pleasing to the eyes.


    It was a pity that no matter how excellent the painting was, for this group of soldiers, it was like playing an instrument for a cow.


    They looked at it carefully for a moment, then nodded perfunctorily: ¡°Not bad, not bad, what were we talking about?¡±


    Zhong Yuehong: ¡°We were speaking about portraits.¡±


    He Cuizhang answered: ¡°Yes, I think the portrait of Bao Lun is not very well drawn.¡±


    ¡°I have a very good portrait right here!¡± Yan Mingting said, ¡°Come, come, look at this.¡±


    He pointed to a certain place on the painting, and everyone came together to look at it carefully. Zhong Yuehong said: ¡°There¡¯s just this small person, is it really a portrait?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t portraits supposed to have larger figures?¡± He Cuizhang asked curiously.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, this is called artistic conception,¡± Yan Mingting explained with eloquence. ¡°Look at this portrait, unconstrained and flowing. The spring scenery outside the city is vivid and lifelike on the paper. Look at the person in the portrait again, isn¡¯t it excellent for a portrait to use such a large landscape to set off this figure?¡±


    He Cuizhang thought about it: ¡°But the figure is so small. This is clearly a landscape painting, the person should have been added casually.¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°How could this have been added casually? It is clear that the painter had him in his eyes, and because of this, put him in the portrait to become its brightest embellishment. This is the so-called finishing touch!¡±


    The two started to argue. Zhong Yuehong was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: ¡°Who is the person in this painting?¡±


    ¡°Your question is right on point.¡± Yan Mingting stood next to the figure and lifted his chin proudly. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me.¡±


    The group: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Then this painting¡­¡­was made by Zhao-daren?¡± Zhong Yuehong asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Excellent, very discerning.¡± Yan Mingting pointed at her and continued to praise her. ¡°Stay for dinner tonight, and I¡¯ll add some chicken drumsticks for you.¡±


    The other people: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He Cuizhang¡¯s eyes darted and he slapped his thigh: ¡°Aiyo, I say, who could draw such a wonderful portrait? If you didn¡¯t say, I wouldn¡¯t dare to guess it was Zhao-daren, but speaking of this portrait, how ingenious it is! Look at this person in the portrait again, how handsome! This is a standard figure portrait with the landscape as a backdrop, the artistic conception is profound!¡±


    ¡°Pretty good, you can also have chicken drumsticks.¡± Yan Mingting nodded.


    ¡°Me too, me too!¡± The others immediately praised it, coaxing Yan Mingting into a cheerful mood.


    Seeing his smug look, He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong whispered: ¡°The more I look at the General, the more I feel that he is going to be finished.¡±


    ¡°Who says he¡¯s not,¡± Zhong Yuehong said. ¡°I think he¡¯s fallen.¡±


    He Cuizhang: ¡°What are you talking about, ¡®fallen?¡¯ He obviously just can¡¯t tell the difference between a figure painting and a landscape painting, and sooner or later his brain will be finished.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After getting this painting to be valued as he wished, Yan Mingting returned to the topic and asked: ¡°Do you have the portrait of Bo Lun? Let me see.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong took out a piece of paper. Yan Mingting opened it, looked it over, and said meaningfully, ¡°Yuehong, ah, if you don¡¯t know how to draw, don¡¯t force yourself to draw. If you take this inhuman and ghostly portrait to enquire, then who could say they had seen him?¡±


    Everyone laughed out loud. This portrait could not be said to be ugly, but extremely hideous. It was not even clear whether it was of a human or a monster. Zhong Yuehong blushed slightly: ¡°I just painted it according to my impression. I don¡¯t know how to draw, so you do it if you have the ability!¡±


    The others fell silent again, looking at the sky, the ground, and to the side, but didn¡¯t dare to look at Yan Mingting.


    ¡°All right, portraits are indeed difficult for you. Let me ask an expert for advice.¡± In a good mood, Yan Mingting went to find Zhao Yelan for advice. When he reached the door, he couldn¡¯t help but turn around and tell them, ¡°Be careful, that portrait is a priceless treasure. Don¡¯t touch it, or I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°No worries, ba,¡± He Cuizhang said.


    No one cares about this painting except for you!


    Yan Mingting searched around the mansion, saw Gao Tan coming out of the bedroom with cakes, and stopped him. Finding that there was not a piece of cake missing on the plate, he said in surprise: ¡°Is he still sleeping? He hasn¡¯t come out of the room all day?¡±


    ¡°En, no appetite either.¡± Gao Tan sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Wasn¡¯t he fine yesterday? Was he too tired after painting all day?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°Perhaps. And it¡¯s raining again today, so my lord¡¯s mood is even worse.¡±


    ¡°It has something to do with the rain?¡±


    ¡°En, when it rains, my lord has no energy and his temper is not very good. I heard from the doctor that many people¡¯s moods can be affected by the weather, so maybe my lord¡¯s is like this too,¡± Gao Tan said.


    ¡°I see, you leave first.¡±


    When Yan Mingting entered the room, he saw Zhao Yelan lying on the bed, wrapped in a blanket.


    He stepped forward to lift a corner of the blanket and found that Zhao Yelan was not asleep. His eyes were open in a daze, and his face was suffused with red from being covered up.


    ¡°Sleeping like this is bad for your health.¡± As soon as Yan Mingting finished speaking, the blanket was snatched away by Zhao Yelan, and he covered himself tightly again.


    ¡°Cuizhang and Yuehong have come to the mansion, and Yuehong wants to meet with you for something. Are you going to let her see you like this?¡± Yan Mingting smiled. ¡°You¡¯re like a snail.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t see her!¡± Zhao Yelan said in a muffled voice.


    ¡°Then would you do me a favor¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t help!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll lift your blanket, ah.¡±


    ¡°You dare!¡±


    With a pull of Yan Mingting¡¯s big hand, he completely lifted the blanket and held it in his arms. Suddenly exposed to the air, Zhao Yelan unwittingly curled up his legs and gave him a sullen look: ¡°Yan Mingting, what on earth are you trying to do!¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Yan Mingting put the blanket on the table before sitting on the edge of the bed, saying softly, ¡°Come on, tell me, what are you thinking right now?¡±


    ¡°That I want to kill you.¡± Zhao Yelan glared.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t kill me. Because your body is weak, your martial arts are poor, your appetite is small, and you don¡¯t take care of yourself. Can you make even a small move against me? If you want to kill me, you have to live well first, and you can¡¯t neglect your body,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that!¡± Zhao Yelan was so angry that his chest heaved. He put on his clothes furiously and went out, not even taking the time to put on his shoes. ¡°Fine, if you won¡¯t go, I¡¯ll find a quieter place myself. Don¡¯t bother me.¡±


    As soon as he passed through the door, big hands stretched out at once from behind. Arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him back into the room.


    The door slammed shut and Zhao Yelan reached out to reopen it, having somewhat of an emotional breakdown: ¡°You let go of me! Don¡¯t force me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan incessantly hit the door with his hands and feet, but the person behind him embraced him tightly, not allowing him to escape. Just when he was about to fight to the death, he felt a sudden weight as Yan Mingting put his head on his shoulder.


    He froze abruptly for a moment, his body wrapped in warmth.


    Yan Mingting relaxed his grip. Still embracing him, he took a deep breath and said: ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to cooperate? If something is the matter, just tell me, it¡¯s okay to get angry. It¡¯s raining so much outside, don¡¯t go and run around. What if you get sick again?¡±


    Zhao Yelan continued to struggle.


    ¡°I actually don¡¯t like rainy days either, they cause many accidents. The original plan to defeat the enemy may fail because of the rain. While marching, a heavy rain can stop the ration delivery team, and the soldiers will starve for many days. In the face of nature, human beings are so fragile. So what if we hate rainy days? Is the battle over? Is the day lost?¡±


    Zhao Yelan finally subsided, staring at the ground in silence.


    ¡°We need to cherish our bodies more, whether it is for ourselves or for those who care about us,¡± Yan Mingting said with emotion.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched, but there was no smile in his eyes: ¡°I have always lived for myself. If not, do you think there would be people who care about me?¡±


    ¡°Me, ah, I care about you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but he turned around and pushed him away: ¡°You just want me to help you find out the truth.¡±


    ¡°Why do you always think the worst of people?¡± Yan Mingting smiled helplessly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m doing it for the truth. I don¡¯t want you to die, let alone watch you commit suicide.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback: ¡°Who is going to commit suicide?¡±


    ¡°You were clutching that blanket, didn¡¯t you want to suffocate to death?¡± Yan Mingting said suspiciously, ¡°You don¡¯t usually sleep like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I just think the sound of the rain is noisy,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­It seems that I misunderstood, it wasn¡¯t to commit suicide.¡± Yan Mingting scratched his head. He saw from the corner of his eye that the other was still barefoot, and took his wrist. He didn¡¯t pull it, but simply carried him back to the bed, wiped his feet with a handkerchief, and put on his shoes: ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go meet Yuehong and the others, it¡¯ll be livelier. How boring it is to stay in this room alone.¡±


    With a drooping face, Zhao Yelan was coaxed left and right into the study.


    Only, they ran into Housekeeper Qin in the corridor, and when he saw them, his smile spread wrinkles all over his face. Then he was taken aback, saying doubtfully: ¡°Are you finished?¡±


    ¡°Finished what?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, nothing.¡± Seeing Zhao Yelan¡¯s ugly expression, Housekeeper Qin stepped back cautiously. The more he thought about it, the more he thought something was wrong.


    Just now when he was cleaning, he suddenly saw Zhao Yelan coming out of the room with disheveled clothes. Subsequently, Yan Mingting hugged him back and slammed the door shut, and there were noises from time to time within. His old face went red again, and he immediately asked the servants who were cleaning nearby to disperse.


    In the end, it took only a quarter of an hour for the two of them to come out well-groomed and dressed.


    It was true¡­¡­General, you can¡¯t perform, ah?!


    Housekeeper Qin was very saddened.


    The group in the study were still discussing how to draw Bao Lun¡¯s portrait. Seeing Yan Mingting return with Zhao Yelan, they knew that the invited expert had arrived and immediately got up to offer their seats: ¡°My lord, please.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sat down, puzzled, and saw an unfinished monster portrait on the table, asking: ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Answering my lord, this is Bao Lun.¡±


    ¡° ? ¡±


    Zhao Yelan began to suspect that what they were looking for was not a person, but a ghost.


    Yan Mingting laughed and stepped forward to say: ¡°They don¡¯t know how to draw, so they were just kidding around. It¡¯s best to leave this kind of thing to you. Can you draw one for us?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked askance at him: ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve met Bao Lun?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then how can I draw him?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­I overlooked that.¡± Yan Mingting only remembered that his paintings looked good, and completely forgot about this!


    ¡°Now what do we do?¡± Zhong Yuehong said worriedly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Yelan re-laid the paper, stuffed the ink stick into Yan Mingting¡¯s hand, and ordered, ¡°Grind the ink.¡±


    Yan Mingting jumped up immediately and asked while grinding the ink, ¡°Can you draw it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try for the time being.¡± Zhao Yelan asked, ¡°Tell me first, what did Bao Lun look like, and did he have any outstanding features?¡±


    ¡°He looked a bit dark, a head shorter than me, and his hair was wrapped in a cloth towel,¡± He Cuizhang said.


    ¡°I remember that his eyes were a bit large, his eye sockets were sunken, and there was a mole on his nose. As for his mouth¡­¡­I don¡¯t really remember,¡± Zhong Yuehong said.


    ¡°He had a dry mouth and loved to drink, and smelled like alcohol.¡±


    Everyone described the other word by word. Zhao Yelan began to draw the simple outline of a face: ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°The forehead should be wider,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    He switched out the paper again and revised it. Yan Mingting nodded, and he started to draw the facial features: ¡°What needs to be changed?¡±


    Everyone gathered around the table, talking out the details, and he corrected them again and again.


    This repetition took almost an hour, and it was getting dark outside. The servants came to call them for dinner, but everyone ignored them, all focused on watching Zhao Yelan paint the portrait stroke by stroke.


    When the final touch was completed, Zhao Yelan asked, ¡°How is it now?¡±


    Yan Mingting glanced down, looked at Zhao Yelan in surprise, and the corners of his mouth curled up: ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    The others immediately exclaimed in astonishment, and He Cuizhang shouted: ¡°Zhao-daren you are really amazing!!¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren is truly admirable.¡± Zhong Yuehong couldn¡¯t hide her excitement.


    Zhao Yelan smiled faintly, put down the brush, and rubbed his wrist. Yan Mingting took his wrist at this moment and rubbed it for him, his strength moderate, much more comfortable than blindly massaging it by himself. He did not refuse.


    ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll take this portrait to investigate again, and hopefully find out some news.¡± Zhong Yuehong carefully folded the portrait and placed it in her pocket.


    Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t help but say proudly: ¡°You see, the expert I invited is the best at drawing people. No matter if he has seen them or not, he can draw them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Zhao-daren is the best. I think this portrait of Bao Lun looks better than yours, General,¡± He Cuizhang praised.


    ¡°What do you mean? Is mine not as good-looking as Bao Lun¡¯s?¡± Yan Mingting objected.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, ah, Bao Lun¡¯s is big, with a nose and eyes. Yours, General, is just a figure. It could be me or someone else, right, brothers?¡±


    ¡°Right, right, I think that person in the painting is quite like me,¡± Another person answered.


    ¡°I feel the same way!¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s face collapsed, and he drove them to the front hall, then turned around and came to Zhao Yelan¡¯s side to wash the brushes with him: ¡°How about drawing another portrait for me? One with eyes and a nose?¡±


    ¡°What grand dream is this? How free am I?¡± Zhao Yelan hung up the pen. When he walked to the door, he found that it was still raining heavily outside. It hadn¡¯t stopped. But the sound of the rain had been drowned out by everyone¡¯s noisy voices, and he was able to immerse himself in painting with peace of mind.


    At this time, an oil-paper umbrella was opened next to him. Yan Mingting took his shoulders and held it above the two of them. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him blankly, and was led across the courtyard at a trot to the front hall, facing into the wind and rain the whole way. The water splashed up from the path to wet his boots and the hem of his robes, and the soles of his feet stepped into the wet, soft soil. He could smell the aroma of food from afar, and see the lieutenants sitting in the hall talking and laughing. Everything was ordinary, so ordinary that it felt a little unusual.


    He stood in front of the hall, patted the water droplets on his sleeves, and wanted to ask his servants to prepare some hot water to wipe the mud stains on his body.


    Yan Mingting set the umbrella aside and said casually: ¡°Don¡¯t bother, let¡¯s go eat first.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, ah. Come and eat, my lord, we¡¯re waiting for you,¡± He Cuizhang said eagerly, holding his chopsticks.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, come quickly.¡± Zhong Yuehong and the others also looked at him expectantly.


    Zhao Yelan looked at them for a moment, then walked over and said softly: ¡°All right.¡±

 CH 27

    Zhao Yelan ate a few mouthfuls, met the eyes of the group who were waiting to be fed, and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick up your chopsticks?¡±


    He Cuizhang scratched his head and said with a foolish smile: ¡°We eat too fast, and you don¡¯t get enough to eat every time, so we discussed it just now. This time, we must wait for you to finish eating first before we start.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I can eat with you staring at me like this?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°Then should we¡­¡­turn around?¡±


    ¡°No need, just eat,¡± Zhao Yelan said lightly.


    Yan Mingting laughed: ¡°Okay, don¡¯t pretend to be reserved. Hurry up and do it, I¡¯ve already ordered the kitchen to add chicken legs for each of you. There will be enough tonight.¡±


    ¡°The General is mighty!¡±


    Everyone shouted in unison, picked up their bowls, and started to eat.


    Before now, Zhao Yelan only felt that when they were eating, their chewing sounds were too harsh, but today he was in a bit of a mood to observe how they ate. He found that Zhong Yuehong¡¯s eating speed was no slower than other people¡¯s.


    Perhaps noticing his gaze, Zhong Yuehong explained: ¡°If you don¡¯t fight with them, you will have nothing to eat.¡±


    Zhao Yelan inadvertently curled the corners of his mouth: ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong was taken aback, and the others also looked at him with surprise: ¡°Zhao-daren, did you just smile at us?¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°You did!¡± He Cuizhang said excitedly: ¡°We all know you didn¡¯t want to meet us, my lord. I didn¡¯t expect such a day to come!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled mockingly, but this group of people became even more excited, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± What was wrong with them?


    Yan Mingting kept silent, and just gazed at Zhao Yelan and laughed with them.


    The servants brought up a large platter of chicken drumsticks, and the group of people went to pick them up one after another. Yan Mingting preemptively took the biggest one and put it into Zhao Yelan¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°This piece is for the biggest hero tonight, are there any objections?¡±


    ¡°Of course there are no objections! Zhao-daren, eat more, if it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll give you mine too!¡± He Cuizhang said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already taken a bite, how dare you give it to someone else?¡± Zhong Yuehong said.


    The group of people laughed. Zhao Yelan smiled lightly, looked down at the chicken drumstick, and ate it wholeheartedly.


    After dinner, it was getting late. The rain outside had stopped at some point, and everyone left one after another.


    Zhong Yuehong was the last one to leave. She sat on the chair, rubbed her hands on her thighs, and hesitated to speak, glancing at Zhao Yelan from time to time. Seeing that he was about to go back to his room, she stood abruptly and mustered up her courage: ¡°Zhao-daren.¡±


    ¡°Speak, what is the matter?¡± Zhao Yelan waited.


    Zhong Yuehong looked at Yan Mingting nearby, and he shrugged: ¡°Okay, you two take your time talking. I¡¯ll go back to the room first.¡±


    When there were only two people left, Zhong Yuehong blushed and said: ¡°My mother gave me the dress¡­¡­thank you very much, my lord. But I know the money my mother gave you could never buy such nice clothes. However much is left, I will make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°What if you can¡¯t make it up?¡±


    Zhong Yuehong was startled: ¡°Then¡­¡­can the clothes be returned? I haven¡¯t touched them yet.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t be returned, they were custom made according to your size. Other ladies won¡¯t wear them.¡± Zhao Yelan continued, ¡°There is no need to make it up, this little bit of money is nothing.¡±


    It took Zhong Yuehong a while to say solemnly: ¡°Thank you, my lord. If you need me in the future, just ask.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°Understood. It¡¯s time to go back.¡±


    ¡°One more thing.¡± Zhong Yuehong took a small crossbow and arrows from her sleeve. ¡°The General ordered me to look for a weapon that suited you before, but I couldn¡¯t find one that was particularly suitable, so I improved this one. Do you think it fits you?¡±


    Due to physical differences, Zhong Yuehong preferred lightweight weapons and made use of flexible props such as nine-tailed whips and crossbows. It was just that although the crossbows in the military camp had a long range, they were also a bit heavy, not suitable for carrying around. She had nothing to do recently, so she made a smaller crossbow and arrows by herself, which could be grasped in one hand and had a high impact. The disadvantage was that the range was a bit short, but it was enough for self-defense.


    Zhao Yelan took it in surprise, checking it over repeatedly. There were short arrows in a box, and he aimed towards the high wall in the distance. With a slight movement of his arm, the arrow shot out like the wind and with a bang, it was firmly embedded in the wall.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Zhao Yelan touched the crossbow appreciatively.


    ¡°If my lord likes it, I¡¯ll make a few more spares later,¡± Zhong Yuehong said happily.


    ¡°Many thanks.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. I just followed the General¡¯s orders. I tried other types of weapons before, but they were all rejected by the General.¡±


    ¡°When did he ask you to do it?¡±


    ¡°The second day of your wedding.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was slightly surprised, thinking of that night in the bridal chamber. When he failed to threaten him with a dagger, Yan Mingting had detested the gaudy weapon and said he would get him a few handier weapons. He had originally thought that he was just talking without thinking the matter through, not expecting him to actually keep it in mind.


    When Zhao Yelan returned to the room, Yan Mingting was already lying on the ground.


    ¡°Did she want to thank you for the dress, but was too embarrassed to say it in front of other people?¡± Yan Mingting aske leisurely with his arms pillowed under his head.


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan closed the door and asked abruptly: ¡°Are you alert?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    As soon as Yan Mingting turned his head, he saw Zhao Yelan raise his hand to expose a dark shape in his sleeve. In the next moment, an arrow shot straight at him.


    He turned over and leaped up, and the arrow went straight into the place where he had been lying down. Pulling the arrow out to check it, he asked: ¡°This was given to you by Zhong Yuehong?¡±


    ¡°En. Zhao Yelan passed by him and took the arrow from his hands without a sideways glance. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Yan Mingting was slightly startled, and stood there for a long time before taking two steps: ¡°Hey, why are you being so polite, our relationship¡­¡­¡±


    With a whoosh, another arrow shot over.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    If he suddenly regretted it, what should he do? He wouldn¡¯t receive an arrow while he was asleep, would he?


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day when the results of the preliminary round of the Imperial examinations were announced. Gao Tan went to buy fruit, searched through the list for a long time, and rushed back to report: ¡°My lord, that Wang Guisheng really did it!¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan drank tea calmly, took the basket, and looked through it for a long time. It was full of fruit, none of them unusual, so he asked for them to be washed before eating them.


    Ever since he had entered the General¡¯s Mansion, he had asked his informants to transmit as little information as possible, so as not to be discovered by Yan Mingting. The man had grabbed his cherries twice at the beginning, whether it was intentional or unintentional, but he hadn¡¯t paid attention to this matter afterward, which finally dispelled some of his doubts.


    Gao Tan put the washed apples on the table and asked in a whisper: ¡°Will this Wang Guisheng be the top scorer?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but if he can enter the Imperial examinations now, he will definitely be admitted to the first class, depending on whether he is in first or second place.¡±


    ¡°Then can we go say hello? Or wait for him to become the top scorer?¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to show favor?¡±


    ¡°But, my lord, you asked him to have dinner before, wasn¡¯t it just to win him over?¡±


    ¡°Then it is even better not to show favor. This man has great ambition, and he already had a grudge against me. Those who go to make friends with him will definitely break the threshold. If I go again, he will only think that I have ulterior motives and intend to climb the dragon and cling to the phoenix.¡±[1]


    ¡°Then you want to ignore him?¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡± Zhao Yelan smiled slightly. ¡°If I don¡¯t look for him, he will come to me.¡±


    ¡°What will he do when he comes to my lord?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he admires my talents and wants to make friends with me?¡± Zhao Yelan smiled.


    Gao Tan was getting more and more confused: ¡°But didn¡¯t my lord say he had a grudge against you? How could he admire you and take the initiative to make friends with you?¡±


    ¡°Because of Ruan Xian,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Gao Tan didn¡¯t ask any more questions since he couldn¡¯t understand anyway, and simply went to the courtyard to play with the maids and servants.


    Around noon, Yan Mingting returned to the mansion.


    Zhao Yelan was sitting in the main hall drinking tea. The new year¡¯s Mingqian tea had been delivered, and when he had nothing to do, he would make two cups.


    ¡°Why are you so late today?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Yan Mingting put the sword on the table, sitting down with a sigh. ¡°The Emperor will hold the martial arts exam this year, which was originally the responsibility of the Ministry of War, but today he asked me in morning court to be the chief examiner.¡±


    ¡°Apart from those old fellows from the Ministry of War, the only military officials in court are you and your lieutenants. He really is worried,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°However, resuming the martial arts exam is a good thing for the common people.¡±


    ¡°It is a good thing. I also hope to encourage more people to practice martial arts. It¡¯s just that the Emperor not only asked me to be the chief examiner, but also asked me to assign some manpower to the Imperial army, and asked me to be in charge of the Spring Hunt again. Does he think I¡¯m superhuman?¡± Yan Mingting said unhappily.


    Zhao Yelan joked: ¡°It turns out you also want to be lazy?¡±


    ¡°Also?¡± Yan Mingting looked at him and suddenly smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right, Zhao-daren spends his days leisurely in the mansion, I can pilfer a bit of laziness.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows and smiled: ¡°It is good to get used to this kind of thing. Once you are idle, you won¡¯t want to move again.¡±


    ¡°How about I retire and go back to my hometown? I won¡¯t be a general anymore, and we can go out and have a good time,¡± Yan Mingting said temptingly.


    Zhao Yelan laughed and said: ¡°You can leave if you want. Who do you want to leave this terrible mess to?¡±


    Yan Mingting sighed deeply.


    Seeing his dejected look, Zhao Yelan wanted to laugh, but thought of something and asked: ¡°Did you just mention the Spring Hunt?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, ah. The date is set to be after Qingming, when the final results of the civil and military examinations will be announced. The Emperor wants to take advantage of the Imperial examination banquet to invite all the officials to participate in the Spring Hunt together.¡± Yan Mingting tapped the table. ¡°Are you going?¡±


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°Since all officials can go, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You can go, but you have to do something first,¡± Yan Mingting said mysteriously, leaning in across the table.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You draw a second portrait of me first, bigger than Bao Lun¡¯s. Cuizhang and the others have said these days that my portrait is not as good-looking as Bao Lun¡¯s, and I¡¯m furious.¡± Yan Mingting thumped the table angrily.


    Zhao Yelan directly refused.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you have nothing to do? Just draw a portrait for me,¡± Yan Mingting begged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t stand the harassment and got up to leave, but Yan Mingting grabbed his sleeve.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, please~¡± Yan Mingting tried his best to stare with big, innocent eyes, and even winked at him.


    ¡°Let go, don¡¯t hinder me.¡± Zhao Yelan wore a complicated expression.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to spit out my New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    A few days later, it was Qingming. There was an ancient poem which said that during the Qingming festival, it would rain heavily and the pedestrians on the road would lose their souls. The continuous rain filled this festival with a stronger sense of loneliness and solitude. The heavy rain did not stop, making travel more complicated.


    Yan Mingting was going to visit his family¡¯s tombs and make offerings. Seeing that the rain had no intention of stopping, and the tombs were on a mountain, he asked Zhao Yelan to stay in the mansion for the sake of survival. Traveling lightly by himself, he went to pray to his family alone.


    When he came back in the afternoon and found that Zhao Yelan was not in the mansion, he found Housekeeper Qin and asked: ¡°Where did Zhao Yelan go?¡±


    ¡°He went out with Xiao Gao.¡±


    ¡°No one else is with him?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Yan Mingting walked to the gate anxiously. The heavy rain came in at a slant. He didn¡¯t know where the master and servant had gone. Although he knew that Gao Tan was proficient in martial arts, and there were forty-eight people arranged by himself to protect him covertly, when he thought about Zhao Yelan¡¯s situation when it rained last time, his heart felt like it was on fire and he was in a hurry to run out.


    There were very few people on the streets outside the gate, and those who bustled past held umbrellas and carried a basket with some incense sticks in it, likely in a hurry to visit a grave.


    Not knowing what he was thinking, he picked up an umbrella and rushed into the curtain of rain. Running along the street for a while, he finally arrived at Zhao Mansion.


    The guards of Zhao Mansion looked at him in surprise: ¡°¡­¡­General? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Has Zhao Yelan come back?¡± Yan Mingting asked urgently.


    ¡°Yes, he returned early in the morning.¡± The guards quickly sent him in.


    There was an unexpected smell of medicine from afar, and when he looked into the kitchen, Gao Tan was there decocting medicine. He stepped forward swiftly: ¡°What medicine are you making?¡±


    ¡°General, you¡¯re here!¡± Gao Tan¡¯s eyes were red. He seemed to find his backbone at once, babbling, ¡°My lord just fainted again¡­¡­we came here this morning and it was raining heavily on the way, the umbrella couldn¡¯t cover everything and my lord got wet, then went to pray again¡­¡­he just fainted. The doctor left just now, and the medicine will be finished soon.¡±


    Yan Mingting roughly understood the situation and patted Gao Tan on the shoulder: ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I¡¯ll go and see him. You proceed here and bring the medicine when it is ready.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Gao Tan sniffed.


    Yan Mingting turned around and went to the bedroom, going straight to the bedside. Zhao Yelan was lying there with his eyes closed, his face pale and his lips bloodless. However, his cheeks were a little red and his forehead was covered in sweat. His brows were tightly furrowed and he was talking nonsense.


    When Yan Mingting touched his forehead, it was very hot. He anxiously tucked him in, but he kicked the blanket away, turning over in pain.


    Yan Mingting went to get another face towel, soaked it in cold water and wrung it out, then turned the person over and put the wet cloth on his forehead. After a while, the other started kicking at the blanket again.


    ¡°General, the medicine is ready.¡± Gao Tan came in carefully carrying the medicine bowl.


    Yan Mingting sat on the edge of the bed and helped Zhao Yelan sit up, holding his upper body as he said: ¡°You come feed him.¡±


    Just as Gao Tan was about to feed him, Yan Mingting stopped him. He grabbed the spoon, blew on it, and then fed it to Zhao Yelan. Unexpectedly, Zhao Yelan spit it out and instinctively resisted taking the medicine.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, be obedient,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Whether or not the other party heard it, he drank the medicine in the end. Gao Tan finally breathed a sigh of relief, and whispered: ¡°The doctor said that after drinking the medicine, my lord should rest and recuperate, and be covered in bedding to sweat it out.¡±


    ¡°En, you go out first. Leave this to me, and close the door,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Gao Tan nodded and stepped back.


    Yan Mingting laid the person down. Just after covering him with the blanket, Zhao Yelan kicked it away, muttering with a frown: ¡°¡­¡­Hot.¡±


    Yan Mingting started to take off his outer robe: ¡°Whether you can hear me or not, let me explain to you first that I only want to help you. These clothes got wet on the road, so I took them off, I don¡¯t mean to take advantage of you. If you don¡¯t agree, jump up and hit me now.¡±


    After a moment, he climbed into bed: ¡°Okay, it seems that you agree.¡±


    Yan Mingting hugged him into his arms. The other person¡¯s body was hot like a stove. No wonder he thought the blanket was too hot.


    Zhao Yelan struggled unconsciously for a while. Yan Mingting patted his back lightly and said in a soft whisper: ¡°It¡¯s not hot, it¡¯s not hot, just sleep and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gradually calmed down under his comfort, subconsciously hugging him.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s body was stiff as his hands continued to pat the other¡¯s back. That thin body seemed as if it could be easily broken at any time. He lowered his eyes to look at Zhao Yelan¡¯s face. Stretching out his fingers, he smoothed the brow that was tightly furrowed in sleep, and his voice couldn¡¯t be softer: ¡°What kind of dreams are you having?¡±


    He was answered by sleep talk.


    Unable to hear clearly, he leaned his ear closer: ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Afterwards, Yan Mingting heard him call out: ¡°Mother¡­¡­¡±


    [1] To climb the dragon and cling to the phoenix (ÅÊÁú¸½·ï) is an idiom stemming from Chinese mythology that means indulging in the favor of powerful people in order to gain benefits. ?

 CH 28

    ¡°Mother!¡±


    ¡°Ting¡¯er¡­¡­¡± The beautiful, gentle woman stood in the fenced yard, wearing a washed white sarong and a wooden hairpin that tied all her hair behind her head. Hearing the sound, she turned to wave with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re back, come and help Mother.¡±


    ¡°Mother, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Mother wants to plant some flowers and melons and fruits in the courtyard, and when spring comes, the garden will be full of spring colors. It will surely look good, and your father will love it too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    The two figures, one big and one small, were busy from morning to evening. His mother wiped the dust from his face and suddenly turned to look at the person at the courtyard gate with a smile.


    ¡°Father! You¡¯re back, I want to eat steamed buns!¡±


    ¡°I bought some for you, but have you finished your homework today?¡±


    ¡°Finished!¡±


    The scene of the three at the gate talking and laughing gradually blurred, and in an instant, the dream of the past began to collapse like tiles suddenly being pulled out one at a time, smashing everyone¡¯s heads to pieces¡­¡­


    ¡°Father¡­¡­Mother!¡±


    Zhao Yelan woke up from the dream, covered in cold sweat. He gasped for a moment with his mouth open, and his eyes gradually regained clarity.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    Only then did he realize that there was a person next to him, hugging him and patting his back repeatedly.


    He slowly raised his eyes to meet Yan Mingting¡¯s gaze, and his voice was still a little dry: ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°When I came back from sweeping the tombs, I found that you weren¡¯t in the mansion. So I came here to find you,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Let go.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t kick the blanket off. You have a serious fever, you have to sweat.¡± Yan Mingting released his grip and took a defensive posture, thinking that he was going to be beaten or kicked. Against expectations, the other party sat up from his arms indifferently, put on his clothes without expression, and got out of bed without any intention of fighting him.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Zhao Yelan pushed open a window and stood in front of it, silently looking at the blooming flowers in the courtyard.


    Yan Mingting put on his outer robes. When looking at him, he got a sense of inexplicable loneliness from his moonlit back. The moonlight shone on the side of his face, which was pale and brittle, like porcelain that would shatter if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    ¡°You miss your Mother?¡± Yan Mingting walked to his side.


    Zhao Yelan looked at him stiffly.


    ¡°You just called for your Mother several times,¡± Yan Mingting explained. Seeing that he was silent, he said, ¡°I also miss my mother. She passed away early and I¡¯ve almost forgotten what she looked like, but the feeling of her accompanying me is still clearly stored in my memory.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression eased. He turned his head and continued to look out the window.


    After a long time, Yan Mingting asked at once: ¡°Are you hungry? You¡¯ve been sleeping and haven¡¯t had dinner yet.¡±


    Zhao Yelan seemed to be in a daze for a while, before he murmured: ¡°I want to eat steamed buns.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then you go back and lie down first. I¡¯ll go out and buy them now.¡± Yan Mingting went to Mingji¡¯s steamed bun shop without pause, only to find that it was closed.


    He knocked loudly on the door, and the shopkeeper opened it to drive him away.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, just do me a favor and sell me another basket,¡± Yan Mingting said as he took out the bag of silver.


    But the shopkeeper continuously waved his hands and refused: ¡°No good, no good, I¡¯ve packed up all my things and it¡¯s too troublesome to start a fire again. You should come early tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No, my wife is about to give birth and just wants to take a bite of your stuffed steamed buns, otherwise she won¡¯t survive, and she won¡¯t be able to give birth to a child no matter what, ah. She¡¯s just waiting for your stuffed steamed buns in order to live, do us a favor and help us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­But my pals have all gone back, and I can¡¯t do it alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you! Will that work?! I¡¯ll pay the money!¡±


    Half an hour later, Yan Mingting returned to the Zhao residence with the buns, but there was no one in the room.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan¡­¡­Zhao Yelan!¡± He shouted anxiously.


    ¡°Are you calling for my soul?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s voice was not loud. Thanks to Yan Mingting¡¯s good hearing, he immediately turned around and followed the voice to the person.


    The other party was planting flowers in the back courtyard of the bedroom. He dug a hole with the small trowel in his hand and placed a peach sapling in it.


    ¡°It¡¯s late, why aren¡¯t you lying down properly?¡± Yan Minging asked, stepping forward.


    ¡°Hurry up and help,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting held the peach sapling steady while Zhao Yelan and Gao Tan worked together to fill in the soil and finish the job.


    ¡°Where did the peach tree come from?¡± Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t help asking.


    ¡°My lord ordered me to dig it out from the mountains outside the city just now.¡± Gao Tan patted his chest triumphantly. ¡°Qinggong is good, I can run very fast. Isn¡¯t it great?¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°All right, enough prattle, hurry up and fetch water to wash our hands.¡±


    After the three of them washed their hands, they sat down in the bedroom. Zhao Yelan had sweated a lot after going through all the trouble just now. He took out a handkerchief to wipe his brow, and immediately saw two dark marks on Yan Mingting¡¯s face that didn¡¯t look like smudged soil from planting the tree. He pinched his chin suspiciously, looking left and right: ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°I just lit a stove fire,¡± Yan Mingting explained.


    Zhao Yelan promptly guessed the reason. Mingji steamed bun shop¡¯s business was very good. Once the shopkeeper closed the door, no amount of money could make him open it again. He originally thought that Yan Mingting would be smart enough to find stuffed steamed buns from another shop. Regardless, he just wanted to eat stuffed steamed bun at this time. Any shop would do, but he didn¡¯t expect this fellow to be so stubborn that he would actually work as a cook for others in order to buy Mingji¡¯s buns.


    ¡°Why not just take out your General¡¯s badge, the bun shop would still give them to you,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that bullying?¡± After Yan Mingting spoke, his face was rubbed twice. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh, his eyes narrowed comfortably.


    Zhao Yelan wiped off the stains on his face in a bad temper, and scoffed coldly: ¡°General Yan is upright, so he naturally looks down on bullying fellows like us.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about.¡± Yan Mingting pushed the stuffed steamed buns in front of him. ¡°Eat quickly, they¡¯re hot, just out of the oven. They won¡¯t taste good when they¡¯re cold.¡±


    Zhao Yelan picked up a hot bun, eating it carefully as he asked: ¡°You helped someone light a fire, and he agreed to do this for you?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­yes.¡± Yan Mingting nodded guiltily. ¡°I said my family needed buns urgently, so he had me help.¡±


    Zhao Yelan cast a half-disbelieving glance at him and continued to eat the buns quietly.


    ¡°Will you return to the General¡¯s Mansion later?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan refused: ¡°Go back by yourself, I will go directly to the Imperial Academy tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°How can I do that? No, I¡¯ll stay here with you one more night.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him and said nothing.


    Not long after eating the buns, Zhao Yelan was about to fall asleep but was stopped by Yan Mingting, who brought a bowl of medicine to him with a smile: ¡°Come, drink the medicine first.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Drink.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took the bowl and drank it down.


    Yan Mingting laughed and said: ¡°You will spit out the medicine every time you¡¯re unconscious, but you can obediently drink it when you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Zhao Yelan ignored him and lay down with a frown. Suddenly his mouth tasted sweet as Yan Mingting stuffed a candied fruit into his mouth.


    He froze for a moment, and after feeling the sweet and sour taste, he ate it slowly and raised his eyes to look at the other person.


    Yan Mingting said with a laugh: ¡°My younger brother didn¡¯t like to drink medicine, so he insisted on pestering me to feed him some candied fruit. How do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t like it.¡± Zhao Yelan turned over and prepared to sleep.


    ¡°Yet you still ate it so fast.¡± Yan Mingting smiled and made another floor bed.


    When he woke up the next day, Zhao Yelan still overestimated his own body. He had gotten up last night to plant trees and was struggling with fatigue. His head was still a little bit fuzzy, but he didn¡¯t ask for leave and insisted on going to the Imperial Academy.


    Gao Tan sent him to the door. When he was about to go back, he was stopped by Zhao Yelan, who ordered him in a low voice: ¡°Go to the Mingji shopkeeper and ask him.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing that he was unwell, Ruan Xian came over to help him with his work. The two sat together, chatting casually about the Imperial examinations and guessing who would take first place.


    Zhao Yelan nodded perfunctorily, and only praised Wang Guisheng slightly when the other party asked who he favored.


    ¡°I also think that this person has good literary talent, but his writing is too harsh. I don¡¯t know if he can catch the eye of the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°He can,¡± Zhao Yelan said firmly.


    Ruan Xian looked at him meaningfully: ¡°Zhao-daren, you mean the Emperor likes this type?¡±


    Zhao Yelan curled the corners of his mouth and said no more, leaving him to ponder it himself. If he was clever enough, he would know what to do next.


    In the afternoon, the Imperial Academy received an order and immediately drafted an Imperial edict. The results of the Imperial examinations had been released, and there were already successful candidates named, as well as the first ranks.


    The whole courtyard became lively. Ruan Xian stood by and read the list. The first place scorer was indeed Wang Guisheng. He looked at Zhao Yelan with surprise. The other party was sitting alone in a corner and flipping through the history books. He either didn¡¯t care about this matter as much as the rest of them did, or he already knew.


    Ruan Xian shifted his eyes, thinking about something internally.


    After being released from the government office, Zhao Yelan and the others rubbed their temples and walked out the gate wearily.


    Ruan Xian approached him furtively and asked in a low voice: ¡°Zhao-daren, I don¡¯t understand something. Please enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I have read that Wang Guisheng¡¯s article. He scolded you and made insinuations against you, but you have no grudge against him and often praise him. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because he is a useful person.¡±


    ¡°Understood, thank you for letting me know. Zhao-daren is not feeling well, why doesn¡¯t he come to my house for a while? My brother-in-law happens to be a doctor, perhaps he could have a try?¡± Ruan Xian said.


    Zhao Yelan was about to speak, when he heard a spirited voice outside the gate: ¡°Zhao Yelan.¡±


    He looked up and saw Yan Mingting standing outside with his arms folded, a sedan chair parked beside him.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± He walked forward slowly.


    ¡°I was passing by and thought I would take you home with me on the way.¡± Yan Mingting stretched out a hand to touch his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s still a little hot. Hurry up and get in the sedan chair.¡±


    Zhao Yelan did not refuse, needing this sedan chair in order to continue to live. He opened the curtain and sat down firmly, but found that he was not immediately followed. He opened a corner of the curtain suspiciously and saw Yan Mingting asking Ruan Xian in a serious tone: ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Answering the General, I am Ruan Xian, editor of the Seventh Rank Imperial Academy,¡± Ruan Xian said respectfully.


    ¡°Do you have a wife?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have been married to my wife for more than a year.¡±


    ¡°En, okay, it¡¯s getting late. Hurry back to accompany your wife.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s expression relaxed slightly, and he turned around and got into the sedan chair.


    After they traveled a certain distance, Yan Mingting asked: ¡°Who was that little white face?[1] Are you two on good terms?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shook his head.


    ¡°But you two were still talking and smiling?¡±


    ¡°What were you talking and smiling about?¡±


    ¡°You were smiling at him like this.¡± Yan Mingting took two fingers and pushed the corners of his mouth up, complaining, ¡°You always smile like this towards others but show a cold face to me.¡±


    Seeing this, Zhao Yelan pursed his lips to suppress a smile and said, ¡°They are just for show.¡±


    The corners of Yan Mingting¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°That is to say, you are perfunctory to others, but you are truthful to me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled, shot him a look, and then closed his eyes to rest.


    Yan Mingting intentionally didn¡¯t disturb him, and only after arriving at the General¡¯s Mansion did he give him a light pat: ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gradually opened his eyes and got off the sedan chair after him slowly. Seeing him quickly step through the gate, something occurred to him and he turned to ask the bearers: ¡°How long were you waiting at the Imperial Academy?¡±


    ¡°A little less than half an hour,¡± said the bearer.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you coming in?¡± Yan Mingting came back to the door again. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You haven¡¯t recovered yet and have trouble walking?¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked to the door with profound meaning, and when he passed him, the corners of his mouth curled up.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Yan Mingting grabbed his arm in surprise. ¡°Did you just smile at me?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Still saying no, what are you smiling at, tell me.¡± Yan Mingting held his shoulders and walked inside in a good mood. ¡°Oh, by the way, let¡¯s go to the study first. There¡¯s a bit of a clue in the matter of the doctors.¡±


    Zhao Yelan continuously tried to break free from his grip, but was unsuccessful. He caught a glimpse of Gao Tan sweeping the courtyard from the corner of his eye, and called: ¡°Xiao Gao, come here.¡±


    ¡°My lord, you¡¯re back!¡± Gao Tan dashed over with a broom in hand.


    ¡°What happened with the matter I asked you to check?¡±


    Gao Tan took a cautious look at Yan Mingting, then covered his mouth and whispered a few words into his ear.


    Yan Mingting saw that Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes were becoming increasingly gloomy, and picked out the key word ¡®Mingji¡¯ from Gao Tan¡¯s whisper. He seemed to have guessed something, and immediately raised his hands in surrender.


    ¡°May I ask General Yan, which of your wives is having a difficult labor and needs buns to survive?¡± Zhao Yelan narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Yan Mingting sensed danger, taking two stiff steps back as he smiled innocently: ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t seem to understand what you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    After speaking, he dashingly lifted the hem of his clothes and then fled in a desperate manner.


    Zhao Yelan snatched the broom from Gao Tan¡¯s hand: ¡°Yan Mingting, you stop for me!¡±


    [1] A ¡®little white face¡¯ (С°×Á³) is basically an insult toward an educated person who doesn¡¯t do labor under the sun, or it can refer to a boy toy who relies on a rich woman. ?

 CH 29

    Housekeeper Qin was cleaning the ancestral hall when he heard the commotion outside, and was so alarmed that he hurried out to inquire about the situation. He saw Yan Mingting running wildly through the courtyard, and finally fleeing to the old tree.


    Zhao Yelan stood under the tree and shouted: ¡°Yan Mingting, get out of there!¡±


    ¡°Climb up if you have the ability!¡±


    ¡°Yan Mingting!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Put down the broom first. If you have something to say, say it. What other wife hits like you?¡± Yan Mingting persuaded with good advice.


    ¡°How dare you mention the word ¡®wife¡¯?!¡± Zhao Yelan sneered. ¡°Fine, you won¡¯t come down. Xiao Gao, cut down this tree!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    This was a hundred-year-old tree, which was not easy to grow. It would be a pity to cut it down so easily!


    Housekeeper Qin was about to run and stop him, when he saw Yan Mingting leap through the air, stepping on branches and leaves to stand in place.


    Zhao Yelan smacked him with the broom several times and kicked his feet twice before the two went to the study one after the other.


    Housekeeper Qin wiped off his sweat and dispersed all the servants who were watching the fun before returning to the ancestral hall to continue cleaning, muttering: ¡°Master, old lady, don¡¯t take offense, the General and Zhao-daren are in love. En, yes, hitting is kissing and scolding is love. You can rest assured, ba.¡±


    On the other side, Yan Mingting walked into the study, muttering: ¡°I lost all face.¡±


    ¡°Do you still know how to save face?¡± Zhao Yelan was furious and threw the broom back to Xiao Gao. ¡°Does the shopkeeper know who you are?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, otherwise would he have dared to ask me to help?¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan was panting where he sat. After running around for a while, sweat was dripping from his forehead.


    ¡°Have some tea first.¡± Yan Mingting poured him a cup of tea as an apology, and then explained, ¡°If I didn¡¯t make up such a reason at the time, how could I have let you eat hot stuffed steamed buns?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s my fault?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Yan Mingting had just sat down when he was kicked again. ¡°No, I mean that I didn¡¯t go in vain last night. While I was doing it, I secretly learned the craft. In the future, if you want to eat buns in the middle of the night, you don¡¯t have to bother others. I can make them for you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t believe his words at all. He drank his tea angrily, calmed himself down, and then asked about business: ¡°You found the doctor?¡±


    ¡°I found him. Thanks to your portrait, a doctor soon said he had treated this person.¡± Yan Mingting looked serious as he said in a low voice, ¡°The doctor said that Bao Lun was suffering from a colorless, odorless poison, and that he didn¡¯t notice any abnormalities at first, just felt dizzy and weak. The doctor and Bao Lun just thought that he had contracted a cold, and they didn¡¯t realize something was wrong until long-term treatment was ineffective. The doctor couldn¡¯t cure him, and was afraid of his reputation being ruined, so he didn¡¯t continue to treat him.¡±


    ¡°He was poisoned¡­..¡±


    ¡°It was the same poison that was used on my father.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s face was somber. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that he would end up harming himself after harming others, and that he would die of this type of poison in the end.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment, then said: ¡°Now we must discover the origin and effect of this poison. People at the hospital might understand it, but they may make it known.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if there are any good doctors among the people.¡±


    ¡°I have someone to try.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Ruan Xian¡¯s brother-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Ruan Xian?¡± Yan Mingting felt somewhat disgusted when he thought of that little white face¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°He just said today that his brother-in-law once traveled with the former envoy of the Imperial hospital, returned from his studies, and is now preparing to be admitted to the Imperial hospital.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, then. Do we just call him over?¡±


    ¡°No rush.¡± If Zhao Yelan went to find the person now, he would be asking for something from Ruan Xian, and there was no guarantee that the other party wouldn¡¯t beat around the bush and make some demands. He didn¡¯t want to fall into a passive position. ¡°When Ruan Xian takes the initiative to send him to the door in a show of favor, the meaning will be different and we can better seal their mouths.¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t expect that a simple move would involve so many interests and benefits, so he gave him a sincere thumbs up: ¡°It¡¯s all up to you.¡±


    After dinner, Yan Mingting said that he had something urgent to discuss with him and brought him to the courtyard. However, he still refused to say what was going on, and just walked quickly ahead with his head down.


    At first, Zhao Yelan thought he was looking for a meeting place, so he followed along. It wasn¡¯t until they had walked all the way around the General¡¯s Mansion that he realized the other party¡¯s intentions and stopped suddenly, saying in a heavy voice: ¡°You did this on purpose.¡±


    Yan Mingting turned around and smiled a little: ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good for your health to digest fully after meals.¡±


    After this brisk walk, Zhao Yelan¡¯s body was already a little hot. He turned to go back to the room, but Yan Mingting stopped in front of him and said temptingly: ¡°If you go around again, you will have a long life.¡±


    ¡°Go on, keep talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Would I harm you?¡± Yan Mingting grasped his thin arm. ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out, it¡¯s more difficult for you to walk than to reach the sky, so how about you change it up and run around first?¡±


    Zhao Yelan remained motionless.


    ¡°Run slow, I¡¯ll run with you.¡± Yan Mingting thought for a moment, and added another bargaining chip. ¡°If you run a lap, I will promise you one thing.¡±


    ¡°What thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. As long as it¡¯s not arson, killing, or looting, anything that doesn¡¯t violate morality is fine.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a time, pondering the pros and cons, and finally nodded. ¡°All right, it¡¯s a deal.¡±


    Although it was only a lap, the area of the General¡¯s Mansion was not small. Yan Mingting skillfully ran around each corner, and when he finally saw that Zhao Yelan was truly exhausted, he stopped at the gate.


    Zhao Yelan leaned back against the post, gasping for breath, his forehead covered with sweat.


    Gao Tan had seen them running one after another and also ran all the way with them with ease. He couldn¡¯t help being curious: ¡°My lord, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°None of your business, go play on your own,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Aggrieved, Xiao Gao complained to Housekeeper Qin: ¡°I feel more and more that my lord doesn¡¯t like me anymore. He used to take me with him everywhere, but now that he has the General, he thinks I am in the way.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin comforted him: ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, he is not to blame for this, you really are in the way.¡±


    Gao Tan: ¡° ? ¡±


    After taking a bath that night, Zhao Yelan smelled himself carefully, only to feel that the stench on his body had disappeared.


    Yan Mingting brought him another bowl of medicine: ¡°The Imperial exam banquet and the Spring Hunt are soon. You must recover as soon as possible to avoid any trouble.¡±


    Zhao Yelan closed his eyes, drank the medicine in one go, and then lay down early to rest. He did not immediately divulge his condition for the run regarding what exactly he wanted Yan Mingting to do, but Yan Mingting knew that he would not let it go, so he must keep it in mind and wait for the day when he would be ordered to do something.


    After Qingming, it was rare to see a few days of clear weather. Zhao Yelan gradually recovered from the cold.


    The Imperial exam banquet was set up at night. Zhao Yelan changed into his official uniform and wore a sachet at his waist.


    Yan Mingting sniffed it: ¡°Is it jasmine?¡±


    ¡°A dog¡¯s nose is quite effective.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t worn that sweetgrass sachet for a long time.¡± Yang Mingting was a little moved after thinking about it. ¡°Are you worried about me sneezing?¡±


    ¡°I dislike you losing face.¡± Zhao Yelan rolled his eyes at him and got up to walk out the gate, seeing that the group of lieutenants had come. Everyone was joking around with Zhong Yuehong in the crowd.


    Zhong Yuehong, who was usually in uniform, now wore an emerald green dress. As soon as she heard the jeering from her brothers, she couldn¡¯t help but want to draw her sword, but when she touched her waist, she could only touch her purse.


    ¡°Say, Yuehong is really beautiful today.¡± When Yan Mingting came out, he was also taken aback for a moment, and then laughed.


    ¡°General, even you are making fun of me!¡±


    Zhong Yuehong seldom showed a trace of shyness. She knew very well that she had an ordinary appearance. Even though she was skilled in martial arts, from the bottom of her heart, she was still a little envious of the dresses of those ladies, which were curious and novel.


    Today, because the Emperor was hosting a banquet, her mother earnestly told her to change into this fairy dress. No matter how good the clothes were, they would only look good when they were worn.


    ¡°How is that making fun? Yuehong, you are really good-looking. It just so happens that all the officials are going to the banquet today, so you just look around and see if there is anyone you like¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°General!¡± Zhong Yuehong blushed. ¡°Stop talking nonsense! I don¡¯t want to marry!¡±


    ¡°All right, I won¡¯t say anything.¡± Yan Mingting got on his horse with a smile and said, ¡°When the time comes, everyone will help to see if there is a man who is suitable for Yuehong. If he refuses, how about carrying him back to the camp and making him the camp husband?¡±


    After speaking, he rode his horse and slipped away first.


    Everyone laughed, and Zhong Yuehong got on her horse to chase after him in a fit of embarrassment, the others following suit one after another.


    Zhao Yelan sat in the sedan chair and watched the group of people riding horses across the street, young and vigorous, and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After a while, he heard the unhurried sound of horseshoes next to him, opened a corner of the curtain, and looked at the person and horse outside: ¡°Why are you back again?¡±


    ¡°I was afraid you would be bored by yourself.¡± Yan Mingting sat on horseback and gazed at him leisurely. ¡°Do you want to ride together?¡±


    This was a busy city. Not to mention how eye-catching the two men riding on a horse would be, their identities were enough to make the common people gossip over dinner, and even more so those officials and ministers.


    ¡°Get a move on. Don¡¯t talk to me at the banquet today, I have something to do.¡± Zhao Yelan lowered the curtain mercilessly.


    ¡°Okay, ba.¡± Although he didn¡¯t know the other¡¯s plans, Yan Mingting was obedient and left quickly.


    When the sedan chair arrived at Qionglin Garden, Zhao Yelan got out and immediately saw Yan Mingting and his group standing outside the door arguing and fighting, but they didn¡¯t enter right away, as if they were waiting for someone.


    ¡°Zhao-daren is here.¡± Zhong Yuehong noticed him first, and waved to him.


    Zhao Yelan stepped forward unhurriedly: ¡°Why don¡¯t you go in?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all waiting for you,¡± Zhong Yuehong said.


    ¡°Okay, since everyone is here, let¡¯s go in first.¡± After Yan Mingting gave his orders, he walked to the back and said in a whisper: ¡°Sit with me later.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°I am rank seven.¡±


    The banquet was set up according to rank, and the seventh rank could only be at the outermost periphery. They might not even be able to see the Emperor¡¯s face.


    ¡°But you are my family. Those Imperial wives also came, and they sit at the same table as their husbands,¡± Yan Mingting said with conviction.


    Zhao Yelan thought for a moment, but still refused: ¡°It¡¯s easier to deal with things separately. I have to go and meet Ruan Xian for a while.¡±


    It turned out that he would be busy with Yan Mingting¡¯s own affairs. Yan Mingting¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he was almost overwhelmed with emotion, his eyes practically glued to him.


    Zhao Yelan walked to his seat, which was next to Ruan Xian¡¯s. They exchanged simple greetings, and after he sat down, he picked up a handkerchief and coughed continuously.


    Ruan Xian asked: ¡°Zhao-daren is still not in good health?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an old problem, and it won¡¯t get better. The Imperial doctor can¡¯t help me.¡± After speaking, he coughed twice.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask my brother-in-law to come look at it for you, he traveled abroad and saw all kinds of difficult and miscellaneous diseases. My wife¡¯s long-term incurable disease was cured by him,¡± Ruan Xian said.


    ¡°I fear it will delay your business.¡±


    ¡°It is no matter. Anyway, he is idle and has his hands free.¡± After several rounds of persuasion, Ruan Xian finally brought Zhao Yelan around. He secretly rejoiced, and only hoped that his brother-in-law could cure his illness, which would be considered a bridge between them.


    After the matter was settled, the banquet also began. The Emperor and the Empress walked slowly into the scene and took the main seats. They looked down at the officials and conversed politely with everyone for a while, then brought forth the main topic of discussion and ordered the new scholars to come forward and receive their rewards and appointments.


    Ruan Xian stretched his neck out curiously, then moved to Zhao Yelan¡¯s side and muttered: ¡°This year¡¯s candidates are getting too much attention. The Emperor personally got official uniforms for them, unlike us last year.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled slightly.


    The former Emperor was still alive in the spring of last year, and he didn¡¯t care about the Imperial examination at all. But Zhao Xuan was in urgent need of talents, and couldn¡¯t take it more seriously.


    ¡°That Wang Guisheng looks delicate and pretty,¡± Ruan Xian said. ¡°Zhao-daren, take a quick look, he looks a bit better in an official uniform.¡±


    Urged by him, Zhao Yelan had to raise his head to look, but caught Yan Mingting¡¯s gaze unexpectedly.


    Candlelight illuminated the entire banquet hall, and everyone was scrambling to look at the new scholars who were bathed in grace. Only Yan Mingting looked away. He sat there with a rebellious posture, his facial features enveloped in light. They were obviously hazy and blurred, but it made people feel that his eyes were so clear and vivid.


    Zhao Yelan was dazed for a moment and forgot what he was doing. He heard Ruan Xian¡¯s voice faintly ringing in his ears: ¡°How about it, isn¡¯t he quite good-looking?¡±


    ¡°En,¡± he responded with a grunt, and hurriedly lowered his head to take a sip of tea, thinking that he was sometimes too childish.


    After a while, he raised his head again. Before Yan Mingting looked away, he took another sip of tea and simply smiled back.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment, then he turned back abruptly to awkwardly pick up the wine in front of him. His hands trembled and he drank it in one gulp.


    ¡°My lord, what are you smiling at?¡± Ruan Xuan asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Zhao Yelan held the teacup in front of him and deliberately suppressed the curve of his mouth, but no matter what, he couldn¡¯t keep it down.


    Truly childish.

 CH 30

    After the Emperor commissioned the new scholars and rewarded them again, the banquet officially began.


    Musicians and dancers filled the room, playing music and dancing in the courtyard. The elegant beauties fluttered the long sleeves of their dresses, dazzling people.


    While enjoying the entertainment, everyone drank freely, and after some time, people started to walk around.


    The high-ranking officials who were closest to the Emperor went to toast one after another and make some compliments. Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t be bothered to climb up and smile, so he drank by himself and glanced at Zhao Yelan from time to time.


    ¡°General, I see that Kan Chuan looks pretty good, and I heard that he has a good character and a bright future,¡± He Cuizhang came around from behind and whispered. ¡°How about making him Yuehong¡¯s husband-in-law?¡±


    When Zhong Yuehong heard this, she immediately became serious: ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, he is already married, and I won¡¯t be a concubine.¡±


    Yan Mingting looked slantwise at Kan Chuan, and knew that the other party was secretly sizing up Zhao Yelan. He frowned subconsciously, but the other party only paused for a moment, then looked away.


    ¡°So, ah¡­¡­the main thing is that all these officials have families, so it¡¯s really not good to be too choosy¡­¡­hey, I heard that the number one scholar has not yet married a wife, what do you think about him?¡± He Cuizhang said.


    Zhong Yuehong glanced at him, and only then did she see the appearance of the new number one scholar, saying in surprise: ¡°Isn¡¯t that the little white face we saw by the river last time?¡±


    He Cuizhang took a closer look: ¡°Aiyo, damn, isn¡¯t this the good friend of Zhao-daren?¡±


    Yan Mingting gave him a sidelong glance.


    ¡°Pei, pei, definitely not a good friend.¡± He Cuizhang pretended to slap his mouth twice. His eyes had been fixed on Wang Guishang, and they widened in the next moment. ¡°General, he went to find Zhao-daren!¡±


    The three of them looked over together. The high-spirited first place scorer was surrounded by countless people, but he walked outside of the circle.


    Wang Guisheng was also quite puzzled. The first-place scorer could be seen as proud and elated, and many people came to converse with him, but Zhao Yelan remained indifferent.


    He had guessed beforehand that Zhao Yelan had visited him in advance to win him over, but right now he took no action, as if he didn¡¯t exist. This piqued his curiosity.


    But he didn¡¯t go directly to Zhao Yelan. Instead, he went to exchange pleasantries with a few bachelors from the Imperial Academy.


    He had been observing Zhao Yelan from the corner of his eye, and the man had been fiddling with pastries and drinking tea leisurely. A bachelor took him to briefly introduce his colleagues, and when Zhao Yelan was introduced, the other lifted his head and smiled at him: ¡°Congratulations to Wang-gonzi for achieving first place. Please give me advice in the future.¡±


    It was very perfunctory. Wang Guisheng was stunned for a moment. There was an inexplicable emotion lingering in his heart, and he was debating whether to be polite.


    When the other members of the Imperial Academy saw this, they all observed with the mentality of watching a good show. After all, Wang Guisheng¡¯s previous article insulted Zhao Yelan¡¯s party. In the future, the Imperial Academy would be very lively.


    Ruan Xian feared that the atmosphere between the two would be awkward, so he stood forward and talked with Wang Guisheng and introduced the affairs of the Imperial Academy in a lighthearted manner. Wang Guisheng smiled lightly, feeling good about him.


    The senior officials near the center also noticed Zhao Yelan. This previously powerful person was now sitting on the outermost edge, and also had to smile ingratiatingly for the new generation of scholars. They watched this with great joy, muttering and whispering as they ridiculed him inwardly and out loud.


    As it happened, Yan Mingting had good eyes and hearing, and his expression gradually dimmed as he stared at these people without saying a word. He didn¡¯t even hear the Emperor calling him.


    It wasn¡¯t until He Cuizhang nudged him that he came back to his senses and heard the Emperor ask: ¡°General Yan, I am sorry to trouble you with the Spring Hunt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, it is only a small matter,¡± Yan Mingting replied.


    Zhao Xuan saw him sitting in his seat drinking alone with no one around him, and then looked at Zhao Yelan who was sitting on the periphery. He had the impression that there was discord between the two, so he smiled lightly and rewarded Yan Mingting with a pot of Jade Dew fine wine as a token of the Emperor¡¯s favor.


    After drinking three rounds, the Emperor and the Empress left first.


    The courtiers were also a little drunk, drinking wine in small groups. Yan Mingting picked up two jugs of wine and walked to the opposite table, and those people looked at him foggily.


    He gave them a simple and honest smile: ¡°My lords, I wonder if you can do me a favor and have a few drinks with me?¡±


    Those people were already dizzy from drinking, but it wasn¡¯t easy to deny him to his face, so they had to continue drinking with him. Who knew that Yan Mingting would continue pouring wine for them, saying with a smile: ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since I returned to Beijing, and I will need you all to take care of me in the future. This is good wine rewarded by the Emperor, I¡¯ll offer it first in respect.¡±


    These few people couldn¡¯t evade in time, and after they were force-fed by him two or three times, they ran out of the banquet hall to vomit.


    Yan Mingting looked at their backs, snorted coldly, and then immediately met Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes. Zhao Yelan gave him a questioning look, but he didn¡¯t reply, sitting back down in his seat and gazing at him all the while.


    Zhao Yelan wasn¡¯t clear on why, so he planned to question him after he returned. He looked around, his eyes paused in a certain direction, and then he got up and walked out.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, where are you going?¡± Ruan Xian asked.


    ¡°Out.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked unhurriedly, and someone bumped into him from behind. It was Kan Chuan, who was in a rush.


    ¡°Kan-daren is in such a hurry, what is he planning to do?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Kan Chuan looked directly at him and replied: ¡°I¡¯ve had too much to drink, and I just want to alleviate it.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded, appearing to mockingly say: ¡°Kan-daren is now favored by the Emperor. There must be a lot of people who want to drink with you, just be careful not to drink too much, ah.¡±


    Kan Chuan gave him a profound look: ¡°What is the problem?¡±


    The two looked at each other for a moment. Zhao Yelan was about to speak when he caught a glimpse of Yan Mingting approaching from the side. He ignored the other man and went straight to Yan Mingting instead: ¡°Why did you come?¡±


    ¡°I feared you were being bullied by a drunkard,¡± Yan Mingting said, reeking of alcohol as he looked straight at Kan Chuan.


    Kan Chuan sneered, turning around to stride away.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re the biggest alcoholic.¡± Zhao Yelan frowned and dragged him toward the banquet hall.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the toilet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Yan Mingting hiccuped and followed behind him. It took him a long time to say: ¡°Holding it in is bad for your health.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan ignored him. After thinking about it, he asked him a question in a low voice: ¡°Why did you drink with those old-timers just now? Do you want to get closer to them?¡±


    Yan Mingting said: ¡°No, I just think they are a bit annoying and talk a lot.¡±


    Zhao Yelan stopped abruptly, and it seemed he had guessed the reason. That group of people used to love to impeach him in court, and said mocking words behind his back. He looked back at Yan Mingting, lowered his voice, and said: ¡°Don¡¯t mind those old-timers.¡±


    ¡°Are you not angry?¡±


    ¡°Why be angry? They cannot make political achievements, so they can only wag their tongues.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not pleasant to listen to idle gossip.¡± Yan Mingting hmphed coldly.


    Zhao Yelan said dispassionately: ¡°It is nothing to be uncomfortable with. If they truly annoy me, they won¡¯t even have a chance to speak. They¡¯re just a bunch of old things waiting to die.¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡± Yan Mingting suddenly covered his mouth, leading him to jump into the bushes next to them, hiding in the dark. ¡°Someone is there.¡±


    Zhao Yelan vigilantly pressed down the leaves in front of him, he looked around and caught a glimpse of two figures approaching each other in the distance, a man and a woman. It looked like a palace maid and a sixth-rank official.


    The official whispered some orders to the maid and they began to flirt, chirping and chattering shamelessly and looking like they were about to kiss.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan was completely speechless. Turning his head to look at Yan Mingting, he found the other looking at him teasingly and raising a hand to remove a leaf from his head.


    Zhao Yelan froze for a moment, then cast a meaningful look over there.


    Yan Mingting nodded. He picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the official¡¯s head.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± The official yelled in fear, then led the other person away in a panic.


    Zhao Yelan stood up and patted down his clothes: ¡°Fancy that, you are also capable of sneaking around and listening to other people¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°When I heard stealthy footsteps, I thought it was something big, but who knew they were here to flirt.¡± Yan Mingting smiled helplessly.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t for nothing, don¡¯t let him steal the scene.¡±


    The official had arranged for the maid to lead the Emperor to a set position on the day of the Spring Hunt, so that he could lead people to pretend to be heroes. Such a clumsy drama.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m in charge of the hunting grounds. Would I let him take advantage of a loophole?¡±


    Neither of them went back to the banquet hall, walking out the door together. Zhao Yelan asked: ¡°Are you going back as well?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so late, why not go back? I don¡¯t know many people who like to drink, unlike you, with so many little white faces drinking together.¡± Yan Mingting suddenly got kicked for his sarcastic remark.


    ¡°Stop talking. Li Jinyu is over there, you go feel him out,¡± Zhao Yelan said in a low voice, and raised his chin toward the southeast.


    ¡°How do I feel him out?¡±


    ¡°You hit Li Yucheng. Apologize to him and see how he reacts.¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded. After the other got into a sedan chair, he turned around, walked up to Li Jinyu with a smile on his face, cupped his hands, and said: ¡°Li-daren, this Yan Mingting wanted to have a drink with you just now, but couldn¡¯t get away. I hope you will forgive me.¡±


    ¡°It is no matter, General Yan is young and promising. It is normal for him to have a lot of entertainment.¡± Li Jinyu smiled kindly.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I also wanted to apologize to Li-daren. I drank too much wine in the restaurant last time, acted recklessly, and beat Li-gongzi. I regretted it afterwards¡­¡­¡±


    Li Jinyu smiled: ¡°I would like to thank the General. If you had not hung him up, I¡¯m afraid I would never be able to find that villain. Now he is behaving himself and staying in the mansion, he just doesn¡¯t know how to be obedient.¡±


    He and Yan Mingting smiled at each other and conversed for a while, then Yan Mingting returned on horseback to the General¡¯s Mansion.


    ¡°How did he react?¡± Zhao Yelan asked when he came through the door. He was in the middle of washing his hands.


    Yan Mingting recounted it in detail. Zhao Yelan pondered for a moment and wiped his hands: ¡°This old fox is putting on a good face. It seems that just a beating can¡¯t get him to act.¡±


    ¡°Then what? Kill Li Yucheng?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°Do you dare?¡± Zhao Yelan looked askance at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Although Li Yucheng is a bit of a dandy, his nature isn¡¯t that bad. Not to mention that I almost became his brother-in-law, how could I¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting stopped talking abruptly and gave Zhao Yelan a meaningful look. Seeing him wiping his hands as usual without a trace of jealousy, he felt a little disappointed for no reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless to kill him. It would just be a waste of effort. As I said, all human beings have weaknesses. Li Jinyu¡¯s weakness is Li Yucheng, and Li Yucheng¡¯s weaknesses are¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan put down the handkerchief slowly. The corners of his mouth curled up, but there was no smile in his eyes. ¡°Many.¡±


    Yan Mingting stared at him for a moment, and then wondered: ¡°Everyone has a weakness¡­¡­then what is yours?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows: ¡°I have no weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Yan Mingting at once drew his sword and placed it at his own throat. ¡°You won¡¯t say, so how about I kill myself before your eyes?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his hand: ¡°Please proceed quickly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting felt disheartened. Sometimes he felt that Zhao Yelan liked him, while other times he felt that the other party didn¡¯t care at all.


    Zhao Yelan sat down to rest for a while, and was about to go wash, but Yan Mingting pulled him up.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Running.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so late and you still need to go for a run?!¡±


    ¡°Persistence is the most important thing.¡± Yan Mingting took him to the courtyard without any explanation.


    ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t it decided before that you had to promise me something?¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°En, what have you thought up?¡±


    ¡°I want you to promise me that you will not pull me to exercise in the future.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Impossible.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t expect him to refuse, and said scathingly: ¡°A real man of character who doesn¡¯t keep his word.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am truly a villain, what can you do to me?¡± Yan Mingting stood upright and self-confident, with his hands on his hips. ¡°Tonight, you must keep exercising.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It seemed that this guy was determined to cheat.


    Zhao Yelan had no choice but to be dragged along for a run. After half a circle, he was leaning weakly against a beam of the house, gasping for breath.


    Yan Mingting came back and stood in front of him. To prevent him from escaping, he placed one hand against the beam and looked at him silently.


    Zhao Yelan raised his head weakly. He no longer had the strength to scold him, and could only condemn his scoundrelly behavior with his eyes.


    Yan Mingting looked into his eyes, averted his gaze, and reached out to smooth back the hair that had been blown to his cheeks by the wind. Then he turned around and walked into the house, sighing: ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it for tonight.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his head and watched him slowly disappear into the corridor. He leaned on the railing and sat down on the chair next to him, taking in the evening breeze for a while before returning to his room.


    Three days later, it was the Spring Hunt.


    For the past three days, Yan Mingting left early and returned late every day. The two rarely met face to face, and Zhao Yelan had a few rare tranquil days.


    This morning, he changed into light clothes and departed with Yan Mingting.


    Several lieutenants were standing outside the door and followed them, riding on horseback around the sedan chair.


    Zhong Yuehong had armed herself again, and exuberantly let it be known that she would hunt a leopard.


    Everyone talked about the prey they were after. Zhao Yelan casually asked Yan Mingting: ¡°What prey do you want to hunt?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it, I¡¯ll see what¡¯s there.¡± Yan Mingting lowered his head, wiping his sword.


    Zhao Yelan originally wanted to remind him that the Spring Hunt was centered on the royal family, and tell him not to show off. But looking at his heroic profile and the group of lieutenants eager to try, he didn¡¯t say anything in the end.


    At worst, he would just let the Emperor save some face.


    ¡°What is wrong with you these past few days?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yan Mingting eyed him uncertainly: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°There is something wrong with you.¡± Zhao Yelan had naturally sensed his strangeness these past few days. He showed no small amount of reticence, and seemed more mature and steady than before, but it was just inexplicable¡­¡­he wasn¡¯t used to it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Yan Mingting asked again.


    Seeing that he refused to speak, Zhao Yelan did not ask again, and remained silent the rest of the way.


    After arriving at the hunting grounds, the group of people walked inside. This place was a closed royal hunting ground, usually reserved for only the children of the royal family. Only during the spring and autumn hunts could civil and military officials enter.


    The camp was not far from the entrance, and as soon as they entered, they saw a lush forest which was stocked with countless prey.


    After walking for a while, there was a sudden noise in the forest nearby, rushing toward them with a whoosh.


    Zhao Yelan exclaimed in fright and grabbed Yan Mingting, squeezing in front of him in panic: ¡°There¡¯s something over there!¡±


    Yan Mingting looked down and saw that his eyes were tightly closed, and he was so frightened that he practically clung to his body. The corners of his mouth rose wildly, and then he coughed, wrapping his arms around the other¡¯s back to comfort him: ¡°It¡¯s all right, see for yourself what it is.¡±


    Zhao Yelan slowly opened his eyes and raised his head to look at the branch. It was a squirrel.


    The surrounding lieutenants all pursed their lips and held back their laughter.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan took a deep breath. Donning a straight face again, he was about to go forward alone, but Yan Mingting grabbed his arm.


    ¡°The road ahead is dangerous, don¡¯t go too fast.¡± Yan Mingting took a step in front of him. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Zhao Yelan lowered his head, always paying attention to the movement around him, and yielded after making a show of resistance. Suddenly, the hand holding his forearm slid down and grabbed his wrist.


    He looked over at the other party. Yan Mingting smiled at him and said: ¡°Keep up, don¡¯t be frightened out of your body by kittens and puppies.¡±


    Zhao Yelan struggled a bit, but the other held his wrist even tighter and said shamelessly: ¡°I¡¯m disinclined to protect normal people, but since you took the initiative to ask for help, I will take extra care of you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Good, the familiar Yan Mingting was back again.

 CH 31

    Many people had already arrived at the camp and were greeting each other. When those people saw them, they immediately came forward to say hello.


    ¡°General Yan will have a big harvest today, ah.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant General He and Lieutenant General Zhong are also energetic. It looks like they¡¯re going to hunt a lot of good things today.¡±


    They praised these military officials one by one, automatically ignoring Zhao Yelan, who was powerless.


    Zhao Yelan also didn¡¯t want to make sham gestures of politeness with them. Taking a seat, he saw those martial arts masters approaching Yan Mingting and the others, their voices full of longing and admiration.


    The father and son of the Yan family could be said to be role models in the hearts of all warriors.


    The others also slowly arrived. At this time, Eunuch Gao shouted: ¡°The Emperor is here!¡±


    Everyone got up and saluted one after another. Zhao Xuan walked out well-dressed, and said in a loud voice: ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite, today is the day of the hunt. Everyone goes into battle according to their skills, and what they hunt can be brought back directly. Anyone who can hunt down the tiger will receive a generous reward.¡±


    The group of people were eager to compete, and when he finished speaking, they could hardly wait to ride into the forest.


    Most of the officials were old, but their children were in the prime of their youth and bustled with noise and excitement in search of prey. Even Li Yucheng was among them.


    Bows and arrows were distributed uniformly. Zhao Xuan picked up a quiver and was about to set off, when he subconsciously looked at Zhao Yelan.


    They looked at each other, and Zhao Yelan smiled and nodded as if in encouragement.


    Zhao Xuan smiled tacitly and raised his voice: ¡°General Yan, let us go together.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yan Mingting raised his bow, jumped onto his horse, and tightened the reins. He glanced at Zhao Yelan in high spirits, but Zhao Yelan looked back at him indifferently: ¡°Do not be complacent.¡±


    The corners of Yan Mingting¡¯s mouth rose: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He Cuizhang and the others followed in sequence. The sound of horseshoes gradually faded away, and the people who remained waved away the dirt and dust that rose into the air.


    After entering the hunting grounds, Zhao Xuan separated from Yan Mingting and the others. He was good at riding and shooting, and didn¡¯t want to use Yan Mingting¡¯s martial arts to obtain his prey. With a small entourage, he went in the other direction.


    ¡°General, what should we do now?¡± He Cuizhang asked.


    ¡°There is no need to stay together. Everyone enjoy within your own abilities, ba.¡± After Yan Mingting gave his orders, Zhong Yuehong turned her horse¡¯s head and rushed into the forest excitedly.


    Even at a distance from the hunting grounds, the civil officials sitting in the camp could hear the neighing of the horses and the growling of the game inside. It sounded a bit terrifying. Particularly worrying was that some people¡¯s children were still inside.


    The Prime Minister seemed to fear that Li Yucheng would have an accident, so he wanted to call up a few followers and go in search of him.


    Someone laughed at him: ¡°Minister Li, don¡¯t you write poetry now?¡±


    Li Jinyu wiped the sweat from his forehead: ¡°I can¡¯t right now, I¡¯ll do it later.¡±


    The others laughed out loud, and someone added fuel to the fire: ¡°By the way, I heard a few days ago that Zhao Yelan and General Yan hung Li-gongzi from a tree. Is this true? You are the Prime Minister, ah, how can he live as such a good-for-nothing? If it was me, I would be sure to¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What would you be sure to do?¡± Zhao Yelan asked with a smile.


    The man¡¯s voice paused. He didn¡¯t expect him to say this, and stammered without saying a complete sentence for a long time.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°I recall that your young master is thirteen years old and won¡¯t die after being hung up for a night. One of these days, I will¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, excuse me, I made a slip of the tongue. Don¡¯t mind me, have mercy on my son, ba.¡± The man hurriedly begged for leniency, knowing that he had forgotten himself for a moment. Even though Zhao Yelan was currently only a seventh-rank scholar, he could regain the Emperor¡¯s favor at any moment. What¡¯s more, Yan Mingting had already accompanied him to do wicked things, so there was no guarantee that he would not be spurred on by him.


    Zhao Yelan smiled faintly: ¡°I¡¯m out of tea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pour some for you.¡± The man trotted over with haste, respectfully poured him tea, and handed the teacup to him with a smile on his face.


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Yelan poured the tea out as soon as he accepted it.


    ¡°Too hot.¡±


    The man bore with it under everyone¡¯s complicated gazes and poured him another cup. Zhao Yelan took it and said indifferently: ¡°All right, you have no business here. Go back.¡±


    The people around Kan Chuan couldn¡¯t help muttering, and the Imperial Censor said: ¡°Why is this Zhao Yelan still so powerful? It is too outrageous! Tomorrow morning, I will certainly censure him!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useless,¡± Kan Chuan said. ¡°He will say that the other party offered the first insult, and that he splashed the tea because it was too hot and his hand was unsteady. The Emperor will not deal with such a small matter, and will only think that you focus on trivial matters every day.¡±


    ¡°It is as Kan-daren says. But since this Imperial Censor can¡¯t speak out, why doesn¡¯t Kan-daren go to speak to the Emperor? The Emperor has always summoned you alone these days, so he should take your opinions seriously, right?¡±


    ¡°The Imperial Censor should speak carefully. The Emperor summons me to speak about important matters concerning the common people, not to listen to me suing officials. If I truly did such a thing, what would be the difference between me and Zhao Yelan and his ilk?¡± When Kan Chuan finished his righteous speech, all the respectable people around him agreed and admired him greatly.


    ¡°However, should he continue to be so arrogant?¡± Asked another.


    Kan Chuan looked at Zhao Yelan, who happened to be looking over too. Their eyes met, and he said calmly: ¡°Although nowadays he is a tiger who has come down from the mountain, it is not good to provoke him easily. A rabbit may bite when it is desperate. Whoever crosses him now will suffer disaster in the future if he is allowed to return to power.¡±


    When the others heard this, they also had the same reasoning. Wasn¡¯t that the case with Liu-daren just now? This Zhao-daren had yet to return to power, yet he dared to ask Liu-daren to pour tea for him in front of so many people. They dared not think about how things would develop in the future.


    Sitting nearby, Wang Guisheng listened to their conversation and looked at Zhao Yelan with a complicated expression. There was arrogance in his heart, and he wanted to completely remove this treacherous person, but he always thought of the night when Zhao Yelan talked about poetic essays with him. Warm dishes and warm wine, earnest words, and gaining genuine appreciation that he had never received before.


    When Zhao Yelan looked over casually, he subconsciously straightened his back and didn¡¯t know how to face the other. While he was struggling, Zhao Yelan had already glanced away. Although he was relieved, there was also a subtle sense of loss.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, I¡¯ve found you.¡± Ruan Xian walked over with a smile. The camp was spacious and there were many officials who had come to participate. Ruan Xian had searched around while carrying a flagon of wine, only to see the slightly lonely-looking Zhao Yelan and sit beside him familiarly. ¡°How is your health?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, there is no¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan withdrew his inquisitive gaze, covered his mouth and nose, and coughed a few times before continuing, ¡°¡­¡­big problem.¡±


    ¡°This is what you call not a big problem?¡± Ruan Xian said with concern. ¡°It so happens that my brother-in-law is out to see a patient and hasn¡¯t returned yet, but I have already sent him a letter, and he will return to Beijing in two days. He will definitely give you a good diagnosis.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to bother him in this way.¡±


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that being too polite? Our first meeting was like that of old friends, and although I call you Zhao-daren, I treat you as an elder brother in my heart,¡± Ruan Xian laughed.


    Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°Thank you, Ruan-daren, for your kindness.¡±


    Ruan Xian smiled in surprise. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, could I address you less formally, and instead call you Zhao-xiong?¡±[1]


    ¡°All right.¡± Zhao Yelan nodded in agreement.


    Ruan Xian was a little happy and wanted to drink with him, but it could be seen that he was frequently coughing, so he had to sip the wine alone.


    The two sat and conversed for a while. Something occurred to Ruan Xian, and he asked in a low voice: ¡°Zhao-xiong, I see that you have a very good relationship with General Yan. Can you tell him not to look at me so fiercely every time he sees me? It makes my heart uneasy, and I don¡¯t know how I offended him.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Zhao Yelan asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, ah, the few times I¡¯ve seen him, he would glare at me a few times without giving a reason. I¡¯ve never had much contact with him, and I don¡¯t know what could have made him unhappy. Although he is big and handsome, he can be intimidating when he looks fierce. I¡¯m really afraid of him,¡± Ruan Xian complained without end.


    ¡°No, what I¡¯m asking is, when did you see that our relationship is good?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ruan Xian frowned. ¡°Is it not okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± Ruan Xian saw that he was confident that his relationship was not good, and was not sure of himself anymore, beginning to suspect that it was his own illusion. ¡°It may be that I read it wrong, ba.¡±


    ¡°You must have read it wrong,¡± Zhao Yelan affirmed.


    The time limit for the hunt was one day, so lunch was also eaten at the camp. Everyone gathered together to eat, and heard the sudden sound of hoofbeats as someone returned.


    ¡°Ya!¡± Li Yucheng was the first to come back, his head soaked in sweat as he shouted excitedly, ¡°Dad, I caught something!¡±


    Everyone looked over curiously and saw a group of attendants following him carrying a dozen rabbits.


    In an instant, everyone burst into laughter. It went without saying that there were no words for his riding and shooting skills. They laughed so hard that Li Yucheng was too ashamed to show his face, and he lowered his head listlessly.


    Only Li Jinyu patted him on the head with a smile on his face: ¡°Very good, Dad is very happy as long as you are safe and sound. Tell Dad how you hunted them?¡±


    Li Yucheng¡¯s face was full of joy again and he pulled him to sit down, animatedly talking about the scene inside: ¡°There are so many things in there! Leopards and big tigers as well, so scary¡­¡­¡±


    Smiling, the other people turned back around. Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help but take another look, and saw that no matter what Li Yucheng said, Li Jinyu would listen very carefully and repeat a few words, offering him praise.


    ¡°You said that our Prime Minister has great literary talent, but why is his son so useless?¡± Ruan Xian said in a hushed voice, shaking his head with a sigh.


    Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes sadly: ¡°This is Li Yucheng¡¯s good fortune.¡±


    ¡°That is true, Li Yucheng has such a doting father, and has been comfortable all his life, unlike me¡­¡­¡± There was a hint of sourness in Ruan Xian¡¯s tone, and he immediately laughed. ¡°Forget it, since there is no such father, I can only rely on myself.¡±


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched, and he said, ¡°Yes, ah.¡±


    The temperature rose a bit in the afternoon. Fortunately, the camp was shaded by trees, so it wasn¡¯t overly hot. Zhao Yelan sat in his chair and dozed off for a while. He heard the sound of hoofbeats but didn¡¯t bother to open his eyes. In any case, there were countless voices reporting the results.


    Which official had hunted a deer, which gongzi had shot a wolf¡­¡­there were congratulatory voices all around, which was very noisy.


    After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes and examined the people who had hunted trophies. They were encircled by crowds as they told about their experiences inside, arousing everyone¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°I heard that the tiger is difficult to subdue, did any of you try?¡±


    ¡°The Emperor, did he¡­¡­look, isn¡¯t the Emperor coming back now?¡±


    Everyone looked over one after another, and Zhao Yelan followed suit. He saw Zhao Xuan ride out in a mighty manner, his clothes stained with blood. The entourage behind him was pulling a wooden cart, upon which was the corpse of a tiger. It was so big that just looking at it was terrifying.


    The officials approached in succession to observe, and didn¡¯t forget to say a few words of flattery.


    Zhao Xuan was in a good mood, and ordered the tiger to be cut up and divided among everyone. When he caught a glimpse of Zhao Yelan¡¯s figure, he couldn¡¯t help but step forward and ask with a smile: ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s prestige remains unparalleled,¡± Zhao Yelan complimented.


    Zhao Xuan laughed loudly and patted him on the shoulder, saying in a low voice: ¡°In due course, the tiger skin will be given to you to protect you from the cold.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, Your Majesty.¡±


    Zhao Xuan turned around to inspect other people¡¯s achievements, praising them without hesitation. The scene was very lively.


    Not long after, He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong also returned. He Cuizhang had hunted the wolf king, and Zhong Yuehong had captured a leopard.


    ¡°Not bad, the two lieutenants are really young and promising.¡± Zhao Xuan walked up to them, laughing loudly. When he looked at Zhong Yuehong, he was full of praise. ¡°Lieutenant general Zhong¡¯s skill is extraordinary, she is truly a heroine.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty flatters me.¡±  Zhong Yuehong clasped her hands in a soldier¡¯s salute.


    Zhao Xuan glanced at her appreciatively and then looked away: ¡°Your people have all returned. Why do I not see Yan Mingting?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why hasn¡¯t the General come back yet?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°The General wasn¡¯t with us, we don¡¯t know,¡± He Cuizhang said.


    Zhao Xuan counted the people and found that there were still a few gongzis from aristocratic families who had not returned , so he ordered the people to continue to wait.


    ¡°How about we guess what General Yan will bring back?¡± One person suggested.


    ¡°But the tiger has been captured by His Majesty, and the wolf king and leopard have also been caught. What else can be hunted?¡±


    ¡°There is also a bear. It seems that no one has brought it back yet.¡±


    ¡°True, General Yan must have caught the bear.¡±


    Just then, the person in charge shouted: ¡°Report! Wu Zhuangyuan hunted down one black bear, twelve wild geese, and one deer.¡±


    ¡°Whoo, it turns out that Wu Zhuangyuan gets the credit!¡±


    ¡°What else can General Yan catch?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing great left in the forest, maybe General Yan is going to fight a phoenix, ha ha ha ha.¡±


    Everyone laughed, and at this time some people had already revealed mocking expressions. They suspected that this famous general had a reputation with no substance. Was it really all right if he couldn¡¯t even hunt the heads of prey?


    The other lieutenants also came back one after another, and their harvest was not small. Seeing that Yan Mingting had not come back, they automatically came to Zhao Yelan¡¯s side.


    Zhao Yelan turned his head and asked: ¡°What is he doing?¡±


    The lieutenants were clearly aware of the taunts from others, and He Cuizhang replied: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him either¡­¡­could something have happened, ah?¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned and covertly glanced around, inexplicably feeling that everyone present might have set a trap for Yan Mingting.


    On the one hand, it might be because the Yan family had too much power, and on the other, it might be because of himself. They had made enemies of too many people, so he would start with the people closest to them first.


    They would not normally be able to murder Yan Mingting without difficulty, but today, taking advantage of the Spring Hunt, they could set up some traps in the hunting grounds and declare that he had died at the mouth of a beast¡­¡­


    He looked at Zhao Xuan abruptly.


    Zhao Xuan noticed his pointed gaze and looked sideways at him. When he met those deep, dark eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but freeze.


    Over the years, he had seen Zhao Yelan reveal such a dangerous look countless times, but never toward himself. Every time Zhao Yelan looked at him, his eyes were always fragile and filled with unspeakable emotions.


    When he looked again, the other party had already returned to normal, as if it had been an illusion. He even gave him a gentle smile, making him really suspect that he was overly tired and having hallucinations.


    Not Zhao Xuan, Zhao Yelan thought.


    He soon came to his senses. Although Zhao Xuan feared Yan Mingting, his army was still needed, and he would not use such lowly tricks to murder Yan Mingting.


    If he wanted to harm Zhao Yelan, it would be an easy task, and he would not have to go through such trouble to dispense of Yan Mingting first.


    At this moment, the slow plodding of horseshoes sounded in the forest. Everyone heard the sound and looked over to where Yan Mingting finally appeared at the entrance.


    Yan Mingting emerged slowly on horseback, his long hair half held back and blowing in the wind, his eyes like bright stars, and looked around with an unreadable expression. There was clearly nobody behind him, but people inexplicably felt that there were thousands of troops at his back, poised for action, an invisible deterrent.


    ¡°Son!¡± An official in the back of the crowd suddenly shouted, pushing forward. ¡°Son, what happened to you?!¡±


    Only then did everyone come to their senses and notice the person lying in front of Yan Mingting. The person heard that voice and raised his head, stretching out a hand helplessly. ¡°Father, cough cough cough.¡±


    Yan Mingting lifted him from the back with one hand, and others instantly went to retrieve him. He said to the people: ¡°Ling-gonzi was bitten by a wild dog. Take him to a doctor and have him checked carefully.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, General Yan!¡±


    There was an Imperial physician accompanying them, and Zhao Yelan immediately ordered him to check on the injury.


    Others also clearly saw that Yan Mingting had not brought back any prey, but saving someone¡¯s life made for a good story, and nobody sneered anymore.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know that he had been secretly mocked. He dismounted, threw his quiver to He Cuizhang, and walked right up to Zhao Yelan.


    He Cuizhang enumerated his shortcomings: ¡°Hey, General, this is no good, did you not hunt at all?¡±


    ¡°How could this be?¡± Yan Mingting spoke without care and noticed that Zhao Yelan¡¯s face was gloomy, asking in concern, ¡°Why are you unhappy?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him silently, not saying a word, and couldn¡¯t explain why he was so depressed.


    In the silence, he suddenly saw Yan Mingting¡¯s chest move and pointed to it: ¡°What is that?¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes curved: ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡±


    Several other lieutenants also looked over curiously. Zhao Yelan looked down again, and in the next instant, a fluffy white rabbit poked its head out from the hem of his clothes. The little mouth moved and moved, and it opened a pair of innocent red eyes, meeting Zhao Yelan face-to-face.


    ¡°Ah, rabbit!¡± Zhong Yuehong fell in love with it, and just as she reached out to touch, her hand was smacked away by Yan Mingting.


    Yan Mingting grabbed the rabbit by the ears and stuffed it unhesitatingly into Zhao Yelan¡¯s hands, saying with a smile: ¡°Hold it firmly.¡±


    [1] The suffix -xiong is the equivalent of ¡°elder brother.¡± So, Elder Brother Zhao. ?

 CH 32

    ¡°Your Majesty, today your Majesty was the most valiant during the hunt. Hunting this huge beast is truly extraordinary and mighty!¡± The officials on the side flattered.


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s ears were ringing. He disliked hearing these flattering words. These people were used to praising the powerful and oppressing the weak, and when he was powerless in the past, he never heard such things.


    There was only Zhao Yelan who grew up at his side, urging him on and encouraging him, never deliberately flattering him. Even though he was now honored as the Emperor and had hunted a fierce tiger, the other party only gave him a smile to show affirmation, which was instead more comfortable than such vain flattery.


    Thinking of this, he looked at his prey again and planned to reward Zhao Yelan with both the tiger skin and the stag to make him happy. Of course, there was also some pride in it.


    Perfectly satisfied, he moved forward and looked toward Zhao Yelan, then saw a white rabbit jump out of his hands and Zhao Yelan taking two steps after it.


    Zhao Xuan was wondering where the live rabbit came from when he saw Zhao Yelan turn around and say to the other person: ¡°What are you doing still in a daze, are you just going to let it run away?¡±


    ¡°Ask me, ah,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    ¡°In your dreams.¡± Zhao Yelan stood in place and said, ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t care if it runs away.¡±


    ¡°I care.¡± Yan Mingting quickly caught the rabbit and stuffed it into his arms. ¡°You have literary talent, give it a name.¡±


    Zhao Yelan thought for a while: ¡°I¡¯ll call it Hongshao,[1] ba, I haven¡¯t eaten rabbit head in a long time.¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The rabbit flinched, and the others laughed out loud.


    Zhao Xuan looked at the group of people, staring straight at Zhao Yelan and not letting the expression on his face slip. He clearly saw the cunning that flashed in his eyes, like he was deliberately teasing Yan Mingting to play, and the joy that came after success.


    When did Zhao Yelan ever tease others?


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s eyes gradually darkened, his heart feeling bitter and sour. When he looked over again, Zhao Yelan had returned to his original appearance, as if it had just been an illusion.


    He walked over with heavy steps and asked with a forced smile: ¡°Where did this rabbit come from?¡±


    ¡°Answering Your Majesty, the General caught it,¡± Zhong Yuehong said.


    ¡°It is likely that the person in charge accidentally mixed in this rabbit,¡± Yan Mingting explained.


    It stood to reason that there would only be wild rabbits in the hunting grounds, not domestic ones, but not long after Yan Mingting entered, he saw this white and tender domestic rabbit and supposed that the palace servants had accidentally let it in. It had no experience living in the wild. In these hunting grounds, it would either die to an arrow or at the mouth of another beast, so he simply took it away. It also looked inexplicably like Zhao Yelan, who was also soft and white, and insisted on looking at others fiercely despite the lack of red eyes.


    ¡°So that is the case.¡± Zhao Xuan reached out to touch the rabbit¡¯s head with a gentle smile, and said to Zhao Yelan, who was holding it, ¡°This is really a good thing, don¡¯t you love rabbit meat? This is a blessing, right, Mengting?¡±[2]


    The people around were stunned. Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Xuan in surprise, and then at Zhao Yelan with a complicated expression.


    Zhao Yelan nodded, calm and composed: ¡°En.¡±


    After saying a few words, Zhao Xuan went on to inspect other prey.


    This group of talents regained their noisy atmosphere, and Zhong Yuehong couldn¡¯t bear it, saying: ¡°My lord, do you really want to braise it? In that case, give it to me, I¡¯ll buy it from you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was distracted, staring at Zhao Xuan¡¯s back. He couldn¡¯t quite understand why the other party had suddenly called him ¡°Mengting.¡± Could it be that he was threatening him because he saw him lingering with Yan Mingting and his group?


    Yan Mingting followed his line of sight to Zhao Xuan¡¯s tall, straight back. His eyes darkened a bit, and he raised his hand to stroke the rabbit¡¯s head.


    The atmosphere was a bit strange, and the two of them were completely silent, standing in place with their own thoughts. They didn¡¯t come back to their senses until everyone began to return home.


    At sunset, there was only a little bit of warm afterglow in the forest as everyone left in an orderly manner. Zhao Yelan turned to go, but Yan Mingting grasped his arm.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Yan Mingting was responsible for the security of the hunting grounds, and had arranged many people around him, so he had to deal with the aftermath. Zhao Yelan thought for a moment, then stayed and waited for them to go back together.


    The crowd gradually dispersed. When Li Yucheng passed by him, he gave him a fierce look and whispered: ¡°Zhao Yelan, you wait for me, I will remember the grudge from last time.¡±


    Ignorant fool.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t even bother to respond to him, and put the rabbit on the ground. As soon as it  ran away, Zhong Yuehong caught it again for a thorough petting.


    He could see that she liked it very much, and said: ¡°Take it back and keep it for yourself.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong shook her head: ¡°Forget it, the General caught it for you, my lord. If I take it away, he will punish me with fifty blows with a cane.¡±


    Zhao Yelan wondered: ¡°You will be caned?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been through it many times and couldn¡¯t get out of bed for days,¡± Zhong Yuehong complained.


    He Cuizhang leaned down to touch the rabbit and joined the conversation: ¡°Who told you to disobey orders and act without authorization? Besides, the General said that military merit would be awarded based on meritorious deeds, but according to military discipline, there is no difference between men and women. If you make a mistake, you will be punished.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong glared at him, and the two started shoving and fighting.


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°It should be so.¡±


    As a female lieutenant general, Zhong Yuehong was very uncommon. If it wasn¡¯t for the old general and Yan Mingting¡¯s efforts to protect her, perhaps she would be a married woman by now, with a husband and child, and then how could she have thousands of soldiers under her command?


    Therefore, if she made a mistake, she could not be shown favoritism, lest anyone think that General Yan would be partial to her for being a woman. If it were not this way, the soldiers under her would inevitably be dissatisfied, and she would be more likely to lose credit. If the hearts of the people were not in harmony, it would be difficult to resist the enemy.


    ¡°See, my lord also said there is nothing wrong with it. They really deserve to be a family.¡± He Cuizhang smiled and said, ¡°Yuehong, you just be honest, how is it possible that you still want to use Zhao-daren to petition the General?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression froze slightly. He glanced away, ignoring the two people.


    After a while, Yan Mingting returned. Zhao Yelan had been sitting for a long time and was slightly dizzy when he stood up, but he was supported firmly.


    ¡°You all go back first, we have something to do.¡± Yan Mingting grabbed the rabbit and handed it to Zhong Yuehong. ¡°Send it back to the General¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    After everyone had left, Zhao Yelan turned and asked: ¡°What else do we need to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take you somewhere.¡± Yan Mingting whistled, and his horse trotted over. He mounted it easily, and stretched out a hand with a smile: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Go where?¡±


    ¡°Hunting.¡±


    ¡°Hunting?¡± Zhao Yelan gave him a surprised look.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yan Mingting bent down a little and looked at him with a smile on his face. ¡°Do you want to go?¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned slightly and stood there for a time while the other waited for him patiently.


    He unconsciously bit his lower lip, and then held that hand. Immediately afterwards, his body lightened and he easily sat on the horse¡¯s back.


    ¡°Ya!¡±


    The strong horse spun and galloped into the hunting grounds, then slowed down to walk steadily down the path.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s tense body gradually relaxed, and he looked at the surrounding environment. The trees covered the sky and blocked out the sun, making it a bit dark. The grass around them made a little noise from time to time, and there was no telling what could be hiding within.


    ¡°Come, take the bow.¡± Yan Mingting took an arrow from the quiver and handed him both.


    Zhao Yelan took it and fumbled for a moment before getting the arrow stuck on the string.


    ¡°Pull,¡± Yan Mingting said softly.


    Zhao Yelan raised the bow, but it took some effort to draw it. After trying a few times with difficulty, his arms began to shake. Then the back of his hand was covered by a warm palm, wrapping around his hand and pulling back hard.


    ¡°Hold it steady, look straight ahead, and hold your breath,¡± Yan Mingting whispered in his ear.


    Zhao Yelan looked forward intently. It was silent for a moment, and then he heard a sudden movement.


    ¡°Release.¡±


    As Yan Mingting spoke, he let go of his hand. The arrow shot out with a swish, and then the sound of something falling to the ground could be heard.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, and he asked in a low voice: ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± Yan Mingting slowly rode his horse forward, then leaned down and picked up an arrow embedded in a hare.


    Zhao Yelan immediately became more energetic and asked: ¡°Are there more hares?¡±


    ¡°There are.¡± Yan Mingting instructed him again on how to exert strength.


    ¡°Next time I will do it by myself,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sat on the horse and drew the bow again according to his instructions. When he heard the sound of movement, he let loose in a fluster. In the end, the hare escaped unscathed and the arrow shot out crookedly and landed nearby.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting laughed. Zhao Yelan turned his head to look back at him, and he waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s okay, your first time was never going to be smooth.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play around.¡± Zhao Yelan pulled a long face.


    ¡°There is a sheep. The target is bigger and easier to hit.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Zhao Yelan looked around but saw nothing. Realizing that he was being teased, he was about to get angry when Yan Mingting took his hand again, readied the bow, and they released together. There was a plaintive cry in the distance.


    Zhao Yelan gave him a surprised look, and in the blink of an eye, the two approached on horseback. It was indeed a sheep.


    ¡°How did you know it was a sheep?¡±


    ¡°I listened to the sound it made to distinguish its shape.¡± Yan Mingting asked with a smile, ¡°How about it, do you still want to play?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t speak, but Yan Mingting suddenly urged the horse into a gallop through the forest


    He quickly grabbed the saddle and focused on the path ahead. After a while, he relaxed again and felt the thrill of galloping, the corners of his mouth curving up unknowingly.


    The sky was darkening swiftly. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a running deer and shouted hastily: ¡°Quick, over there!¡±


    ¡°You steer the horse.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Zhao Yelan was about to refuse, but the other party had already handed the reins over to him and drawn the bow.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s heart beat fast as the horse galloped along. He didn¡¯t dare stop recklessly, so he could only hold the reins apprehensively and shout: ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯re going to fall!¡±


    There was the sharp sound of an arrow piercing the air. He glanced over to see that the deer had been hit by the arrow, and turned his head without realizing it to give Yan Mingting a delighted look.


    Who knew that the horse would panic at this time and suddenly jolt, its two front hooves rearing up. Zhao Yelan cried out and fell backwards. Despite Yan Mingting hugging him tightly, the two fell from the horse together.


    They rolled a few times through the grass before coming to a stop.


    Zhao Yelan, having survived the catastrophe, slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was being embraced in Yan Mingting¡¯s arms. After moving a little, he found no injuries on his body and pushed Yan Mingting away.


    Yan Mingting chuckled and turned over to lay next to him, staring motionless at the sky.


    Zhao Yelan panted heavily for a while, and regained his composure after lying down for a period of time. He asked: ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Did you shoot the deer?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned around and found that the other¡¯s hand was still under his head. He had just moved to push his hand away when his back was pressed down. He lay down obediently.


    Unable to move anymore, he asked: ¡°Why did you give me the reins?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just thought you would like it.¡± Yan Mingting raised one leg lazily, where he was slightly injured.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Zhao Yelan was puzzled.


    ¡°Riding horses and hunting.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t answer for a moment and remained silent.


    ¡°So you liked it?¡± Yan Mingting asked again, turning his head to look at him.


    Zhao Yelan nodded faintly. However, it was dark now and Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t see his movements, so he reached out to touch his cheek and asked: ¡°Did you just nod or shake your head?¡±


    Zhao Yelan slapped his hand away. ¡°I liked it, okay?¡±


    What man in the world didn¡¯t like luxurious clothes and strong horses, drawing a bow to shoot wild geese, or becoming a great scholar, a talent in the prime of his life?


    But as it happened, he couldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy, ah.¡± Yan Mingting patted his back. ¡°Follow me in the future to exercise well. I will teach you horseback riding and archery, and you will be able to come and show off your hunting skills in the coming year.¡±


    Their surroundings were quiet. Zhao Yelan listened to his words in silence. It seemed that he could hear the lively beating of the other¡¯s heart, which contained the incomparable vitality that he envied.


    The two lay on the grass for a long time, until Zhao Yelan sneezed. Only then did Yan Mingting help him up, then turn and retrieve the arrow from the deer.


    The deer was not dead yet. After a moment of struggle, it fled unsteadily.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Yan Mingting led him to the horse, and they exited the hunting grounds together.


    ¡°By the way¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting hesitated to speak, and after deliberating for a long time, he couldn¡¯t hold back the question. ¡°Why did the Emperor call you Mengting?¡±


    He still hadn¡¯t escaped this problem. Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes and said slowly: ¡°Mengting is my courtesy name.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Yan Mingting was slightly dissatisfied: ¡°The Emperor knew your courtesy name, but I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you reflect on yourself?¡± Zhao Yelan retorted.


    ¡°Clearly you didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t tell me yours, so why should I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Fangli. I am called Yan Fangli,¡± Yan Mingting interrupted.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That is how you react?¡±


    ¡°How should I react?¡±


    ¡°Call it out for me to hear.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    After returning to the General¡¯s Mansion, Housekeeper Qin saw that the two of them were a little out of sorts and said worriedly: ¡°Did something happen during the hunt today?¡±


    ¡°Something happened,¡± Yan Mingting said solemnly. ¡°Mengting was very stingy.¡±


    ¡°Who is Mengting?¡± Housekeeper Qin was at a loss.


    Zhao Yelan felt a lot of regret. Ever since telling him that name, Yan Mingting kept saying ¡®Mengting¡¯ all the way ¨C


    ¡°Mengting, after we go back, do you want to pick a good horse from my stables?¡±


    ¡°Mengting, sit back a little, don¡¯t ride on the horse¡¯s neck.¡±


    ¡°Mengting, hey. It¡¯s fine, I just wanted to call you.¡±


    ¡°Mengting, you look so good today.¡±


    ¡°Mengting, Mengting, Mengting¡­¡­¡±


    The recitation made his brain buzz, until he almost couldn¡¯t recognize these two characters.


    ¡°Mengting is certainly¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Yan Mingting!¡± Zhao Yelan hissed.


    ¡°Who is Yan Mingting? I only know Yan Fanli,¡± Yan Mingting said with a pleasant smile.


    When Housekeeper Qin heard these familiar words, he suddenly realized: ¡°I understand, the General is flirting with his wife, right?¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡° . ¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan gave Housekeeper Qin a sharp look.


    Housekeeper Qin hurriedly covered his mouth, and then slapped himself lightly across the face ¨C look at his big mouth, how could he accidentally say such a thing?


    [1] Hongshao (ºìÉÕ) means ¡°braised.¡± ?


    [2] Different from General Yan¡¯s name, Mingting (Ã÷Í¥), which means ¡°bright courtyard,¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s real name is Mengting(ÃÎͤ), or ¡°dream pavilion.¡± They sound similar but consist of completely different characters. I can already tell this is going to be a joy to keep straight while translating¡­¡­ ?

 CH 33

    Zhao Yelan ignored Yan Mingting and Housekeeper Qin for the rest of the night, and in the morning, still half asleep, he heard someone say: ¡°Mengting, I¡¯m going to court.¡±


    He rolled over drowsily and continued to sleep.


    He went to the Imperial Academy that morning, and it was quite lively. This was the day that the new batch of scholars went to work. Aside from Wang Guisheng, the number one scholar who became a sixth-rank editor in the Imperial Academy, the others were assigned positions as seventh-rank editors.


    In other words, Wang Guisheng¡¯s current rank was higher than that of Zhao Yelan and Ruan Xian.


    Ruan Xian was around the same age as them and enthusiastically went around to meet everyone. He soon became acquainted with them and was able to call them brothers.


    Some people were gearing up for their upcoming official careers: ¡°Ruan-xiong, does the Emperor attach great importance to this place?¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡± Ruan Xian smiled and nodded. ¡°Although we don¡¯t have to go to court, the Emperor often summons us to draft documents. If he discusses important matters with you, that is where you can show off your intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Very good, then do we usually have many chances to see the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Are you an Imperial Editor or a concubine?¡± Wang Guisheng answered unexpectedly with disdain in his eyes. ¡°Why do you only want to see the Emperor¡¯s face? Wouldn¡¯t it be good to do your job well?¡±


    The expressions of the others changed slightly. Due to his official position and high favor, they didn¡¯t talk back to him and only looked at his impatient appearance.


    Ruan Xian¡¯s eyes shifted, and he said with a smile: ¡°Wang-daren is correct, and this is exactly what I was going to tell you next. Although our Imperial Academy is highly valued, we cannot go to court after all, so you need to restrain yourselves and serve the Emperor well. Do not be impatient.¡±


    Wang Guisheng nodded in agreement, and his esteem for the other increased a bit.


    After everyone was appeased by Ruan Xian, they went to perform their duties. Ruan Xian deliberately stayed two steps back, and Wang Guisheng stepped forward to inquire about daily affairs with him.


    Ruan Xian spoke to him patiently and meticulously for half an hour. The two sat down and had a cup of tea, and he said with emotion: ¡°You are worthy of being the number one scholar, ah. You easily comprehend these things, and it seems that you are not far from soaring to the top.¡±


    ¡°Ruan-xiong¡¯s praise is too much.¡± Wang Guisheng smiled, but then looked around and wondered, ¡°Isn¡¯t Zhao Yelan also in the Imperial Academy? Why haven¡¯t I seen him all morning?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s in a room editing the collection of Imperial edicts. He doesn¡¯t go outside very often. That is to say, I am idle and have little work, and unlike you two, I don¡¯t have the temperament to do such things,¡± Ruan Xian said.


    ¡°He is in a room?¡±


    ¡°Yes, would you like to go and visit?¡± Ruan Xian led him through a few courtyard gates to the innermost Jingshi Pavilion, and stood by the window. ¡°Look, Zhao-daren is right there.¡±


    Wang Guisheng cast his gaze around. There were several colleagues in the room, all of them  elderly with gray temples, muttering the words from their books. And in front of the bookshelf next to them was a handsome young man reading with a dignified posture, like some family¡¯s noble son who had come to join the old scholars.


    ¡°Do you want to go in and meet him?¡± Ruan Xian asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Another day.¡± Wang Guisheng shook his head, looked back at Zhao Yelan, and left him alone. ¡°Let¡¯s not disturb him now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, there is no need to hurry. In any case, Zhao-daren admires you very much, and sooner or later you will become friends.¡± Ruan Xian said with a smile.


    ¡°He admires me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Zhao-daren has talked to me about your articles many times, and we have also discussed the article when you scolded him. You really treat the brush as a weapon, which makes one admire your courage.¡± Ruan Xian laughed out loud.


    Wang Guisheng¡¯s expression froze: ¡°He has really read that article?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be impressed with you either.¡± Ruan Xian patted him on the shoulder, half serious and half joking. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Zhao-daren, and don¡¯t look at him from a worldly perspective. That perception is too narrow.¡±


    Wang Guisheng nodded thoughtfully.


    The footsteps of the two gradually faded. Zhao Yelan put down the book and walked to the window with the corners of his mouth raised enigmatically, pulling the window shut a little to block the incoming wind.


    In the afternoon, when Zhao Yelan returned to the General¡¯s Mansion, Xiao Gao greeted him and whispered: ¡°My lord, that Li Yucheng came by.¡±


    ¡°What was he here for?¡± Zhao Yelan walked slowly to the main hall.


    ¡°He said he was here to compete with you.¡±


    ¡°Compete for what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he refused to say. He waited for us for most of the day and ate your tea and snacks before leaving.¡± Xiao Gao felt sorry about that food.


    Zhao Yelan gave a light chuckle: ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand.¡±


    ¡°My lord, are you going to compete with him?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Zhao Yelan took a sip of tea and said leisurely, ¡°Just wait, he will come again.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Gao Tan stood aside for a while, then asked hesitantly: ¡°My lord, can I go and play with Hongshao?¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused: ¡°Hongshao what?¡±


    ¡°Yours and the General¡¯s rabbit. Lieutenant General Zhong sent it back in advance yesterday. Everyone is rushing to play with it, and I only pet it once today.¡± Xiao Gao pouted, ¡°You help me and let me play for a while, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Where is the rabbit?¡±


    Zhao Yelan had forgotten about the rabbit at first, and didn¡¯t expect it to appear again in the mansion. Was it really called ¡°Hongshao?¡±


    ¡°The back courtyard.¡±


    The two went to the back courtyard. When Yan Mingting returned, he saw the servants and asked: ¡°Where is Zhao Yelan?¡±


    ¡°Answering the General, my lord has gone to the back courtyard.¡±


    ¡°The back courtyard?¡±


    Normally, Zhao Yelan thought the chicken pen stunk and seldom went to the back courtyard, aside from when he was angry and wanted to kill a few chickens and fish.


    There was no telling why he was so angry today.


    Yan Mingting strode to the back courtyard and happened to see Zhao Yelan mentioning the rabbit as he asked Gao Tan beside him: ¡°Hongshao?¡±


    ¡°En, Hongshao!¡± Gao Tan nodded enthusiastically.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s complexion changed. He ran forward quickly and grabbed the rabbit, hugging it in his arms and patting its head: ¡°What happened, why should it be braised?¡±


    Hearing this, and seeing him look so protective, Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes gradually turned cold: ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to braise it?¡±


    ¡°Then otherwise¡­¡­could it be that I misunderstood?¡± Yan Mingting looked at his face, not so sure anymore, and cautiously offered the rabbit to him. ¡°Then you pet it.¡±


    With ice in his eyes, Zhao Yelan turned around and left.


    ¡°General, my lord is not going to braise the rabbit, but was just calling its name,¡± Gao Tan said.


    ¡°It is really called Hongshao?¡± Yan Mingting originally thought that Zhao Yelan had chosen that name yesterday as a joke. When he realized that he had truly misunderstood the other party, he hurriedly called out, ¡°Zhao Yelan, wait for me!¡±


    Zhao Yelan quickened his pace and ordered without looking back: ¡°Xiao Gao, kill all these stinky chickens.¡±


    Gao Tan looked at Yan Mingting in embarrassment, and Yan Mingting shook his head at him: ¡°One, just kill one, ba.¡±


    ¡°But my lord said¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain to him.¡± Yan Mingting hugged the rabbit and gave chase, but when the other party returned to the room, he locked the door tightly and didn¡¯t let him in.


    He called outside the door for a while, but there was no response from inside. When he was about to break in, he heard someone coming to report that they had a guest, so he had no choice but to go to the main hall to entertain the visitor.


    The person who had arrived was a young man. His face was a bit dark, but his eyes were piercing. Seeing Yan Mingting¡¯s attire, he said politely: ¡°Dare I ask if this is General Yan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, who are you?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°This one is Yao Muze, Ruan Xian¡¯s brother-in-law. A few days ago, my brother-in-law wrote to me and asked me to come to Zhao-daren for a consultation. I only returned today, my apologies.¡±


    Yan Mingting glanced at the medicine box on his shoulder and said, ¡°Come in, ba.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yao Muze followed behind him, secretly sizing up the legendary evil star general. Before coming here, he believed that he was a valorous and powerful rustic fellow. He really hadn¡¯t expected him to be so handsome, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. He carried himself majestically, and one did not dare to approach him easily.


    ¡°He¡¯s in the room, you go there and wait a moment, and I will call him out,¡± Yan Mingting said, pointing to the front courtyard.


    ¡°All right.¡± Yao Muze didn¡¯t understand why he had to stand so far away, but he did as he was told and obediently walked to the front courtyard to wait.


    Then he saw Yan Mingting knock on the door: ¡°Cough¡­¡­Mengting, open the door, Ruan Xian¡¯s brother-in-law is here to see you.¡±


    The door was ajar, revealing a small gap.


    Yao Muze was a little curious as to what Zhao-daren looked like. He turned his head to look inside, but who would have thought that a bucket of water would suddenly splash out, soaking Yan Mingting from head to toe.


    ¡°General!¡± Yao Muze exclaimed and trotted forward, looking at him in astonishment. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Yan Mingting wiped his face, opened his eyes, and said with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can go in, ba.¡±


    ¡°But you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no matter.¡± After speaking, Yan Mingting put an arm over his shoulders and walked inside with him, using him as a shield. ¡°We¡¯re coming in, there¡¯s a doctor next to me, ba.¡±


    Yao Muze somehow felt that this place was too dangerous! He walked inside vigilantly and saw the person inside toss away the bucket in their hands, then turn around and look straight at them.


    Hiss ¨C


    Yao Muze gasped. Why didn¡¯t his brother-in-law say anything in advance? With these two, each was even more good-looking than the other!


    ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t be angry.¡± Yan Mingting immediately stepped forward to coax him. ¡°It¡¯s important for you to see the doctor first.¡±


    Yao Muze watched their interaction silently, inwardly surprised ¨C General, I really misread you, how majestic you are!


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the study to talk.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took Yao Muze to the study and closed the door. He glanced at the person following him and wordlessly moved his gaze away to look at Yao Muze and say: ¡°Please take a seat.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to sit, it is getting late. I will see to your consultation early, my lord, so that you can go back and have dinner.¡± Yao Muze smiled and opened the medicine box. He took out a cloth bag and placed it under his wrist to begin feeling his pulse, frowning and sighing for a while.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Yan Mingting asked from the side.


    ¡°My lord¡¯s body is weak and chilled. Long-term stagnation has led to illness, but it seems it is also caused by an injury. This is not something that can be rectified in a short while. However, it is not impossible. I will prescribe some mild prescriptions first, and my lord should pay more attention to his health. Regulate your emotions and do not overwork,¡± Yao Muze said with a sigh.


    ¡°En, I understand.¡± Zhao Yelan knew a lot about his own body, so he started to get to the point and said, seemingly unintentionally, ¡°Doctor Yao, I have a distant relative who acquired some sort of disease a few days ago. The doctor who saw him said it was caused by poisoning.¡±


    ¡°What kind of poison?¡± Yao Muze became interested.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at Yan Mingting, and Yan Mingting answered: ¡°It is a colorless and odorless poison. After taking it for a period of time, it will cause dizziness, fatigue, and confusion.¡±


    ¡°That is too inconclusive, may I meet this relative?¡±


    ¡°He passed away,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Was there anything unusual about the corpse?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shook his head. He had never even seen Bao Lun¡¯s face, so how could he know the condition of his corpse?


    At this time, Yan Mingting suddenly spoke up: ¡°There was. The skin had turned black after death, but there was no obvious corpse odor.¡±


    The other two were startled. Yao Muze began to think about poisons, but Zhao Yelan looked at Yan Mingting in astonishment.


    Yan Mingting hadn¡¯t known that Bao Lun had also been poisoned, so that he knew of the corpse¡¯s abnormality, it could only be because¡­¡­the old general had succumbed to the poison in the same way.


    To open the coffin and examine the body of his own father ¨C how courageous, and how bitter.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s body was still wet, his hands covered with water. He stared straight at Yao Muze, hoping for an answer. At that moment, a brocade handkerchief was stuffed into the palm of his hand.


    He looked down, and Zhao Yelan withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened, saying lightly: ¡°Don¡¯t drip water everywhere.¡±


    Yan Mingting tightly clenched the handkerchief, and then loosened his grip, lowering his head and wiping his hands. He glanced over from the corner of his eye and happened to meet Zhao Yelan¡¯s covertly scrutinizing gaze.


    The other party was taken by surprise, and turned his head away quickly.


    Yan Mingting smiled silently, returned the handkerchief, and patted his shoulder: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan stared at the ground silently, without replying.


    ¡°I remember that I once heard Shifu mention that those in Nanjiang[1] are proficient with poisons, one of which is colorless and odorless, which makes people confused and dizzy. It begins to emit some fragrance after death, which will cover up the corpse smell,¡± Yao Muze said.


    ¡°Nangiang?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Nanjiang was once the biggest enemy of the Xuan Dynasty, but was eventually defeated by the Yan family army and proclaimed a vassal to the Xuan Dynasty as a subordinate state. Unless summoned, they were not allowed entry into the territory of the Xuan Dynasty.


    ¡°En, I also heard from Shifu that he used to work in Tai Hospital and had seen some envoys from Nanjiang come on pilgrimage to show off various poisons to civil and military officials.¡±


    ¡°I see, thank you, Doctor Yao.¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at Yan Mingting.


    Yan Mingting understood and politely sent him to the door, giving him some rewards: ¡°He is miserable about this relative, so I ask the doctor to not make this matter public, in order to avoid exposing his scars.¡±


    ¡°This is natural, my mouth is sealed.¡±


    ¡°Your brother-in-law¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I only took a look at Zhao-daren¡¯s body and prescribed some medications.¡± Yao Muze said astutely.


    Zhao Yelan sat alone in the study, recalling the details of the envoys from Nanjiang. It was a pity that Zhao Xuan was not favored at that time and was forced into seclusion for three months. He was unable to participate in the session, so he was unaware of these details.


    At this moment, footsteps sounded outside.


    He raised his eyes and stared at the door, waiting for a while, but saw no one. Walking to the door suspiciously, he looked outside but only saw a white rabbit jumping in front of him.


    A small piece of paper hung from a string around the rabbit¡¯s neck.


    He picked up the rabbit and took the piece of paper, upon which was written a line of small characters ¨C


    Zhao-daren, don¡¯t be angry.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth curled up unconsciously, and after looking around, he saw Yan Mingting emerging from behind the pillar next to him.


    ¡°Hongshao, help me look, is your father still angry?¡±


    ¡°Who is a father?¡± Zhao Yelan gave him a gouging look.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s you. You even gave it the name ¡°Hongshao,¡± and if you don¡¯t want to braise it, don¡¯t you just want to raise it?¡±


    Yan Mingting walked up to him with a smile, bent over slightly, and looked at him in the moonlight.


    Zhao Yelan gazed back without evading.


    The jasmine flowers in the courtyard were in full bloom, swaying gently in the evening wind under the moon, pure white and flawless, with a permeating fragrance, just like the person in front of him.


    The corners of Yan Mingting¡¯s mouth curled up: ¡°It seems that he isn¡¯t angry anymore.¡±


    Zhao Yelan scoffed lightly and turned around to walk back into the room with the rabbit in his arms, Yan Mingting following behind him.


    Under the moonlight, one in front and one behind, they stepped through the old, quaint corridor, their footsteps ringing in tandem.


    Zhao Yelan stood in front of the bedroom door and was about to enter, when he glanced sideways at Yan Mingting¡¯s wet body. His brow furrowed slightly, and he called, ¡°Housekeeper Qin.¡±


    ¡°This old slave is here.¡± Housekeeper Qin came in response, a smile on his face.


    ¡°Prepare a tub of hot water.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Housekeeper Qin said predictably. ¡°It is already heated, and I will ask someone to move it here right away.¡±


    ¡°Prepare more, one tub of water may not be enough for your General.¡± Zhao Yelan looked at Yan Mingting¡¯s tall body with disdain.


    Housekeeper Qin stumbled: ¡°Ah? For the General?!¡±


    [1] Nanjiang refers to the regions south of the Yangtze River. This term will be used quite a lot in the coming chapters. ?

 CH 34

    The candlelight in the bedroom had been extinguished, and it was so silent that only the breathing of two people could be heard.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t wait for the other party to speak, and simply asked: ¡°What are you thinking about? The matter of Nanjiang?¡±


    ¡°En. I was wondering if someone in the court obtained the poison from Nanjiang and used it on my father,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    People from Nanjiang were not allowed to enter Beijing unless they were summoned. Even if the summons came, they would be strictly guarded by the Imperial army. It was impossible for them to come in contact with ordinary people. However, Nanjiang had just asked the Xuan Dynasty for peace not long ago, and it was impossible for them to take the risk of poisoning the old general unless someone cooperated with Nanjiang or secretly obtained the poison from the Nanjiang envoy.


    ¡°En, we¡¯ll continue to look into who was close to the Nanjiang envoy at that time. It would be even better to know the details of the pilgrimage,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Li Jinyu was there, maybe he can make some inquiries.¡±


    ¡°But how do we get him to open his mouth?¡±


    ¡°Wait, and he will take the initiative to bring it to our door.¡±


    Hearing these words, Yan Mingting¡¯s tense strings finally loosened. He felt inexplicably relieved, and smiled: ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    A day later, Li Yucheng came to the door again. This time he had timed it correctly in order to obstruct someone.


    ¡°Are your legs and feet feeling better?¡± Zhao Yelan looked at him with a half smile, then turned his head to look around. ¡°How about hanging in that tree today?¡±


    Li Yucheng¡¯s face turned colors. He gritted his teeth and put on a show of strength to disguise his fear, saying: ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Zhao Yelan, do you dare to gamble with me?¡±


    ¡°Gamble?¡± Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows. ¡°I do not agree.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you agree?!¡±


    ¡°It is my prerogative to agree or to disagree.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his head to Gao Tan, who rushed over to greet him, saying: ¡°Xiao Gao, see our guest off.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± After receiving the order, Xiao Gao lifted Li Yucheng up and carried him all the way to the Prime Minister¡¯s mansion before dropping him.


    ¡°Ouch! Hey!¡± Li Yucheng fell, rubbing his buttocks as he stood up. He pointed at Gao Tan¡¯s back and cursed, ¡°All right, you brat, when I avenge myself, I will definitely treat you with extreme prejudice!¡±


    ¡°Aiya, Young Master, why did you go to provoke Zhao Yelan again?¡± A servant hurried out to support him, persuading earnestly, ¡°The master has implored you again and again not to cause trouble, especially for Zhao Yelan. Why didn¡¯t you listen?¡±


    ¡°What do you know? If neither of us say anything, who will find out?¡± Li Yucheng was helped all the way back to his room. Lying on the bed, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He beat the bed board. ¡°I just can¡¯t take it! Zhao Yelan used to flaunt his might and bully my father in court. Now that he¡¯s been demoted, how dare he still disrespect me in public¡­¡­hmph, I¡¯ve already thought of a way to get revenge!¡±


    He was not knowledgeable in literature, so he couldn¡¯t compare to Zhao Yelan in that aspect. In terms of martial arts, he couldn¡¯t win against that boy next to Zhao Yelan or against the vicious Yan Mingting.


    Therefore, he decided on another way ¨C Gambling!


    He had witnessed Zhao Yelan¡¯s gambling skills with his own eyes and could easily win against him. Zhao Yelan only needed to make a big bet, and he could take revenge without hesitation.


    Moreover, even Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t help with this matter. Who let them take the bet, hehe.


    ¡°Go and take out all my personal money,¡± Li Yucheng ordered in a whisper. ¡°Then take it to my gambling hall buddy¡­¡­¡±


    For the next few days, Li Yucheng went to the General¡¯s Mansion, but Gao Tan carried him back and threw him to the ground every time. His ass almost broke apart.


    ¡°Are you really going to refuse him?¡± Yan Mingting asked as he held a carrot in his hand, feeding the rabbit.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhao Yelan sat in the study, writing.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a delay tactic. The less urgent you are, the more anxious he will be to draw you out. At that time, everyone outside will know that it was Li Yucheng who insisted on betting with you, rather than your deliberate plan,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan nodded silently.


    Yan Mingting put the carrots in the courtyard, and the rabbit jumped away from the door of the study to continue eating.


    Zhao Yelan heard his footsteps approaching and said without raising his head: ¡°Go and wash your hands.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go right away.¡± Yan Mingting put his hands behind his back and looked at the paper. ¡°What are you writing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m copying a book. Why, is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too busy copying books, why don¡¯t you draw a big portrait of me?¡± Yan Mingting asked earnestly. He raised his head to look at the mountain landscape painting hanging in the room, and pointed to the figure on it. ¡°This painting is very good, but it would be even better if the person in it was bigger.¡±


    ¡°Tacky.¡±


    ¡°So what if it¡¯s tacky just once?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t means won¡¯t.¡± Zhao Yelan put down his brush, pushed him out the door, and locked it. Then he turned back and continued to copy the book quietly.


    ¡°Just draw a portrait.¡± A head poked in through the window, speaking pitifully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Zhao Yelan walked over and closed the window. Finally, there was no noise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay, just name the price.¡± A tile on the roof was lifted, letting in some sunlight.


    Zhao Yelan raised his head to stare at that extremely noisy face, gritting his teeth in fury as he said: ¡°Yan Mingting, you just try to disturb me one more time.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his sleeve and reached into it with his hand.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s pupils trembled and he quickly turned his face away. The arrow brushed past his cheek.


    He laughed out loud: ¡°Not bad, the accuracy is well-controlled and your progress is very fast. As expected of my good disciple.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, another arrow was launched at him. Truly exceedingly ruthless.


    In the blink of an eye, it was a rest day. Zhao Yelan had left Li Yucheng alone for several days and finally agreed to gamble with him.


    Li Yucheng was overjoyed, and hurriedly hired a sedan chair to take him to the gambling hall, gearing up to vent his anger.


    After Yan Mingting received this news at the training grounds, he rushed to the gambling hall without stopping, He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong following in unison.


    When the three of them arrived, the gambling hall was already packed, everyone gathered around the biggest table in the middle to watch Li Yucheng and Zhao Yelan¡¯s game with interest.


    It took Yan Mingting a long time to squeeze in through the crowd of excited gamblers and see Zhao Yelan sitting gracefully in his seat. However, his expression was not good. On the contrary, Li Yucheng waved his fan triumphantly with a pile of silver on the table before him.


    ¡°How is the situation looking?¡± He asked the people next to him.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan lost badly!¡±


    ¡°I think this Li Yucheng came prepared, he always refuses to yield. The bets are getting bigger and bigger, so exciting!¡±


    ¡°I want to see Zhao Yelan lose everything!¡±


    ¡°It will also be fun if Li Yucheng loses. It will be interesting no matter who loses, hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet on who wins or loses today!¡±


    Yan Mingting squeezed a few more steps forward and finally reached Zhao Yelan¡¯s side. The two looked at each other, and he said righteously: ¡°Zhao Yelan, come back with me. I won¡¯t let you have a sword to bet on today.¡±


    Hearing this, the others burst out laughing. Zhao Yelan losing Yan Mingging¡¯s sword last time had become a big joke in the gambling hall, and now the joke was coming around again.


    Li Yucheng was even more pleased. His eyes roamed around and fell on the sword Yan Mingting was carrying, and he said: ¡°Zhao Yelan, how about betting that sword?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyes: ¡°Then what are you betting?¡±


    Li Yucheng pushed forward all of the money in front of him: ¡°Everything.¡±


    There were exclamations all around, and everyone couldn¡¯t wait to watch the show.


    ¡°No way,¡± Yan Mingting refused, but Zhao Yelan moved faster, snatching his sword and placing it on the table: ¡°Deal.¡±


    Li Yucheng was instantly overjoyed. He sent a covert, meaningful look at the dealer, and then looked at the two of them proudly.


    ¡°My lord, don¡¯t bet on the sword, ah!¡± He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong shouted from the back row. ¡°Those are the General¡¯s treasures!¡±


    ¡°You guys shut up,¡± Li Yucheng shouted. ¡°Since it¡¯s already on the gambling table, you have no way to take it back, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, ah! If you bet, you pay!¡± The gamblers echoed.


    After opening the cup, Zhao Yelan¡¯s face was ashen-colored. Li Yucheng moved forward gleefully to grab the silver and then pick up Yan Mingting¡¯s sword. Glancing at it in disdain, he threw it to the servant boy: ¡°Take it back and give it to the cook.¡±


    He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong were furious, and didn¡¯t know whether to be angrier at Li Yucheng or Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Look what you did!¡± Yan Mingting scolded, and Zhao Yelan hung his head, saying nothing.


    Seeing this, Li Yucheng¡¯s desire for revenge became more and more exuberant. He would definitely ruin the two of them!


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop playing bit by bit, how about just placing the big bets? Don¡¯t you want to win it all back?¡±


    Zhao Yelan asked: ¡°How big?¡±


    ¡°A life or death situation where all wealth is on the table,¡± Li Yucheng said.


    The servant quickly grabbed him and whispered: ¡°Young master, that isn¡¯t what you said before. Didn¡¯t you just plan to win a little off him and stop after you made him lose face?¡±


    ¡°Go, go, go, stay to the side.¡± It was already to this point, so why should he hold back? Li Yucheng threw him off and looked directly at Zhao Yelan. ¡°Zhao Yelan, let me ask ¨C do you not dare?¡±


    This method of aggression was the most useful for gamblers. Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes flashed: ¡°Not dare? I will accompany you to the end.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Yelan!¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes darkened. He took his arm and was about to walk out.


    ¡°Yan Mingting, do you not know the rules of the gambling hall?¡± Li Yucheng yelled, and the others responded loudly, ¡°That¡¯s right, not allowed to go, not allowed to go!¡±


    ¡°Let go, it¡¯s none of your business,¡± Zhao Yelan said coldly, breaking free of his grasp. He turned around and continued to sit at the table, looking at the exhilarated Li Yucheng. ¡°If you lose, you are not allowed to renege on your debts.¡±


    ¡°This is natural. I bet ten thousand gold taels first!¡±


    Everyone: ¡°Ooh!¡±


    Zhao Yelan also bet the same amount, and the two signed the papers in front of everyone.


    Zhao Yelan bet big at the beginning, and a skilled gambler among the crowd saw this and shook his head with a sigh: ¡°The dealer hasn¡¯t even started to shake, and he bet blindly. This sort of gambling can¡¯t be done purely by luck.¡±


    ¡°Li Yucheng will listen to the sound, anyway. Do you see that he is distinguishing it by the sound? Most likely, Li Yucheng is going to win, it¡¯s looking good for him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, this Li Yucheng¡¯s luck is too good today for some reason. I think it¡¯s probably a trick.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be lucky enough to see Zhao Yelan go bankrupt today, will we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call my buddies over to watch!¡±


    When the dice cup stopped, Li Yucheng opened his eyes, laughed, and bet small with pride. He fanned his face and shook his head: ¡°Zhao Yelan, Zhao Yelan, today you are done for. In terms of gambling skills, you are still a tender young master, while I ¨C¡±


    ¡°Ah ¨C !¡± Everyone looked down at the dice and exclaimed loudly.


    Li Yuchung listened to their shouts and applause with satisfaction. He raised his hand to signal for silence and then turned his head to look at the dice: ¡°Six¡­¡­six, six, six?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Impossible!¡± Li Yucheng moved to the side of the dice cup in disbelief. He had obviously heard the sound of three ones!


    Dumbfounded, he picked up the dice to check, and his face drained of blood. He flew into a rage, grabbing the dealer¡¯s collar. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there would be no problems? How could it be three sixes?!¡±


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know what is going on, ah.¡± The dealer said pleadingly.


    ¡°Why, did you bribe the dealer?¡± Zhao Yelan asked leisurely.


    The others immediately looked at Li Yucheng in contempt. It was fine to give bribes, but he still lost after bribing him. How embarrassing!


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡±


    Li Yucheng immediately released the dealer. At this moment, the paper in front of him was taken away by a slender hand, and Zhao Yelan¡¯s ghostly voice sounded in his ears: ¡°I will give you one day to prepare the ten thousand gold taels. Any later, and I will chop off your hands and feet.¡±


    Li Yucheng¡¯s face went pale, and he fell to the ground limply. Looking at Zhao Yelan in a panic, he pulled at his clothes and said: ¡°Let¡¯s, let¡¯s play again.¡±


    ¡°No need, ten thousand taels is enough for me.¡± Zhao Yelan took two steps back, smiled slightly, and bent down to pat his face. ¡°The rule is that if you bet, you pay, as you have repeatedly emphasized. Could it be that after losing, you want to renege on your debts?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you can¡¯t renege on your debts!¡± He Cuizhang shouted loudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡± The others jeered. ¡°Go back and prepare the gold, hahaha!¡±


    Li Yucheng felt that the sky was falling. Where could he get so much gold, ah! Just when he was in despair, he suddenly saw Yan Mingting passing by him to pick up the sword on the table, his other hand stretched out.


    ¡°Childish.¡± Zhao Yelan said, and then smoothly gave him a high-five.


    ¡°So it turns out that you were acting as partners to deceive me!¡± Li Yucheng immediately got up and ran after them. ¡°You planned to harm me!¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned around and said with a smile: ¡°You must show evidence. Who asked me to gamble over and over again? Who bought off the dealer? How did you lose, yet still want to make unfounded accusations? Can the son of the dignified Prime Minister only know how to play a scoundrel and frame others?¡±


    Everyone pointed and looked at Li Yucheng. Li Yucheng looked around, and his eyes suddenly turned red as he covered his ears and fled.


    ¡°Xiao Gao, follow him, don¡¯t let him commit suicide. Ensure that he returns to the mansion safely,¡± Zhao Yelan ordered, looking up at the sky. ¡°No matter how hard Li Jinyu pretends to be deaf and dumb, he will have to step out the door for his stupid son.¡±


    ¡°En, wipe your hands first.¡± After the two got into a sedan chair, Yan Mingting took out a handkerchief and grabbed his hand to clean it.


    Zhao Yelan looked down and wondered: ¡°Why do you love cleanliness so much today?¡±


    ¡°You touched his face just now.¡± Yan Mingting wiped his hand vigorously.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan withdrew his hand abruptly, looking at him with a complicated expression. He saw that the handkerchief in his hand was still the same one used to wipe his sweat at the training grounds last time.


    ¡°Stop the sedan chair,¡± Zhao Yelan called.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yan Mingting chased after him, puzzled. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking the sedan chair?¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked forward on his own, Yan Mingting following. He was about to ask more questions when He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong also caught up. He Cuizhang said: ¡°We were really scared to death just now, we almost thought Zhao-daren was really going to lose and go bankrupt!¡±


    Zhong Yuehong: ¡°That kid was really looking for a fight, he was going to throw away the General¡¯s sword! I really want to beat him up!¡±


    ¡°No need, it¡¯s understandable that he hates me,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Hey, General, what are you holding in your hand?¡± With sharp eyes, Zhong Yuehong noticed that his sword had been hung on his waist at some point, and what he held in his hand was an embroidered brocade handkerchief.


    ¡°A handkerchief, can¡¯t you see it?¡± Yan Mingting waved the handkerchief in front of them.


    ¡°I mean, General, why would you carry such a thing with you?!¡± Zhong Yuehong wasn¡¯t aware that the General had such an interest.


    Yan Mingting subconsciously glanced at Zhao Yelan¡¯s figure. Coincidentally, Zhao Yelan looked back to see him smile and wipe his forehead with the handkerchief: ¡°It¡¯s a hot day, this is good for wiping sweat. What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong looked at their heroic general as he wiped his sweat pretentiously with a handkerchief, thinking: The problem is serious!


    What¡¯s more, it was already sunset. Where was the heat?!

 CH 35

    Zhao Yelan had been very quiet after he returned to the mansion. Even if he saw a servant make a mistake, he didn¡¯t bother to reprimand them.


    ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡± The more Yan Mingting looked at him, the more he felt that something was wrong, so he followed him back to the room worriedly after finishing his dinner.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him once, then twice, and shook his head.


    ¡°Something is the matter, you¡¯ve sighed three times.¡± Yan Mingting sat down beside him. ¡°What happened? Are you worried that Li Jinyu won¡¯t come? Still tired from today?¡±


    Zhao Yelan put one hand on the table and propped his head up. He raised his eyes to look at him, and kept looking. His scrutinizing gaze made Yan Mingting even more flustered.


    ¡°What happened¡± Yan Mingting asked, a little nearer.


    The emotions in Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes were obscure, and he asked slowly: ¡°Yan Mingting, are you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Am I what?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Zhao Yelan turned his head away and rubbed his temples. ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired.¡±


    ¡°Then go to bed earlier, I¡¯ll ask someone to heat some water.¡±


    ¡°But Li Jinyu, later¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of? Will he be able to run away if we don¡¯t see him today?¡± Yan Mingting said softly, ¡°You are really tired and confused, so take a good rest tonight.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was urged by him to wash up and go to sleep, but he didn¡¯t feel sleepy while lying on the bed.


    In the darkness, he quietly turned over to look at the figure on the ground, and his eyebrows lowered.


    At nighttime, Zhao Yelan heard Gao Tan¡¯s knock on the door. He opened his eyes and was about to get up, but heard Yan Mingting open the door fist and whisper to Gao Tan: ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    ¡°The Prime Minister is here and wants to see my lord.¡±


    ¡°Just say he¡¯s asleep. And keep your voice down.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After closing the door, Yan Mingting tiptoed back to his spot on the floor.


    After a long while, Zhao Yelan slowly closed his eyes. He suddenly thought of Yan Mingting wiping his face with the handkerchief¡­¡­and he burst out laughing.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Yan Mingting woke up, startled by the sound.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, go back to sleep,¡± Zhao Yelan said with a smile.


    Early the next morning, Li Jinyu came to the General¡¯s Mansion again. He had just gone out a few days ago to take care of some errands, and when he returned, he found Li Yucheng clamoring to hang himself. After careful cross-examination, he found out that he had been gambling and owed Zhao Yelan a large debt.


    He was so angry that he almost fainted, pointing at Li Yucheng and unable to speak a word for a long time.


    Li Yucheng knew that he was ashamed of him and burst into tears, wanting to die.


    Li Jinyu had taken him to the ancestral hall to reflect, and seeing that he was still making a racket, he finally couldn¡¯t help it and slapped him backhand: ¡°You rebellious son!¡±


    Li Yucheng was stunned by the blow. He hadn¡¯t been beaten since he was a child. Every time his father wanted to teach him a lesson, he would just bring him to the ancestral hall to kneel for a few days, and never did anything else. Knowing that his father was truly angry this time, he didn¡¯t sob and make a fuss, only daring to cry silently.


    ¡°You are the only child of the Li family now. If you don¡¯t live well, how can you be worthy of the mother who gave birth to you, how can you do right by your sister, who died for our Li family!¡±


    Li Yucheng¡¯s body froze and he forgot to cry. With tears still on his face, he asked in surprise: ¡°Dad, what do you mean? Wasn¡¯t my sister killed because of Yan Mingting?!¡±


    Li Jinyu slumped down to sit, his face full of vicissitudes, and covered half of his face with trembling hands.


    ¡°Dad, speak clearly, ah! How did my sister die?!¡± Li Yucheng shouted.


    In the end, even though Li Yucheng yelled until his throat hurt, he didn¡¯t get an answer, and just knelt in the ancestral hall all night. On the second day, he was tied up and taken to the General¡¯s Mansion, and saw with his own eyes his father bow from the waist and show Zhao Yelan a smiling face.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, this dog is stupid and wicked, please do not lower yourself to his level. If this matter continues to stir up trouble, I am afraid that it will reach the Emperor¡¯s ears, which would not be good for you, ah.¡±


    ¡°Why would it not be good for me?¡± Zhao Yelan played with a jade pendant in a nonchalant manner. ¡°It was Li Yucheng who came to the mansion to disturb me frequently, so I had no choice but to agree to the appointment. It was he who bribed the dealer, but still lost to me. Now you want to renege on your debts and personally report it to the Emperor.¡±


    Li Jinyu said: ¡°Since he had already bribed the dealer, why did he betray him in the end? Zhao-daren, you should know more about this than me, right? If the Emperor becomes aware of the master behind this gambling hall¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting, who was sitting on the other side, glanced at Zhao Yelan in surprise when he heard these words and had a sudden epiphany. No wonder Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t lose face when he went back to the gambling hall. The gambling hall was his!


    Furthermore, this old man seemed to usually pretend to be deaf and dumb, but actually knew quite a lot of information.


    He looked sideways at Zhao Yelan to see how he would respond.


    Zhao Yelan got up and walked to Li Jinyu¡¯s side, slanted a glance at him, and said slowly: ¡°What you can find out, can the Emperor not find out? Why do you think the Emperor only dismissed me, but didn¡¯t touch my gambling hall?¡±


    Li Jinyu was slightly taken aback, and shook his head with a sigh: ¡°That being the case, can you give us a little time to raise the money? After all, this is not a small sum.¡±


    ¡°As I said, you have only a day. If you can¡¯t do it, then leave his hands and feet, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan took out a short knife and slowly slid the sharp blade across Li Yucheng¡¯s cheek. ¡°Li Yucheng, if I had lost, what would you have done?¡±


    Li Yucheng stared at the knife, sweating profusely. He clenched his mouth shut tightly and did not dare to open it.


    The blade drew a little blood on Li Yucheng¡¯s neck. Seeing Zhao Yelan¡¯s increasingly indifferent appearance, Li Jinyu hurriedly said: ¡°Zhao-daren, what will it take for you to let us go?¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave a light scoff, touched the blade with his fingertips, and said leisurely: ¡°I only love money. How can I be willing to give up ten thousand taels of gold?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford so much gold, but if my lord wants my official position, he can take it at any time. I will retire and return to my hometown, and recommend you to the Emperor,¡± Li Jinyu said.


    Zhao Yelan walked back in front of him and smiled slightly: ¡°If I wanted your official position, I wouldn¡¯t have waited until now. How about this, I can let your son go if you just kneel down to me right now.¡±


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t!¡± Li Yucheng called loudly. ¡°Just give it to him, I don¡¯t need these hands and feet!¡±


    However, the more he said such words, the more shaken Li Jinyu became. After a long while, he opened his robes, knees already bent, but was dragged up by someone.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan asked: ¡°What, you want to oppose me?¡±


    ¡°This is too much.¡± Yan Mingting looked at him disapprovingly, then ordered someone to untie Li Yucheng and helped Li Jinyu to the study. He said respectfully, ¡°Li-daren, I apologize.¡±


    Li Jinyu sat down on the chair tremblingly: ¡°Many thanks, General.¡±


    ¡°I am your junior, so don¡¯t call me General. According to seniority, I should be calling you Uncle.¡±


    ¡°General Yan, you are courteous, just as loyal and courageous as your father. It is a pity that Yanran didn¡¯t have a better fate,¡± Li Jinyu sighed.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡­¡± Li Yucheng also ran inside. He stood behind him and looked at Yan Mingting.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about your precious daughter, but there is one thing I want to ask: why did she die?¡±


    Li Jinyu froze for a moment and kept silent, but Li Yucheng cast a hesitant look at him and then stared at Li Jinyu, as if he also wanted to know the truth.


    Seeing this, Yan Mingting said again: ¡°To be honest, Zhao Yelan read the Emperor¡¯s annals before and it is recorded that your daughter attended the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet before she died of illness, so I have some doubts¡­¡­you are also aware that due to these matters, there are a lot of rumors about me, so I wanted to check it out.¡±


    ¡°Dad, is this really the case?¡± Li Yucheng said straightaway. ¡°Hadn¡¯t my sister been ill for a long time? Why would she go to the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet? How did my sister die, you tell me, ah!¡±


    ¡°You hold your tongue,¡± Li Jinyu scolded.


    After quite a while, Yan Mingting¡¯s voice suddenly chilled: ¡°Li-daren, I thought you were a person who would consider your children, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so partial. Your son is stubborn by nature and causes trouble everywhere. You are willing to kneel down and beg for mercy for him, but you still refuse to give him the truth about your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking, you stop talking¡­¡­¡± Li Jinyu¡¯s tears rolled down unexpectedly, and he covered his face as he spoke in pain.


    Outside the door, Zhao Yelan heard sobbing and turned to go back to his room.


    The Li family¡¯s father and son stayed in the General¡¯s Mansion for a long time, and left around sunset. Yan Mingting personally escorted them back to their residence.


    Li Jinyu wanted to keep him for dinner, but he politely declined: ¡°No need, I have something to do when I get back, so I will take my leave.¡±


    Li Jinyu called out again: ¡°Wait, for the matter of Yucheng, Zhao-daren¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to him, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    After he returned to the General¡¯s Mansion, the servants told him that Zhao Yelan had finished his meal and gone to the study.


    He finished his meal in a hurry and strode back to the room to find Zhao Yelan teaching Xiao Gao how to read. Hearing footsteps, Zhao Yelan looked up at him, scoffed coldly, and pointed to the words on the paper as he said: ¡°You idiot.¡±


    Gao Tan lifted his head blankly: ¡° ? ¡±


    ¡°Impossibly stupid.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t scold, don¡¯t scold, if you scold again, I¡¯ll be even more stupid.¡± Gao Tan ran out with his head in his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t want to practice calligraphy anymore¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting looked at the back of the person fleeing in shame and said with a smile: ¡°He doesn¡¯t understand your indirect scolding.¡±


    ¡°At least someone understands.¡± Zhao Yelan cleaned up the table and walked to the bedroom without looking back.


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame me, ah. As we agreed before, we would just use Li Yucheng¡¯s gambling debt to ask Li Jinyu to help us investigate.¡± Yan Mingting chased after him and walked at his side. ¡°There was nothing about making him kneel.¡±


    ¡°Why, do you feel sorry for your ex-father-in-law?¡± Zhao Yelan sneered.


    ¡°How can he be my ex-father-in-law when I never married? It doesn¡¯t count, I just respect him as an elder. Besides, my father had a good relationship with him before, otherwise it would be impossible for him to agree to the marriage.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± Zhao Yelan stepped into the room, quickly took off his outer clothes, and threw them aside. Yan Mingting caught them and put them away properly.


    ¡°I just dislike the look of you people who want to achieve your goals but can¡¯t make up your mind to be ruthless. To put it nicely, it is kindness, and to put it bluntly, it is stupidity.¡± Zhao Yelan sat on the bed and took off his boots. A sudden shadow fell over him and he raised his head subconsciously, almost bumping into Yan Mingting¡¯s nose. He leaned back, eyes flickering. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yan Mingting bent down, supporting himself with both hands on the edge of the bed so that Zhao Yelan was between his arms. Aided by the faint candlelight, his eyes wandered inch by inch over his face, and he said: ¡°I also dislike the look of you like this.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned, narrowing his eyes as the emotions in them surged: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°Why do you deliberately play dirty tricks?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If you wanted him to kneel down, it was only because I couldn¡¯t bear to see it and would help him. You played the villain, I played the hero, so that Li Jinyu would be grateful to me and lower his guard. Coupled with the identities of me and my father, this caused him to readily associate with me. But why did you have to do this? Obviously there were many other ways¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°This was the most effective,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting smiled suddenly. ¡°I¡¯ve already explained to him that you didn¡¯t mean to embarrass him, but only meant to help me, and he understood.¡±


    ¡°You! What an idiot!¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°If you let people know you are on my side, who will still work with you wholeheartedly?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Look at He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong, which one of them isn¡¯t invisibly at your disposal? What¡¯s more, you would rather bear the infamy yourself in order to help me. You being with me is my honor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Zhao Yelan turned his head angrily.


    ¡°Mengting.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was startled, and slowly looked at him.


    ¡°Have you always acted like this?¡± Yan Mingting asked softly. ¡°How much infamy have you taken on for Zhao Xuan?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s throat tightened, and after a long while, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed and he said vaguely: ¡°It¡¯s none of your business¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I give you a hug?¡± Yan Mingting asked abruptly.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhao Yelan was stunned, but before he could react, the other party took him into his arms.


    He was not used to the unexpected warmth, and his heart was in a mess. He was about to automatically push him away, but Yan Mingting¡¯s voice sounded in his ears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you like this. Don¡¯t gamble with your reputation in the future, it isn¡¯t good. You are not alone. You and me, let¡¯s discuss things together, okay?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s body was very stiff, and it seemed that he didn¡¯t know where to put his hands or feet.


    ¡°Okay?¡± Yan Mingting asked again.


    Zhao Yelan moved his fingers slightly. It took a while to close his eyes and adjust his breathing, and then he heard his own dry voice: ¡°Okay.¡±

 CH 36

    The moonlight was like water, and the night wind was blowing. The branches in the courtyard rustled, and a dark fragrance drifted in through the carved window.


    The two people sat side by side on the bed, poised for a long conversation.


    Zhao Yelan sat motionless, silently staring at a speck of dust on the ground as if he were viewing a flower.


    Yan Mingting scratched his head, and then rubbed his hands, unable to calm down at all. Glancing at the other party furtively from the corner of his eye, he couldn¡¯t sit still, so he got up and walked around the room in order to defeat the fire in his heart.


    The hug just now was originally just an act of feeling sorry for the other party¡¯s self-sacrificing move, but at some point it had gradually changed.


    He began to covet the strange fragrance that he disliked the most, and was careful not to overdo it and hurt the other. Immersed in such a quiet night, he wanted to hug this thin figure all the time, and his breathing became slow and light.


    When the other person pushed him away, there was a sense of emptiness and loneliness.


    ¡°Stop pacing, it hurts my eyes,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting smiled awkwardly and walked to his side. He cautiously made as if to sit down, and when the other party didn¡¯t kick him, he sat with peace of mind.


    ¡°How was your chat with Li Jinyu?¡± Zhao Yelan asked with his face averted.


    ¡°Very good, he confessed to me the cause of Li Yanran¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t die of illness?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Yan Mingting sighed deeply. ¡°She committed suicide.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhao Yelan was a little surprised. Li Yanran was born to an influential family, and would be part of the Yan family by the orders of her parents and the words of the matchmaker. Clearly she was in a good situation, so why would she kill herself?


    ¡°Because of the late Emperor.¡±


    Li Yanran had reached marriageable age and was also close to the Yan family, so the Empress Dowager personally wrote an invitation to her during the birthday banquet, inviting her to enjoy a hundred flowers feast[1] together. But when she entered the palace for the first time, she caught the attention of the late Emperor.


    The late Emperor only knew that the Li family had a daughter, but had never seen her before. At the birthday banquet, he found her dignified, gentle and pleasant. Not showing the slightest regard for the relationship between an Emperor and his subjects, he summoned her to the Imperial study and took her by force.


    Afterwards, Li Yanran feared that the Yan family would make a lot of trouble if they found out about it, and she was also afraid that the Li family would be implicated if she did not enter the harem. In desperation, she committed suicide by drinking poison.


    The room was quiet for a while before Zhao Yelan said: ¡°She was a rather strong woman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah.¡± Yan Mingting promptly punched the wall.


    Zhao Yelan immediately looked at him, and then stared at his hand perplexingly.


    ¡°This dog Emperor is really¡­¡­¡± Although Yan Mingting knew the etiquette of respect and inferiority, he never had much contact with the late Emperor and only knew that he was fatuous and cruel, and didn¡¯t have any good impressions of him.


    ¡°Hush.¡± Zhao Yelan quickly raised a hand to cover his mouth. ¡°You know that you are talking about the late Emperor, but those who don¡¯t know will think that you are cursing His Majesty. Be careful, the walls have ears.¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded, lowered his eyes, and stared at his hand. All the air he exhaled hit the palm of that hand.


    Zhao Yelan retracted it as if nothing had happened and said: ¡°No wonder Li Jinyu stood on the sidelines without lifting a finger when the throne was won. Only when Zhao Xuan forced the Emperor to abdicate with the Imperial army in the end, he opened the old Emperor¡¯s closed door with his own hands and led the way to him.¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded. ¡°Yes, no matter who came to force the old Emperor to abdicate, he would have helped them.¡±


    After solving the mystery of Li Yanran¡¯s death, Zhao Yelan asked: ¡°Did you tell him about your father?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? That is too big of a deal, and my relationship with him is not close enough to divulge the whole story.¡± Yan Mingting said, ¡°I just told him that I thought Li Yanran¡¯s death was strange, and I wanted to find out where all the ¡®evil star¡¯ rumors came from.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Then why did you tell me everything?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°You are my wife, ah.¡± Yan Mingting smiled and tapped Zhao Yelan¡¯s head. ¡°And you¡¯re clever here.¡±


    Zhao Yelan batted his hand away. Hearing him grunt, he intuitively looked at his hand. ¡°Did you hurt yourself just now?¡±


    Yan Mingting remained silent.


    Zhao Yelan leaned over to look at his hand, and Yan Mingting stretched it out for him to examine, the corners of his mouth curling up: ¡°Are you concerned for me?¡±


    Seeing that there was no injury, Zhao Yelan immediately threw it back: ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that if your hand is broken, you won¡¯t be able to protect me. Useless thing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can protect you even with a broken hand,¡± Yan Mingting said confidently, puffing out his chest.


    ¡°You¡¯re rather proud,¡± Zhao Yelan scoffed, and went back to the topic. ¡°Then have you asked him about the Gu poison in Nanjiang?


    ¡°Yes, I asked what kind of poison Li Yanran used, and happened to bring up the matter of Nanjiang. He said that what Li Yanran used was arsenic, which has nothing to do with Nanjiang. Because the poisons brought into Beijing from Nanjiang are strictly controlled, after passing through the guards at the Imperial Hospital, they are used for research purposes and these courtiers could only view them when they were displayed,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Tai Hospital¡­¡­no wonder Yao Muze had heard about this poison from his master. It seems we must go and find his master at the Imperial hospital.¡±


    ¡°En, tomorrow I will go to Yao Muze to inquire about his master¡¯s whereabouts, and see if I can invite him over.¡± Yan Mingting remembered another matter and asked, ¡°By the way, does the Emperor really know that you are the owner of the gambling hall?¡±


    ¡°I just said that to scare him.¡± Zhao Yelan lifted the blanket. ¡°The Emperor is busy with government affairs, how can he take care of everyone¡¯s private business? I warn you, if you tell anyone about this, I will make things difficult for you.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, go to sleep, ba.¡±


    Yan Mingting patted his blanket and then skilfully made his bed on the floor, looking back at the person who had just laid down. Taking advantage of his inattention, he moved the blanket a little closer to the side of the bed, looked at the nearby bed, and closed his eyes contentedly.


    A day later, Yao Muze was invited to treat Zhao Yelan again, and prescribed a few more medications.


    Zhao Yelan said softly: ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it is my job to cure patients.¡± Yao Muze smiled.


    Yan Mingting interjected at the ideal time: ¡°Yao-gongzi, can his physical condition be cured if we invite a master?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Yao Muze pondered, ¡°Perhaps. My shifu has treated many difficult and miscellaneous diseases. Zhao-daren¡¯s illness should be a certain success, it is only that I am not a good student.¡±


    Yan Mingting said joyfully: ¡°Then can the master be invited to come to the mansion?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is a bit troublesome,¡± Yao Muze said. ¡°Since Shifu resigned, he has been traveling abroad, only going to poor villages and remote places to treat people for free, but he refused to go to Beijing. This time I came to the capital to take the exam at the Imperial Hospital, and he drew a clear line with me, and refused to answer my letters. Even I don¡¯t know where he is now.¡±


    After sending Yao Muze away, the disappointment on Yan Mingting¡¯s face was obvious.


    Zhao Yelan took a sip of tea and said: ¡°Don¡¯t you have a lot of subordinates? Just send people to the backcountry to check one place at a time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way to go, but it will take some time.¡± Yan Mingting put his sword on the table dejectedly and wiped it absent-mindedly.


    ¡°So many years have been spent on this old case, why are you so anxious at this time? Now that the situation is gradually becoming clear, isn¡¯t it better than before?¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m in no hurry, it doesn¡¯t matter if I take my time.¡± Yan Mingting turned his head to gaze at him and said seriously, ¡°But he can cure your illness.¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused and put down the teacup, his long eyelashes trembling and then lowering slightly to cover up the sentiment in his eyes. ¡°Not necessarily. Many people have examined my illness. It is only a matter of taking some medicine to control it.¡±


    ¡°But you have to try. Since the other party was the court envoy, he should have some real skills.¡± After Yan Mingting spoke, he hurried out and arranged for his subordinates to start the search.


    Looking at the empty door, Zhao Yelan was silent for a time, then took another sip of tea. He didn¡¯t know if the water temperature was too high or there were too many tea leaves, but his chest felt terribly blocked up.


    The weather was getting warmer and the rain was less. Gao Tan looked at the sun every day and couldn¡¯t help but be joyful ¨C his lord coughed a lot less these days and was also in a good mood. He went to the Imperial Academy to read books and play chess every day, and after returning home, he would trot about with General Yan, his complexion visibly improving.


    And since his lord married into the General¡¯s Mansion, he himself had relaxed a lot. It was no longer necessary to be by his lord¡¯s side all the time as in the past. Anyway, with the General looking after him, he was often sent away, so he had his own time to buy delicious snacks and play with the servants in the mansion.


    But then came another sort of trouble. That is, when the General returned to the mansion every day, if he did not see his lord at first sight, he would look for him everywhere: ¡°Where is your family¡¯s lord?¡±


    One day he got confused and replied to the General: ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­perhaps in the study?¡±


    Unexpectedly, the General gave him a rare reprimand and then hurried to the study. When he saw that Zhao Yelan was indeed playing chess in the study, he immediately put on a smiling face.


    Up to now, Xiao Gao had become accustomed to guarding the front courtyard every day, and as soon as the General came back, he would immediately report the exact location of his lord and then go to play.


    This day, Xiao Gao crouched in front of the main hall to feed the rabbit, and when he heard footsteps, he called out: ¡°General, my lord is in the main hall.¡±


    ¡°What? He¡¯s in the mansion?¡± The figure who had just arrived at the door suddenly paused, and then hid outside the door again.


    ¡°What are you doing sneaking around and not coming in?¡± Zhao Yelan saw Yan Mingting¡¯s elusive figure at a glance, and the other party poked his head through the door to give him a simple and honest smile.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in the study today?¡± Yan Mingting said awkwardly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhao Yelan walked to the door suspiciously and saw that he had his hands behind his back. ¡°Take out your hands.¡±


    Yan Mingting stiffly revealed his hands, which were filled with a variety of fruits and flowers, and foisted them onto the guard next to him: ¡°Come, come, you¡¯ve worked hard, take these to quench your thirst.¡±


    Zhao Yelan scoffed coldly and turned around to walk into the main hall: ¡°General Yan is truly romantic and capable, he has won the hearts of so many young girls just by going about.¡±


    It would soon be the day of the harem draft. These days, the capital had gathered beautiful women from around the world, so naturally there were women with open folk customs. Seeing a man she liked on the street, she would throw fruits and flowers.


    Yan Mingting was originally well-born, with an extraordinary bearing, so he could attract countless eyes just by standing in place.


    ¡°I¡¯m wronged, ah.¡± Yan Mingting immediately chased after him and tried to explain, ¡°I just met them outside the door. They forced it into my hands, and when I wanted to return it to them, they had already run away.¡±


    ¡°They?¡± Zhao Yelan sneered. ¡°How many concubines do you plan on taking?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take concubines!¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Take a concubine?¡± Housekeeper Qin heard this and asked, ¡°General, are you going to take a concubine?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows: ¡°Yes, ah, hurry up and tidy a few rooms, the new owners will come into the house in a few days.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing! Uncle Qin, go and do your work first, and leave us alone.¡± Yan Mingting quickly persuaded Housekeeper Qin to leave, then gritted his teeth and dragged Zhao Yelan out of the house.


    ¡°What are you going to do!?¡± Zhao Yelan exclaimed.


    A quarter of an hour later, the two of them stood on the street. Zhao Yelan was puzzled and turned around to leave. Unexpectedly, an apple was stuffed into his chest by a beautiful woman.


    He couldn¡¯t react in time, and when he picked it up to have a look, many women crowded in around him. Some put flowers on his head, some put flowers and fruits in his arms, and some asked him about his age, family background, and whether he was married.


    He managed to escape from the throng and looked at Yan Mingting in embarrassment, but Yan Mingting was leaning against the door of a nearby restaurant and laughing.


    He picked up a fruit and hurled it at him, and the other party caught it in his hand, then led him into the alley next to him.


    Zhao Yelan was still pelting his back with the remaining fruit, but the other party stopped without a care, looked back at him, and stomped his foot: ¡°Hmph, Zhao-daren was flirting in front of me! Let me tell you, if you want to find another woman behind my back, there is no way!¡±


    This performer!


    Zhao Yelan took a deep breath. Ever since he met this scoundrel, he had become angry much more often, almost every day!


    He turned around to leave, but the other party dragged him back again. He stepped back in disarray until he came to a stop leaning against a wall. Raising his head to look at the person in front of him, he saw him suddenly raise a hand. Thinking that he was going to do something, he subconsciously closed his eyes.


    ¡°These flowers and plants, why keep them?¡± Yan Mingting took the thin flower stems out of his hair and inserted a jade hairpin instead, as if performing a magic trick. After examining it carefully for a moment, he was very satisfied. ¡°En, it looks good this way.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was stunned. Opening his eyes doubtfully, he took off the jade hairpin. The jade body was transparent, the color fresh and tender. Shaped like a floating cloud, shimmered in the sunlight. He liked it very much and forgot to be angry, but he still did not forget to confirm: ¡°Expensive?¡±


    ¡°Expensive. It is a relic of the former royal family. There is no second one in the world.¡±


    Only then was Zhao Yelan satisfied: ¡°Put it on for me properly.¡±


    [1] The hundred flowers feast is a famous delicacy in which edible flowers are cooked and arranged beautifully. ?

 CH 37

    The streets were bustling with activity, and the mouths of the small merchants and peddlers walking around were sweet. When they saw girls, they spoke a few words of flattery and a lot of jewelry, hairpins, and silk handkerchiefs were sold.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so busy these days.¡± Yan Mingting took him back to the mansion and said anxiously, ¡°With so many people, it would be easy for accidents to happen.¡±


    As soon as he said this, a woman¡¯s cry sounded in the distance: ¡°Help, there is a thief!¡±


    Yan Mingting rushed over immediately and saw a maid supporting her young lady. She immediately pointed to the suspicious person in the crowd.


    Without saying a word, he squeezed into the crowd and pulled the man to the ground. He patted down his body and took out a purse embroidered with peonies. Fortunately there were officers and soldiers passing by, so he handed the man off to the government and then went back with the purse.


    ¡°Is this purse yours?¡±


    ¡°Just so, just so.¡± The maid happily took it.


    When the lady raised her head and saw Yan Mingting¡¯s face clearly, she was stunned for a moment. A blush appeared on her face and she saluted: ¡°Many thanks to gongzi. Daring to ask gongzi¡¯s name and surname, so that I may come to the door and thank him another day.¡±


    ¡°No need, it would be too troublesome.¡± Yan Mingting left directly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that General Yan?¡± The people around said.


    The lady asked: ¡°General Yan? General Yan Mingting?¡±


    Yan Mingting turned to look for Zhao Yelan, but couldn¡¯t see him anywhere. He quickly asked the people nearby, but they all denied seeing him. He found another remote place and vigorously checked it for traces.


    In the end, he did find something. He used those signs to follow the trail, and finally stopped at a small farmyard. It was Zhong Yuehong¡¯s home, and there was still smoke coming from the roof.


    He walked in curiously and found Zhao Yelan sitting beneath the locust tree in the front courtyard for shade. There was a wooden basin in front of him, and he was peeling the peas in his hands.


    ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his head to glance at him. Without pausing his work, he said: ¡°Have you caught the thief?¡±


    ¡°En, just a petty thief.¡± Yan Mingting walked up to him and saw that he was very skilled in his movements. He crouched to the side and picked up a handful of peas as well. ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered me, why did you come here all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, the General is here too.¡± Mother Zhong emerged from the house, trotted over, and wiped the water on her apron with her hands, saying with a smile, ¡°Just now, Yuehong brought Zhao-daren back, and now Zhao-daren is helping to pick vegetables, how embarrassing. I¡¯ll do the rest, leave it to me.¡±


    Saying this, she brought all the remaining peas into the kitchen, calling Zhong Yuehong, who was kindling the fire, out to entertain the guests.


    Zhong Yuehong wiped away her sweat, and when she saw Yan Mingting coming, she explained with some embarrassment: ¡°A-Niang and I were out just now and ran into Zhao-daren. The situation was a bit chaotic at that time, so I took Zhao-daren away first, and A-Niang insisted on inviting Zhao-daren home for dinner¡­¡­I¡¯m just afraid that the rice noodles at home won¡¯t get to Zhao-daren¡¯s mouth.¡±


    Zhao Yelan usually ate fine things, as they all knew well, but she didn¡¯t want to say this in front of A-Niang and embarrass her. She guessed that Zhao Yelan was of the same mind, as he put up a show of resistance before capitulating.


    ¡°General, you came just in time, take him back quickly.¡± Zhong Yuehong glanced at her busy mother in the kitchen and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll tell her you were in a hurry.¡±


    Yan Mingting looked at her, and then at the silent Zhao Yelan, and suddenly said with a smile: ¡°Yuehong, is there anyone who treats guests like you? Zhao-daren has finished peeling the peas for you, and he hasn¡¯t even had a chance to swallow his saliva, much less talk, before you open your mouth to drive people away.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean it that way!¡± Zhong Yuehong waved her hands again and again. ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that our humble house won¡¯t be able to entertain my lord.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, he is here for the second time. If he really disliked this place, you would not be able to invite him even if you carried a big sedan chair, ah. He even peeled the peas for you, and he never does that in the mansion. Can¡¯t you let him taste the fruits of his labor? It¡¯s a hot day and you still haven¡¯t gotten him some water to drink!¡± Yan Mingting scolded her severely and then covertly winked.


    Zhong Yuehong belatedly understood his hint, and nodded hastily: ¡°I, I¡¯m going to serve the water right now, wait for me, my lord!¡±


    ¡°This girl is really inexperienced.¡± While pondering this, Yan Mingting looked up to observe Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression, only to find that the other party was looking at him with a half-smile. ¡°In hindsight, I must educate her well.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took the opportunity to push his head down and said: ¡°You¡¯re just so clever, huh?¡±


    Yan Mingting laughed, crouching down to grab his robe. Zhao Yelan quickly picked it up.


    When Zhong Yuehong came out with a cup of water, she saw the two of them talking, laughing, and arguing under the locust tree and was stunned for a moment at the door, unable to move her feet.


    The sunlight fell on the treetops, shining down to illuminate their profiles so fair and warm. Who would have thought that the notorious Zhao Yelan would bend the corners of his mouth in a smile in a humble courtyard, and that their heroic General Yan would be as childish as a young boy.


    She put the cup under the eaves without bothering them and went into the kitchen to continue building the fire, but there was an unwitting smile on her face. ¡°A-Niang, tell me, what is love like?¡±


    Mother Zhong looked at her ecstatically. ¡°Girl, do you have a man of your dreams?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious,¡± Zhong Yuehong said with her hands on her face.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, when you meet that person, you will definitely know.¡± Mother Zhong was very pleased. It seemed that her daughter was getting older and finally becoming enlightened. She wanted to see the girl¡¯s love grow. ¡°Have you ever thought about who you want to marry in the future?¡±


    Zhong Yuehong thought for a while and then said decisively: ¡°In any case, they cannot be a fickle and disloyal person!¡±


    Mother Zhong knew that she was bearing a grudge against her father again and sighed: ¡°It is common for wealthy families to have three wives and four concubines¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Who wants to marry those fellows with numerous concubines? I, Zhong Yuehong, won¡¯t share with others. Whoever wants to do so may do so, but I will not. Moreover, who says that a wealthy family must have three wives and four concubines? The General married a man, and did he take concubines? In the end, those people are just greedy!¡± Zhong Yuehong said indignantly.


    Mother Zhong smiled helplessly and comforted her: ¡°All right, then A-Niang will go to the temple to pay respects tomorrow, and pray for our Yuehong to quickly meet a peerless hero who will love only her.¡±


    Her words caused Zhong Yuehong to smile in amusement.


    Lunch was soon ready. There was stewed chicken soup and some home-cooked dishes with fried pork and vegetables, as well as hot pea rice.


    ¡°Auntie has worked hard.¡± Yan Mingting scooped up a large bowl of rice and ate it up happily.


    ¡°The craftsmanship of the food the two lords are about to eat is not very good, ba.¡± Mother Zhong smiled shyly.


    ¡°Well, I love to eat these home cooked dishes, they¡¯re delicious.¡± As Yan Mingting spoke, he subtly nudged Zhao Yelan with his knee.


    Zhao Yelan cast him a look and then met Mother Zhong¡¯s honest and earnest gaze, saying: ¡°En¡­¡­me too.¡±


    Yan Mingting and Zhong Yuehong lowered their heads to suppress their smiles at the same time.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After the meal, Mother Zhong still had to go out to the stall, so Zhong Yuehong was left to look after the house and sent them off together.


    ¡°Auntie, is there something you want to say?¡± Seeing her constantly rubbing her sleeves, Yan Mingting hesitated to speak, saying, ¡°We are not outsiders, so if there is anything you want to say, just say it.¡±


    ¡°Ai¡­¡­¡± Mother Zhong glanced back, and when they were a distance from the house, she said: ¡°General, my lord, there is one thing I would like to ask the two of you for your help with. Your vision is wider than mine, and you should know many young talents, right?¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately guessed what she meant: ¡°You want to choose a son-in-law for Yuehong?¡±


    ¡°How could I dare choose a son-in-law, ah, who am I?¡± Mother Zhong waved her hands with a smile, sighing, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that she will be cheated. If you have someone who you think is suitable for her, can you help make a match for her?¡±


    ¡°Certainly, but is that her intention?¡±


    ¡°I look at her and it is as if she has been enlightened.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem, if I see a suitable one, I will look into it for you. As for success or failure, it still depends on her wishes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, General, I really don¡¯t know how to thank you. I will kowtow to you here.¡± Mother Zhong tried to kneel down in tears of gratitude, but was stopped by the two simultaneously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite, Yuehong is also someone who has been at my side for many years. I have regarded her as my own sister, and we have all been concerned about her marriage. You can rest assured, ba.¡± Yan Mingting coaxed her away by talking nonsense.


    When the two returned to the mansion, Yan Mingting actually discussed the young talents in the capital with Zhao Yelan: ¡°Tell me, what kind of talent is suitable for Yuehong? In the end, should it be a literary talent or a martial arts master?¡±


    ¡°How can it be so cut-and-dry?¡± Zhao Yelan took out a chess book. ¡°This is not the same as playing chess, with regulations and methods. She must find a good match herself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we have the full power to make decisions for her, we can just help her pay attention.¡± Yan Mingting sat across from him and watched him begin to play chess, his gaze involuntarily fixed on his nimble hands.


    The sounds of the pieces moving were crisp and unhurried, out of tune with his heartbeat.


    ¡°Then do you have someone you are optimistic about?¡± Zhao Yelan fiddled with the chess pieces while flipping through the chess book, but didn¡¯t look at him.


    ¡°In my opinion, Kan Quan is a good candidate. Unfortunately, he already has a family, ai.¡±


    Kan Quan loved his wife like his life, which was well-known in court. Even though he was now favored by the Emperor and had seen quite a few beautiful flowers, he had never considered taking concubines, so Yan Mingting had a good impression of him.


    Zhao Yelan snapped his fingers and said with amusement: ¡°Is he a good person who doesn¡¯t take concubines?¡±


    ¡°That is only natural. At least he doesn¡¯t have so many tricks, look how upright he is.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was touching his black mole, rubbing it with his finger for a moment as he propped up his jaw, the corner of his mouth raised in a subtle arc: ¡°Why do I feel that there is a deeper implication in your words?¡±


    ¡°Cough!¡± Yan Mingting cleared his throat, straightened his robes, and said in an upright manner, ¡°Yes, men like us are really rare in the world, ah! Kan Quan¡¯s wife understands this very well, and she worships him and shows every care towards him. This is why he is perfectly happy to be good to her alone, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled and said: ¡°It sounds to me like you want to find a girl like his wife, ah.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yan Mingting clicked his tongue in amazement. ¡°What kind of ears do you have, you don¡¯t understand at all.¡±


    ¡°Heh, get out of here and don¡¯t disturb my chess game!¡± Zhao Yelan drove him out, closed the door, and returned to the table to set up the game, but found that one piece was missing.


    He bent down and looked around, and suddenly heard someone knocking on the window. He looked up and saw Yan Mingting leaning against the window, playing with the white chess piece in his hand and smiling at him provocatively.


    ¡°Yan Mingting!¡± Zhao Yelan picked up his crossbow and chased after him angrily, shooting all over the yard. The servants gathered tremblingly in the corridor to watch the scene of their General jumping up and down like a monkey.


    The next day, Zhao Yelan finished his breakfast and was about to go to the Imperial Academy. Unexpectedly, as soon as he went out, he saw a woman standing outside the gate with her maid. She was accidentally bumped into by someone, sending the things in her arms scattering to the ground. The maid scolded the fleeing man a few times and then went to pick up the things on the ground.


    One of the boxes happened to fall by Zhao Yelan¡¯s feet. He bent down to pick it up, and almost touched another hand.


    The young lady abruptly withdrew her hand, and when she looked up, she was taken aback again!


    Zhao Yelan handed her the things and prepared to wordlessly get on the sedan chair, but was stopped by the young lady: ¡°Many thanks to gongzi. Daring to ask gongzi¡¯s name and surname, so that I may come to the door and thank him another day.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at her doubtfully, then turned to look at the gate of the General¡¯s Mansion. It was so obvious, could it be that she was blind?


    He didn¡¯t waste any more time and directly got onto the sedan chair, setting out for the Imperial Academy.


    ¡°Miss, what is wrong with you?¡± The maid patted the frozen person. ¡°Shall we go thank the General?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so callous, oh!¡± The miss came back to her senses, eyes shining. ¡°As expected of the capital. Why are there so many beautiful men, each more handsome than the other, who like to ignore people? At first glance, they are better than those other common people, ah, I love the capital!¡±


    ¡°Miss, he came out of the General¡¯s Mansion, he is not a common person at first glance,¡± the maid reminded.


    ¡°Uncommon is just right, this is worthy of me.¡±


    ¡°However, the General¡¯s Mansion already has two masters. The one just now might be Zhao Yelan, the one who married the General.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Then should we still give thanks? These things are broken.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course we will thank them! Let¡¯s go back and prepare these gifts again.¡± The miss¡¯s eyes gleamed, jumping for joy as she made up her mind. ¡°It¡¯s good to feast your eyes, ah, seeing two beautiful men at once, how can there be such a blessing!¡±


    The maid: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    When Zhao Yelan returned to the mansion in the evening, he received a report that the group of lieutenant generals had come to the mansion again. He nodded and went back to the room to change out of his official uniform.


    ¡°My lord, today¡¯s things are very fresh,¡± Xiao Gao whispered, coming in with a basket.


    Zhao Yelan paused, took the basket, and gave him a meaningful look. Xiao Gao immediately went to close the doors and windows.


    Zhao Yelan took out the letter and looked it over carefully. His brow furrowed in an instant and never relaxed.


    After burning the note, he strode to the armory. From a long distance away, he could hear that group of people laughing and chatting nonstop, as well as the sound of fighting.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, why are you here?¡± He Cuizhang was practicing his new boxing techniques, and when he saw him at the door, he put away his fists with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan looked directly at Yan Mingting: ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yan Mingting smiled as he walked towards him.


    ¡°Maybe he wants to speak privately.¡± One of them laughed and pushed Yan Mingting forward. ¡°The General is not coming back soon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around,¡± Yan Mingting pretended to reprimand, but his face was full of joy. Upon approach, he saw that there was something odd about his expression and asked doubtfully, ¡°What is it? Is something wrong?¡±


    Zhao Yelan inadvertently glanced at Zhong Yuehong, and she stepped forward in confusion: ¡°Is it about me?¡±


    Seeing that he did not deny it, Yan Mingting was about to take him back to his room when Zhong Yuehong said: ¡°My lord, you might as well just say it straight. These are not outsiders.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if something has happened, we can help,¡± He Cuizhang said, and the others also gathered around, waiting for him to speak.


    Zhao Yelan took a deep breath and said: ¡°Zhong Yuehong, she¡­¡­may be called into the harem.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone was astonished for a moment, and then stared at Zhong Yuehong.


    Zhong Yuehong¡¯s face turned pale, and the nine-tailed whip in her hand fell weakly to the ground.

 CH 38

    There was silence in the room, and several people around Zhong Yuehong reached out to support her, not knowing what to say for a while.


    If an ordinary woman entered the palace, she would consider it a stroke of luck and be very happy, just waiting to bathe in the Emperor¡¯s favor, to bring honor to her ancestors, and to share in prosperity.


    However, Zhong Yuehong¡­¡­


    Everyone could see her dejected expression. There was no trace of joy on her face, and it was obvious that she was unwilling.


    But if the Emperor insisted on welcoming her into the palace, then what would be her fate?


    ¡°Yuehong, you¡­¡­¡± Just as He Cuizhang was about to speak, Zhong Yuehong pushed him away and staggered out.


    ¡°Yuehong!¡± He Cuizhang shouted, looking anxiously at Yan Mingting. ¡°General, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°You guys go check on her first, don¡¯t let her do anything stupid,¡± Yan Mingting ordered.


    Everyone chased after her, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Only then did Yan Mingting walk out of the room with a serious expression, and a somewhat determined stride.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Zhao Yelan hurried up to hold onto him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to reason with the Emperor,¡± Yan Mingting said in a powerful and resonating voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go for now.¡± Zhao Yelan stood in front of him.


    ¡°I only just promised Auntie that I would find a good husband for her. The Emperor will definitely not be a good match. Not to mention that as a person who has practiced martial arts and swords, there are no such twists and turns in her mind. How could she survive after entering the harem?¡± Yan Mingting bypassed him and walked forward, his steps so fast that it was difficult to keep up.


    Zhao Yelan shouted, out of breath: ¡°All right, you go then! Maybe when you return, you will bring me back a death sentence!¡±


    Yan Mingting gave a sudden pause and turned back in disbelief. After thinking for a moment, he fell back again: ¡°What do you mean? A death sentence for whom?¡±


    ¡°For me, naturally. I am the one who passed the information to you without authorization,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting was forced to calm down, and said in a low voice: ¡°Could it be that this matter is not a foregone conclusion yet?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Zhao Yelan gave him a sharp, gouging look. He appeared to be incensed, and kicked him twice. ¡°Had I known you would be so reckless, I wouldn¡¯t have told you all and would have waited for the palanquin to take her directly to the palace gate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was impulsive.¡± Yan Mingting patted him on the back and went to the study together with him. He closed the door and windows, and asked quietly, ¡°Where did your news come from?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it, I have my ways. Just know that if you suddenly went to reason with the Emperor, I, and my spies, would all be discovered, and he would definitely not let me off easily!¡± Zhao Yelan fumed.


    ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have done it. Kick me a few more times, ba.¡± Yan Mingting apologized over and over, stretching out his leg. After being kicked several more times, he asked: ¡°So what is the situation now? Is there a way out?¡±


    Zhao Yelan had vented his anger and regained his composure: ¡°There is still a glimmer of hope, because this matter was proposed by the Empress.¡±


    The harem election was imminent, and the Empress had no heirs, so she thought that before many newcomers entered the palace, she would show her respect to the Emperor first. Therefore, she thought of Zhong Yuehong at the Imperial examination banquet and proposed to call her into the harem.


    In this way, the Empress gained a good reputation with the Emperor, and thought she had done a favor for Zhong Yuehong. Which woman didn¡¯t want to jump through the Dragon Gate and become the master of each palace in the harem?


    Zhong Yuehong¡¯s appearance was ordinary, there was no possibility of competing for favor, and her mother was even more vulnerable. The influence of the harem was very extensive. When the time came, the first person she went to for refuge would be the Empress. This was the Empress¡¯s wishful thinking.


    And she also predicted that the Emperor would be tempted. Not liking it was one thing, but suitability was another. The soldiers in Zhong Yuehong¡¯s hands alone would be enough to move the Emperor, not to mention that he would have no worries about her extended family.


    ¡°The Emperor is still considering it. It should be that he has not yet made a decision, otherwise this would have already been drafted. However, without interference, he will likely agree.¡± Zhao Yelan paused. ¡°For him, this pairing causes no harm in the slightest.¡±


    Yan Mingting knocked on the table angrily: ¡°Should we just let them decide? Is it true that all women in the world belong to the royal family?¡±


    Zhao Yelan gazed at him for a long time, then said abruptly: ¡°What if the Emperor truly wants to marry her by force? What will you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting clenched his fists. ¡°I will send her out.¡±


    ¡°She is just a subordinate, are you willing to offend the Emperor for her?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen her fight desperately on the battlefield.¡± Seeing his indignant look, Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help but raise his hand and touch his head. Both of them froze for a moment.


    Yan Mingting looked up, and when their eyes met, Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression shifted at once. He said, ¡°This is bad.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°If even you are willing to offend the Emperor, what about those lieutenants who are with her day in and day out?¡± Zhao Yelan walked out in a hurry. ¡°Get a horse ready! We¡¯re going to the city gate!¡±


    Yan Mingting swiftly mounted his horse, saw Zhao Yelan following him, and asked: ¡°Are you going too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will be persuaded by them!¡± Zhao Yelan very much suspected that he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it, and would let those people run away.


    At the gate of the city, a carriage galloped by, its wheels rolling through the two treadmarks in the road.


    Mother Zhong sat in the carriage with tears streaming down her face, tightly clutching Zhong Yuehong¡¯s hand: ¡°Hong¡¯er, do you really want to¡­¡­¡±


    The carriage abruptly came to a stop. Mother Zhong fell backwards and was caught by Zhong Yuehong.


    The two heard He Cuizhang saying to the gatekeeper with a smile: ¡°Brother, do us a favor. The family¡¯s old man is sick and the doctors in the city are helpless, so we can only go out of the city to find other doctors.¡±


    The gatekeeper looked into the carriage and saw two plainly dressed women, so he let them go.


    The carriage drove past the city gate. Zhong Yuehong had just breathed a sigh of relief when the carriage stopped again.


    She asked: ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    ¡°The General and Zhao-daren are in front¡­¡­¡± He Cuizhang said.


    Zhong Yuehong opened the curtain and saw a horse in front of the carriage, two people sitting on its back.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Zhao Yelan had almost fainted due to the speedy pursuit. Fortunately, they had arrived in time. He adjusted his breathing, and Yan Mingting reassured him from behind, repeating, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°General¡­¡­¡± He Cuizhang was very ashamed, and the others chimed in, ¡°General, can you just pretend you didn¡¯t see us? If something goes wrong, we will take responsibility!¡±


    ¡°How will you take responsibility?¡± Zhao Yelan asked them condescendingly from horseback. ¡°All land under heaven is the territory of the sovereign. Where do you expect to let her and her mother escape to? If you are caught, you will be criminals. Why should a lieutenant general with a great reputation be reduced to a guilty official? Aren¡¯t there a few of you who have family members? To act recklessly only for a moment of loyalty is not loyalty at all, but stupidity! You may help her temporarily, but did you ever pause to think that the Yan family army would be implicated?¡±


    Everyone was stunned by his words and lowered their heads, regretting their impulsiveness.


    ¡°My lord, that¡¯s enough.¡± Zhong Yuehong jumped down from the carriage. Her eyes were reddened, and she cupped her hands in a bow. ¡°Thanking my lord for the reminder, I will return immediately.¡±


    After speaking, she turned and walked back to the city on foot, and the others followed.


    When they passed through the city gate, the gatekeeper asked in surprise: ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to see a doctor? Why did you come back so soon?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t find one, a cure is impossible, he can only wait for death,¡± He Cuizhang sighed, leading the carriage to follow Zhong Yuehong.


    The group of people were very somber as they escorted her and Mother Zhong all the way home. Mother Zhong finally couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, and wept out loud.


    Zhong Yuehong returned to her room. She saw the three dresses, picked up some scissors, and cut the beautiful cloth into pieces, saying in a dazed manner: ¡°I don¡¯t want, don¡¯t want to wear dresses, I don¡¯t want anything¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t endure it anymore, and went in to take the scissors from her hands: ¡°Yuehong, things can turn around, so you calm down first.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong slumped down on the ground. A person who had never cried on the battlefield sobbed bitterly at this moment: ¡°General, I want to go back to the military camp, I don¡¯t want to be in the capital anymore, it¡¯s no good at all¡­¡­¡±


    Everyone else¡¯s eyes were faintly red. Yan Mingting turned his face away and took a deep breath.


    At this time, Zhao Yelan crouched down, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her crying face: ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    Zhong Yuehong looked sideways at him, tears rolling down, and nodded slightly after a long while.


    ¡°All right, since you trust me, you must listen to me. Don¡¯t make any trouble now, just go on as usual and don¡¯t let anyone know that there is anything wrong,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Zhong Yuehong was taken aback, and He Cuizhang asked hurriedly, ¡°Zhao-daren, do you have any ideas?¡±


    Zhao Yelan stood up and looked around: ¡°At present, this news is something that I found out in advance. If you run away or behave abnormally now, it will definitely attract the attention of the Emperor, and it will be even more difficult to escape this predicament at that time. So everyone present, please keep calm and do not be impulsive like you were today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± He Cuizhang and the others nodded repeatedly, as if they couldn¡¯t wait to nod their heads off, and just hoped that he could come up with a way.


    Zhao Yelan reached out a hand to help Zhong Yuehong up, and said: ¡°Leave this matter to me. You will act the same as always, and I will notify you if something occurs. You refrain from making a mess of the situation first.¡±


    Zhong Yuehong slowly nodded.


    When the two left the Zhong residence, Yan Mingting asked in a low voice: ¡°Do you really have a way?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to say for sure, but we needed to calm her down first lest she act under extreme agitation,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Tomorrow, I will go to investigate what the Emperor has said.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go to court, so how will you see him? Go directly to the palace?¡±


    ¡°He will come to the Imperial Academy.¡±


    Yan Mingting paused: ¡°Why would he go to the Imperial Academy in person?¡±


    ¡°To play chess.¡±


    ¡°And to find you?¡±


    ¡°En, I¡¯ll try to get him to come to me.¡± Zhao Yelan returned to the study, busy with thoughts about this plan, and didn¡¯t notice the change in the other party¡¯s expression at all.


    ¡°How can you be sure that he will come to play chess with you tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I have my own ways. And even if it isn¡¯t tomorrow, it will be in these next few days.¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°Moreover, he is entangled in government affairs, so it is impossible for him to dwell on this matter. Perhaps he will be busy until the day of the general election.¡±


    Yan Mingting frowned, and he remained silent for a while before asking suddenly: ¡°Are you on good terms with him?¡±


    Zhao Yelan stared blankly for a moment before realizing that it was Zhao Xuan he was asking about, and replied: ¡°It is hard to say, the score depends on the situation.¡±


    ¡°Then elaborate according to the situation.¡±


    ¡°Are you so free?¡± Zhao Yelan raised his head and glared at him.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t bother him any further, but during dinner, he leaned in toward his ear and asked: ¡°Do you know him well?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°I do.¡±


    Modestly, Zhao Yelan could guarantee that no one understood Zhao Xuan¡¯s nature better than himself. Even Zhao Xuan may have forgotten those dark days, but they were still imprinted in his mind.


    ¡°What do you know? What is his favorite food?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan gave him a strange look: ¡°What are you asking this for? Do you mean to¡­¡­¡±


    Rebel? He sounded out with his lips.


    ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯m just asking casually.¡± Yan Mingting quickly busied himself with his meal.


    When going to bed that night, Yan Mingting lay on the ground, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and said: ¡°Is he good-looking?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes, ah? Did you poke your eyes out when you went to see him?¡± Zhao Yelan was speechless.


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking, do you think he¡¯s good-looking?¡± Yan Mingting asked persistently.


    ¡°How could I not, all the civil and military officials in the court think he is handsome.¡±


    Yan Mingting turned over indignantly, and asked after a while: ¡°Then am I handsome?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was about to fall asleep, but this woke him up. He picked up a nearby pillow and threw it at him: ¡°Are you trying to cause trouble? Hurry up and sleep!¡±


    ¡°Just tell me, am I handsome or not?¡±


    Yan Mingting had made it clear that he didn¡¯t want him to sleep well, so Zhao Yelan sneered and said: ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you already know the answer? I still remember your big head and fat ears from when you were young.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yan Mingting crawled to his bedside in embarrassment, lit a candle, and held it under his chin to illuminate his face. ¡°That was all in the past! Take a closer look at me now, am I handsome or not?¡±


    When Zhao Yelan turned around, he was terrified: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, ah!¡±


    Yan Mingting held up the candle and moved it around his face, asking with a smile: ¡°Take a good look, handsome or not?¡±


    ¡°Handsome, handsome, handsome! You are the most handsome!¡± Zhao Yelan completely surrendered and suffered a crushing defeat.


    ¡°Then tell me, how am I handsome?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t endure any more, and grabbed his ears hard. ¡°You are handsome because you have two eyes and a mouth!¡±


    Yan Mingting was satisfied, then immediately realized that something was wrong: ¡°What kind of handsome is this? Then let me ask you one last question.¡±


    ¡°If I fell into a river with him, which of us would you save first?¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned over and got out of bed, rummaging through boxes and cabinets in search of something.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Yan Mingting asked curiously.


    ¡°Where is my crossbow? Either you die tonight or I die!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s no need to be a pair of wild mandarin ducks in the underworld.¡±[1]


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    [1] At Chinese weddings, it¡¯s common to see motifs of Mandarin ducks on various decorations. In Chinese culture, Mandarin ducks are believed to be extremely faithful to their partner, and are symbols of love, devotion, affection and fidelity. ?

 CH 39

    Early in the morning the next day, as soon as the Emperor adjourned court, Yan Mingting rushed back to the mansion without stopping. Zhao Yelan happened to be eating breakfast, and wondered: ¡°You left court so early today?¡±


    ¡°En, there was nothing serious to discuss, so we dispersed.¡± Yan Mingting hurried out after finishing his meal.


    Zhao Yelan changed into his official uniform and walked slowly to the sedan chair. He opened the curtain and stared blankly for a moment: ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°To send you to the Imperial Academy, ah.¡± Yan Mingting smiled and sat up straight, saying, ¡°It just so happens that I have nothing to do right now, so I¡¯ll just take your sedan chair and go to the Zhong residence.¡±


    ¡°You need a sedan chair? Isn¡¯t it faster to ride a horse?¡± Zhao Yelan climbed in dubiously, and as soon as he sat down, Yan Mingting ordered the bearers to leave without giving him a chance to stop them.


    ¡°I could ride a horse, but what if Auntie Zhong wants to take the sedan chair?¡± Yan Mingting argued with conviction.


    Why would Auntie Zhong sit in the sedan chair? To have a taste of a different life?


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to argue with him anymore, so he turned to business: ¡°Since you are going to Zhong Yuehong¡¯s house, you can bring her a message.¡±


    ¡°What message?¡±


    Zhao Yelan whispered a few words in his ear.


    Yan Mingting was distracted. His warm breath was like wind on a summer night, soft and serious, inexplicably making him hot and restless. It also brought a faint fragrance that made his heart itch, and he could see the line of his white neck, down until it sank behind the lapel. The protruding Adam¡¯s apple was like a sharp, gleaming weapon, stabbing at his city gate time after time.


    ¡°What did¡­¡­you just say?¡± Yan Mingting asked, swallowing.


    ¡°Are you deaf?¡± Zhao Yelan seemed like he was about to get angry.


    ¡°The sedan chair was shaking a bit, I didn¡¯t hear it clearly,¡± Yan Mingting said with a guilty conscience.


    Zhao Yelan glared at him with cold fury and repeated himself: ¡°If she is summoned to the palace, you have her do this¡­¡­¡±


    After listening, Yan Mingting found it hard to understand and asked uncertainly: ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t this directly presenting her to the door? What if the Emperor really likes her?¡±


    ¡°Do you understand him or do I understand him?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You,¡± Yan Mingting choked out, feeling a bit stifled. It was a very normal answer, but it left a sour taste in his mouth.


    After arriving at the Imperial Academy, Zhao Yelan did not allow him to get off the sedan chair, and directly ordered the bearer to carry him back. Then he turned around and went in, hearing commotion inside. Taking a closer look, he saw an old scholar arguing with Wang Guisheng.


    He listened closely, and it was nothing more than a small verbal dispute which somehow involved matters of the court. The Bachelor said that Wang Guisheng was arrogant, not knowing respect, and Wang Guisheng in turn insinuated that he was pedantic and old-fashioned, and didn¡¯t know how to adapt.


    In any case, the rank and qualifications of the old Bachelor were higher than most people here. Seeing that he, a fresh scholar, was so shameless, he was so angry that he almost couldn¡¯t breathe. The others hurried to appease the Bachelor and teach Wang Guisheng a lesson.


    In the blink of an eye, Wang Guisheng became the target of public criticism.


    Ruan Xian, who had been sitting on the sidelines, saw Zhao Yelan coming and had a change of mind. He quickly slipped to his side and said in a low voice: ¡°What should be done now? Shall we help Wang Guisheng?¡±


    On one side were many colleagues and seniors, and on the other were powerless newcomers. Ruan Xian weighed it in his heart. If they spoke for the Bachelor, others had already done so, and at most everyone would get along in harmony as before. But if they helped Wang Guisheng at this time, and he was promoted in the future, he would still care about their friendship, so they might as well give it a try.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± Zhao Yelan said flatly.


    Aware of everyone¡¯s condemning gazes, Wang Guisheng looked around and paused for a moment on Zhao Yelan, wondering if the other party would also take the opportunity to make things difficult for him. Unexpectedly, he whispered something to Ruan Xian and then turned around and left.


    The next moment, Ruan Xian smiled and walked forward to mediate. First he placated the Bachelor¡¯s emotions, then pretended to be angry and took Wang Guisheng aside to reprimand him.


    As for what happened after, Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t care at all. Anyway, Wang Guisheng¡¯s temperament would definitely make him suffer in officialdom. If he didn¡¯t know how to adapt, it would be difficult to achieve great things. He didn¡¯t have the patience to guide him.


    Use it if you can, discard it if you can¡¯t.


    He walked into the chess player¡¯s room and coughed weakly twice: ¡°Sir, I heard you want to play chess with me?¡±


    ¡°Precisely, my lord, please come in!¡± The chess player welcomed him in flatteringly. For those who were good at chess, officialdom was far less fascinating than a chess game. Whether it was a famous scholar or a courtier, as long as he could play a good game of chess, he would be considered a confidant.


    The two had never played chess together before, but when the Emperor came to the Imperial Academy, he only played against Zhao Yelan. The chess players were very curious about the level of their opponent. How much courage must he have to beat the Emperor at every game?


    In the evening, Zhao Yelan walked out the gate of the Imperial Academy to his sedan chair, opened the curtain, and froze again: ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°Waiting for Zhao-daren to be released, ah,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    After Zhao Yelan sat down, he saw him poking his head out to look around, and asked: ¡°What are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Has the Emperor come to see you today?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Yan Mingting sat back again and said: ¡°Someone really announced that Zhong Yuehong would enter the palace today, but it was the Empress.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°It is no wonder that the Emperor didn¡¯t come to the Imperial Academy today. The Empress likely went to see him.¡±


    What this said was that the Imperial Academy was also a courtyard in the harem, just waiting to be favored. Yan Mingting frowned and said: ¡°Yuehong didn¡¯t dare come to the mansion, and went home directly, but sent someone to pass the news to me.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when we get back.¡±


    In the study, Yan Mingting recounted Zhong Yuehong¡¯s deeds that day.


    The Empress sent a letter inviting Zhong Yuehong to the palace to enjoy the flowers. Zhong Yuehong didn¡¯t have much appreciation for these scenes of red flowers, willows, and greenery, and just listened to the Empress nattering on and reading some literary poems. Although she couldn¡¯t understand them, she knew that the general meaning was to praise the flowers for their beauty.


    It was a lot of work to say one thing, Zhong Yuehong thought.


    During dinner, Zhong Yuehong clearly felt two scrutinizing eyes. Her already rough eating habits were not fit to be displayed, and she nervously knocked over two dishes.


    The Empress thoughtfully and generously sent someone to replace the dishes again, and she praised the Empress as much as possible in an extremely over enthusiastic manner. But she was not a person of literary talent, and the words of praise were very plainspoken, making the Empress laugh.


    She looked at the Emperor again, secretly pinched her thigh, and her face flushed slightly. With eyes filled with admiration, she praised the Emperor with the same words, but the other party showed no expression, just frowning and eating with indifference.


    During the dinner, the Empress expressed her affection for her again and kindly called her younger sister. Zhong Yuehong suppressed the distaste in her heart, and responded delicately with ¡°sister.¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s chopsticks paused. Seeing that she was wearing fine attire and wanted to flatter him, he felt indescribably strange and left Kunning Palace after finishing his meal in a hurry.


    ¡°Will this really work?¡± Yan Mingting asked. ¡°Are you sure the Emperor won¡¯t like Yuehong?¡±


    ¡°He is a contradictory man who likes neither flatterers nor sycophants. He doesn¡¯t like people who compete for fame and fortune, but he is in a high position and is surrounded by these two kinds of people, so deep down, he doesn¡¯t like anyone. As long as he dislikes Yuehong¡¯s flattery, he will also dislike the Empress, and then carefully consider the pros and cons of Yuehong¡¯s entry to the harem. In fact, with his heart, he should have already made his considerations. He only needs a light push to help him make up his mind.¡± Zhao Yelan picked up a candle wick and rekindled the flame.


    Yan Mingting nodded: ¡°Does Yuehong need to do anything else?¡±


    ¡°There have been a lot of outsiders in the city lately. If you have nothing to do tomorrow, take her to patrol,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    The next day, the Emperor visited the Imperial Academy again in person and summoned Zhao Yelan to play chess.


    As the two sat on each side, Zhao Xuan asked: ¡°I heard you lost two chess games in a row yesterday. What is going on?¡±


    Zhao Yelan coughed twice with a pale face and said with a smile: ¡°Chess games always go back and forth, how can I win all the time?¡±


    ¡°You are willing to lose to him, but not to me?¡± There seemed to be a hint of bitterness and jealousy in his tone.


    Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°Yesterday, my physical condition was not good.¡±


    ¡°The weather has been pretty good recently, isn¡¯t your health better?¡± Zhao Xuan asked with concern.


    Zhao Yelan shook his head helplessly and smiled: ¡°It is better, but I have headaches occasionally. Your Majesty, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    The round passed quickly, and Zhao Xuan sighed: ¡°Why did you win again?¡±


    ¡°Because His Majesty is not paying attention.¡± Zhao Yelan picked up the chess pieces and rolled them into the chess box one by one with crisp, clacking sounds.


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s eyes inadvertently fell on his slender hands, and he said bluntly: ¡°The Empress suggested that I accept Zhong Yuehong as my concubine.¡±


    ¡°What about His Majesty¡¯s own thoughts?¡±


    If they hadn¡¯t seen Zhong Yuehong last night, perhaps she would have been a concubine within a few days. Zhao Xuan sighed, ¡°I thought she had wisdom, but yesterday in Kunning Palace, she kept currying favor with the Empress. With rough manners and a simple mind, it would be difficult for her to become a lady of the household.¡±


    Zhao Yelan rubbed a chess piece and said with a smile: ¡°Your Majesty, you are too greedy. Lieutenant General Zhong is a military official, after all. You didn¡¯t think her manners were rough when she was killing enemies outside, but now that she is to be included in the harem, you want her to be beautiful and intelligent, and leave behind her independence?¡±


    Zhao Xuan rubbed his eyebrows: ¡°I am naturally aware of the dilemma, but I suspect that she has been won over by the Empress. If she has the ambition to climb higher and really enters the harem, wouldn¡¯t it be reduced to a stream of competition for favor?¡±


    ¡°It is as His Majesty says.¡± Zhao Yelan added, ¡°That would be a great loss for His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Loss?¡±


    ¡°Nowadays the world is peaceful. Zhong Yuehong¡¯s position as a female military official seems to be useless, and the Empress thinks she is an easy pawn to win over. If His Majesty truly summons her into the harem as a favor to the Empress in return for nothing, what is the benefit to His Majesty? Secondly, since His Majesty said she was simple-minded, it would be difficult for her to gain a foothold in this harem without the grace of god. But she is also a resounding heroine within the hearts of the soldiers. If she is accepted as a concubine, how can they see their heroine be treated badly? Unless His Majesty is willing to spoil her forever, but can he do it? Furthermore, there have never been female military officials in this dynasty. Now that Zhong Yuehong has returned triumphantly, she has become a role model among the people. Many women are now willing to follow her example. If you let them see the indomitable female lieutenant general finally collapse in the back courtyard of the deep palace due to conspiracies and tricks, at that time, the hearts and minds of the people and the army will truly be lost, ah.¡±


    Zhao Xuan frowned, taking a deep look at him: ¡°It seems that you object to her entering the harem.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How do you know she doesn¡¯t want to enter the harem? What if she wants to?¡±


    ¡°Willing or not, I have explained my reasoning. Whether you listen or not is up to you, Your Majesty.¡± Zhao Yelan closed the chess box. ¡°This official is still busy with government affairs, so he cannot accompany His Majesty. Chess players will be invited over.¡±


    ¡°Why are you getting angry?¡± Zhao Xuan laughingly stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s all right, I¡¯m just asking casually. In fact, I already rejected the Empress last night. It is most appropriate to let Zhong Yuehong remain in her original position.¡±


    ¡°Then why did Your Majesty come to ask about this?¡± Zhao Yelan looked up at him.


    Zhao Xuan thought to himself: Because I wanted to see you angry.


    Ever since Zhao Yelan got married and was dismissed, he always acted in a ¡°you can do whatever you want¡± manner. To put it bluntly, he was good and obedient, but in fact, he was disappointed with Zhao Xuan, and he could see it.


    These days, he had stabilized the laws and discipline of the Imperial court, but he couldn¡¯t help but miss the days when he and Zhao Yelan talked about everything. Thinking over it last night, he first thought of Zhong Yuehong¡¯s vulgar behavior in Kunning Palace, and then his mind wandered to Zhao Yelan¡¯s words and demeanor, and he fell asleep in a daze. In his dreams, the two played chess all night long.


    He sacrificed Zhao Yelan in exchange for the stability of the throne, but no matter how ignorant he was, he would take pity on his people.


    Looking at the slightly angry person in front of him who was becoming more and more familiar, Zhao Xuan smiled and asked: ¡°You are very concerned about the matter of accepting a concubine?¡±


    Zhao Yelan did not deny it, nodding blatantly. In any case, he still had a lot of reasons for him to give up accepting Zhong Yuehong as his concubine.


    Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t ask any more questions, and pulled him back to the chess table for a second game. Even though he lost, he was still in a good mood, but it was not early and it was time to return to the palace.


    Before leaving, he looked at Zhao Yelan again: ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡±


    Zhao Yelan blurted out: ¡°Your Majesty, it is time for you to consider the issue of your heirs.¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s face froze: ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The concubine election is coming up soon, and many people will enter the harem. This is a good opportunity. Your Majesty, you must hurry up.¡±


    Zhao Yelan learned from Eunuch Gao that the Emperor stayed in the Imperial study at night and rarely stepped into the harem. There were only a few concubines in the harem, and he had been on the throne for a year with nothing to show for it. A while ago, the officials were advising about this every day, so the general election was scheduled in order to fill the harem.


    He suggested: ¡°If His Majesty doesn¡¯t want to make a spectacle concerning concubines, he can let the Empress give birth to a prince first, so that the prince can be established as soon as possible¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Why are you just like those old stubborn ones!¡±


    Zhao Xuan flicked his sleeves and left the Imperial Academy in a fit of pique. When he was about to reach the palace, he heard a commotion outside and lifted the curtain to ask: ¡°What is that noise?¡±


    The entourage replied: ¡°Answering Your Majesty, it seems that Lieutenant General Zhong has captured a fleeing thief, and the people are cheering for her.¡±


    Zhao Xuan looked over at the woman on a horse in the distance, looking very imposing with long hair flying and a man tied up with a whip.


    He suddenly remembered Zhao Yelan¡¯s words: ¡°Not all women are vainly trying to obtain the grace of the throne. Some people are good at feminine arts, so naturally there are others who are good at martial arts. The way of a ruler is to protect them, instead of telling them to change.¡±


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s heart was touched. Thinking back to the early years when the two of them were at each other¡¯s sides day and night, behind all their deliberations, the goal was to let all the common people escape from the former Emperor. When exactly did strategy become the most important thing to him?


    As the sun set, the remaining clouds on the horizon were dyed red.


    When Zhao Yelan stepped into the General¡¯s Mansion, Yan Mingting greeted him in the foyer with a restless appearance, as if he had been waiting for a long time.


    ¡°It should be fine.¡± Zhao Yelan surmised that he was waiting on the results.


    But Yan Mingting asked: ¡°Why did you come back so late?¡±


    ¡°After talking with the Emperor for a time, it happened that he had already rejected the Empress last night,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°He really went to the Imperial Academy to look for you?¡± Yan Mingting straightened his expression. ¡°Did you only talk about Yuehong?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan sat down, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and saw that he didn¡¯t seem to believe him. Thinking about it, he added: ¡°There was also the matter of the dragon heir.¡±


    ¡°Dragon heir?¡± Yan Mingting immediately moved to the side.


    ¡°En.¡± This was the foyer, and Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to talk too much about the royal family. In order to avoid being overheard by interested people, he got up and walked to the study, hearing a burst of brisk footsteps behind him.


    He turned his head and saw Yan Mingting walking two steps and running back three steps, going back and forth very much like a fool about to be beaten.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just think¡­¡­a dragon heir is good, a dragon heir is very good, how could the Emperor not have a dragon heir!¡± Yan Mingting laughed loudly.


    ¡°Keep your voice down.¡± Zhao Yelan quickly covered his mouth, looking at the servants coming and going in a hurry. ¡°Are you not afraid that others will hear you talking about the royal family?¡±


    Yan Mingting pressed his wrist, but did not take it away immediately. He rubbed it casually, then smiled and said: ¡°Zhao-daren has taught me a lesson.¡±


    His lips parted slightly as he spoke, touching the palm of his hand. Zhao Yelan quickly withdrew it and continued walking with his hands behind his back.


    Yan Mingting gazed at his back with a smile on his face for a moment, and suddenly said: ¡°Mengting, you are on the same hands and feet.¡±[1]


    ¡°¡­¡­What does it matter to you?¡± Zhao Yelan paused and turned around to give him a hard look, but saw an indescribable cunning hidden in his smile. Only then did he realize that he was walking with his hands behind his back ¨C behind his back! How could he be walking with the same hands and feet?


    Yan Mingting leaned against a beam and looked at him with a smile: ¡°Mengting, where did your thoughts go?¡±


    [1] When the left hand and left foot move at the same time, the right hand and right foot move at the same time. ?

 CH 40

    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t pay any attention to him all night, and began to reflect on whether he had been too talkative recently. That was why Yan Mingting was so lawless that he dared to tease him.


    Although Yan Mingting didn¡¯t ask him why he was suddenly angry, he looked at him with a smile from time to time, which made him even more annoyed.


    The next day, after bathing and resting, Zhao Yelan awoke when the sky was barely light, and had just sat up when he caught a glimpse of the person lying on the ground. But this person was awake, and looked over as soon as he heard movement.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get up?¡±


    Normally at this time, Yan Mingting was just getting back from court or on his way to the training grounds, and had never stayed in bed until this hour.


    Yan Mingting crossed his arms and said unhurriedly: ¡°I¡¯m seeing how long someone can sleep.¡±


    Zhao Yelan slanted him an annoyed look and got up to go bathe. No matter how closely the other party followed, he treated him as if he completely didn¡¯t exist.


    After getting dressed, he stood in front of the drawer, staring at the sachets in a daze. His hand finally stopped on the most eye-catching one, the one with sweetgrass inside.


    Sweetgrass could be used as a medicine, and also be used as a spice. It was only that the scent was special. Some people liked it and some people hated it, and Yan Mingting was of the latter.


    As soon as he grasped the rope of the bag, his hands were held down. Yan Mingting stood behind him and said: ¡°Change to another, ba.¡±


    Sneezing was too embarrassing, and hurt his handsome face.


    During the silence, Housekeeper Qin walked in and saw one¡¯s chest against the other¡¯s back. ¡°Ah!¡± He instantly covered his eyes and said: ¡°General, my lord, there are guests outside asking to see you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so early, who is it?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°It is the daughter of the magistrate of Zhizhou who came to thank the two masters.¡±


    The two looked at one another, and Yan Mingting asked: ¡°Do you know each other?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shook his head: ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I barely know a few people in the capital, so how could I know Zhizhou?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see.¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded, noticed that he had put down the sweetgrass sachet, and followed with satisfaction.


    A young woman was standing in the foyer, wearing a lotus root-colored Liuxian skirt and a beaded hairpin on her head. Her hair was worn half up and half down, and one could tell at a glance that she was a girl not yet of age. When she saw them coming to the hall together, her eyes lit up for a moment, and she looked at them with a happy expression: ¡°General Yan, Zhao-daren, this youngest daughter is the daughter of the magistrate for the prefecture. Her name is Sun Muyun, and unfortunately she ran into a thief on the street a few days ago. Thanks to the General¡¯s help, her grandmother¡¯s heirlooms were not lost.¡±


    Yan Mingting finally remembered why she looked familiar, and said: ¡°It was a small matter, no thanks are necessary.¡±


    Sun Muyun stretched out her hand, and the maid handed a box to her. She offered her thanks with both hands: ¡°General Su Wenyan made great military exploits. This little girl received a Luan jade knife, which is of no use to her. If it can be appreciated by the General, it is no loss of money.¡±


    When the box was opened, there was a short, sharp knife inside. The scabbard placed next to it looked very extravagant and had a unique shape, inlaid with gold, jewels, and precious stones.


    Yan Mingting watched in silence for a moment. Sun Muyun knew that he liked it, so she handed it over to Housekeeper Qin, who was standing nearby.


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Sun,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Sun Muyun looked at him and smiled so hard that her eyes were barely visible.


    Seeing this, Zhao Yelan sneered inwardly and sat down. His eyes scanned the two of them, and he said with a half smile: ¡°Housekeeper Qin, why don¡¯t you prepare Miss Sun some tea.¡±


    ¡°No need, I have already had tea.¡± Sun Muyun smiled and took a roll of silk from the maid, and walked up to Zhao Yelan with a meaningful look. ¡°I bumped into Zhao-daren by accidently last time, thank you for your help. I also know that you like good brocade and silk clothes. I happened to bring a lot of silk when I came to Beijing this time, and it is all good silk selected from the Jiangnan Embroidery Workshop. I wonder if they can catch your eye?¡±


    Zhao Yelan lowered his head for a look, and the other party thoughtfully presented the material before his eyes, explaining: ¡°The best materials from Jiangnan Embroidery Workshop will be sent to the palace, but I have a good relationship with the embroiderers, so they sent me a few pieces. These patterns are woven stitch by stitch by the embroiderers¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked up at her: ¡°You came to Beijing to take part in the draft?¡±


    ¡°Precisely, I came of age at the beginning of the year. According to the law, all daughters of officials will enter Beijing for the draft after coming of age.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you give us gifts? It is better to save them for the people in the palace,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°No, my lord has misunderstood, I did not come here to curry favor with you and General Yan,¡± Sun Muyun hurried to explain, but it was not easy to tell them the real reason in person ¨C you were born good-looking, and it brings me joy to look at you.


    If she said this, she would be thrown out, right?


    Her eyes darted away and she said: ¡°I am just a newcomer, and I am grateful for the kindness of the two masters. This is why I want to give the knife to the hero and the silk to the beauty¡­..Zhao-daren.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at her suspiciously, and at this moment, Sun Muyun took out a brand new brocade handkerchief: ¡°My lord, if you don¡¯t like the silk, take a look at the material of this handkerchief, soft and comfortable, much better than those in the capital. I personally tested it¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan became interested and rubbed the fabric between his fingertips.


    Seeing them discussing the handkerchief, Yan Mingting¡¯s expression became darker and darker. He sent a meaningful look toward Housekeeper Qin at the side, and he immediately understood, stepping forward to interrupt their conversation: ¡°My lord, it is time for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you haven¡¯t had breakfast yet? This one didn¡¯t expect that the two masters had also not eaten yet,¡± Sun Muyun said.


    ¡°Miss Sun also hasn¡¯t eaten?¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t you stay for a meal?¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡± Sun Muyun looked at them in surprise.


    Can¡¯t ! ! !


    Yan Mingting roared in his heart, but remained outwardly indifferent, thinking that Zhao Yelan would understand his expression, but the other party had already led her to sit down at the table.


    The two chatted happily, from the waving south of the Yangtze River, to scenery, food, and customs. Sun Muyun talked endlessly, and her words were full of longing for her hometown.


    After breakfast, Sun Muyun bid them farewell again. As soon as she walked out of the General¡¯s Mansion, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and giggled silently, saying to the maid in a low voice: ¡°Heavens, how can Zhao-daren be so handsome and gentle, full of knowledge about economics and market conditions. Having a meal with him today, even if I die, I will have no regrets!¡±


    The maid fell into deep helplessness. Her Miss was good at everything, but when she saw a handsome man, she couldn¡¯t function. She said: ¡°But General Yan looks a bit fierce.¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Sun Muyun smiled inexplicably. ¡°He was obviously jealous.¡±


    ¡°What? Jealous?¡±


    ¡°It seems that the rumors in the capital cannot be completely believed. How could anyone think that the General and Zhao-daren are incompatible?¡± Sun Muyun¡¯s smile gradually became unrestrained. ¡°I think they will be in harmony sooner or later, heehee.¡±


    After sending her away, Yan Mingting turned around and asked: ¡°What did you do to help her?¡±


    ¡°The last time she was outside the gate, she dropped something and I picked it up,¡± Zhao Yelan replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°It was just a matter of lending a hand, but she spent a lot of time inquiring about your preferences and then came to give gifts?¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s face was so dark that he could squeeze out ink. ¡°I think she clearly has ulterior motives.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What ulterior motives?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°To keep you in her thoughts! Mostly because you look handsome and she wants to get close,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°She is a beautiful girl, and will soon belong to the Emperor. Knowing the relationship between the two of us, but still being able to give gifts in person, how can she have ulterior motives?¡±


    Yan Mingting was soothed by the words, ¡°the relationship between the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t she also give you a precious knife? Couldn¡¯t she just be thinking of you, and only praised me in passing so that it would be easier to enter the door in the future?¡± Zhao Yelan said mockingly.


    ¡°How is this possible.¡± Speaking of the precious knife, Yan Mingting took the box and put it in front of him. ¡°This sort of fancy and useless weapon is just what you like, so take it.¡±


    If he had known that this woman would give Zhao Yelan silk, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the knife and would have directly invited that person to leave.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already prepare the crossbow for me?¡± Zhao Yelan took the knife and played with it. ¡°Can this thing still be used?¡±


    ¡°It is of little use in self-defense, but it can be played with. Don¡¯t you love gold, silver, and jewels? You can pick all these things off the sheath.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a blank look.


    Yan Mingting still had to go to the training grounds to tell Zhong Yuehong the news from the palace, so he left the house first. Zhao Yelan handed the two gifts to Xiao Gao to be put in storage, and when he returned to the room, he saw Housekeeper Qin staring at the things on the table, talking to himself non-stop.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Zhao Yelan asked flatly.


    ¡°My lord, may I ask where this hairpin came from, ah?¡± When Housekeeper Qin came to clean up, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of several hairpins on the table, and one flowing cloud jade hairpin caught his attention. He was afraid he had been mistaken, so he boldly asked.


    ¡°Yan Mingting gave it to me, why?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Housekeeper Qin said with a smile. ¡°This hairpin was originally given to the old general by the late Emperor, and the general gave it to the old madam when they got married. But this is men¡¯s jewelry, so the old madam gave it to the old general again. However, the general thought it was a nuisance, so he never wore it. I didn¡¯t expect this hairpin to find a suitable owner¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned. He thought that Yan Mingting had bought it, but it turned out to be a family heirloom. Fortunately, this hairpin didn¡¯t have any ¡°Furen¡± significance ¨C


    ¡°My lord, the General is taking after the old general and giving it to you as his wife¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan froze and looked at him coldly: ¡°Finished cleaning? From now on, you don¡¯t need to bother with this room, just call other servants to clean it.¡± The kind who talked less.


    Housekeeper Qin complained to Xiao Gao aggrievedly: ¡°Xiao Gao, how did you survive by Zhao-daren¡¯s side for so many years?¡±


    Xiao Gao wore an honest expression: ¡°I am good at martial arts, and I don¡¯t talk too much. I just do what I¡¯m told and don¡¯t ask many questions.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin: ¡°¡­¡­Fine, I do none of that.¡±


    In the afternoon, Zhao Yelan went out to take care of some business. When the sedan chair passed Hongxiu House, he heard someone making a commotion from a distance and the sedan chair suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Xiao Gao replied: ¡°My lord, someone fell in front of the sedan chair.¡±


    ¡°Go around.¡±


    ¡°It seems to be Li Yucheng.¡±


    Zhao Yelan lifted the curtain and got out of the sedan chair to see Li Yucheng lying on the ground. He was yelling incessantly and pointing at the man standing across from him as he cursed: ¡°Boy, you dare to throw me? Just you wait until I call someone!¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­.¡± This fellow always shouted so arrogantly yet barely had the power of a fart. How the hell had he survived until now?


    While he was speechless, Li Yucheng spotted him and his eyes lit up. He quickly got up and ran to his side: ¡°Zhao-xiong, Zhao-xiong, are you here to pick me up?¡±


    Were they that familiar?


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s face darkened. He turned around and tried to leave, but was unexpectedly grabbed by the other. They seemed to hook shoulders like two brothers as one shouted at the person opposite: ¡°I think that your claim of being the number one beautiful man in the capital is just a bunch of bragging. If you have the ability to compare with my Zhao-xiong, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got!¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked down at his feet, which were standing on tiptoes due to his arm being over the other¡¯s shoulders, and said: ¡°Stop showing off.¡±


    Li Yucheng choked.


    But when that person saw Zhao Yelan, he said sternly to Li Yucheng: ¡°Next time you try to snatch people from me, I will beat you to death!¡± Then he affected a confident and condescending look and fled.


    ¡°You¡¯re capable of running away, ah, what a virtue.¡± Li Yucheng proudly gave his back a thumbs up, then turned around. Seeing Zhao Yelan¡¯s gloomy expression, he gave an embarrassed smile and tidied his clothes carefully, then straightened up and said: ¡°Thank you for your kindness, I owe you this time.¡±


    ¡°What will you pay me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­¡­I¡¯ll invite you to listen to music!¡± Li Yucheng raised his voice. ¡°A stunning beauty came to Hongxiu House recently. She is proficient at playing music and singing, she¡¯s good at everything. It is hard to find one like her!¡±


    Zhao Yelan watched him ramble on and said: ¡°You don¡¯t gamble anymore?¡±


    Li Yucheng was surprised for a moment, and waved his hand: ¡°No more gambling, no more, I quit.¡±


    ¡°You changed to prostitutes?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t say it so harshly, ah!¡± Li Yucheng said with a guilty conscience, ¡°That beautiful woman is really like nothing in heaven and earth, ah. If you see her, I guarantee that you will be as fascinated as I am.¡±


    Zhao Yelan scoffed and turned to leave, but was held back by him again.


    ¡°I have something to say to you. To save face, let¡¯s have a meal together,¡± Li Yucheng said with a humble posture.


    Zhao Yelan looked back at him and said: ¡°I still have something to do, let¡¯s talk another day.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Going back to feed the rabbit.¡±


    A vein twitched in Li Yucheng¡¯s forehead: ¡°You would rather go back and feed the rabbit than have a meal with me?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t take back your hand, I will ask Xiao Gao to personally escort you back.¡±


    Li Yucheng glanced at the martial artist boy next to him and immediately raised his hands, saying with a smile: ¡°Another day, another day.¡±


    After getting rid of Li Yucheng, Zhao Yelan returned to the mansion to find Yan Mingting already sitting in the foyer.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan asked lightly: ¡°Did you bring the message to Zhong Yuehong?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Yan Mingting sighed deeply. ¡°She decided to go back to the military camp.¡±


    ¡°Back to the military camp?¡±


    ¡°En, that¡¯s what she meant to do earlier. She doesn¡¯t like the capital, and this time she returned to Beijing only to visit her family, which is why she delayed for so long. She didn¡¯t expect that this would lead to so many complications, so she is determined to go guard the border now,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°What about her mother?¡±


    ¡°They will leave together. I contacted someone to let Mother Zhong settle down in a border town, so that they can get together when they are free.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let her go, ba. Just don¡¯t move them right now, in case the Emperor discovers this abnormality. When the general election is over, send her out on the grounds of a military transfer order.¡±


    ¡°En, I think so too. She will stay in Beijing for now.¡± Yan Mingting smiled helplessly. ¡°It is good to go to the border, the capital is as unpredictable as clouds and waves, really bothersome.¡±


    A few birds flew overhead, flapping their wings and soaring towards the endless sky. Zhao Yelan turned to the side, looking up at them, and said: ¡°Yes, from now on the bird will fly free, how happy¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting was taken aback for a moment. A trace of longing peeked out from the other¡¯s expression, and he said: ¡°Have you ever thought about leaving?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him, then went to the study without saying a word.


    ¡°By the way, you never told me what you did today and why it took you so long to come back,¡± Yan Mingting said, chasing after him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t meddle in other people¡¯s business,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s intuition told him that something was not quite right. He stopped and turned to look for Gao Tan. He saw the person feeding the rabbit in the back courtyard and asked: ¡°Xiao Gao, where did you and your lord go today?¡±


    Xiao Gao raised his head and averted his eyes: ¡°We didn¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I clearly saw you on the street. A good many people saw you,¡± Yan Mingting lied. As expected, Xiao Gao believed it and looked at him in surprise, recalling the time when there were the most onlookers¡­¡­


    ¡°My lord really didn¡¯t want to go to the brothel, it was Li Yucheng who insisted on pulling him along!¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡° ! ¡±

 CH 41

    ¡°Why did you go to a brothel again?¡± Yan Mingting asked during dinner.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s chopsticks paused. He said unhurriedly: ¡°I was just passing by.¡±


    ¡°Then why did Li Yucheng call you to go to the brothel to listen to music?¡±


    When Zhao Yelan heard this, he turned his head and glanced at Gao Tan, who immediately covered his face with his hands and turned away. ¡°He said that there was a new lady who could sing well, and asked me to go and listen.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that your relationship was so good that he could invite you to a brothel to listen to music!¡± Yan Mingting said with emphasis on the word ¡°brothel,¡± for fear that the other party would not be able to hear that he was angry.


    Zhao Yelan gave him a piece of radish, and Yan Mingting¡¯s expression softened slightly. He was just about to eat it when he heard him say: ¡°Eat salty radishes and worry less.¡±[1]


    Yan Mingting scoffed, put down his chopsticks heavily, and left the table.


    A few days later, as soon as Zhao Yelan left the Imperial Academy, he was stopped by Li Yucheng.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found you. I went to the General¡¯s Mansion every day, but no one was there. Now I¡¯ve caught you,¡± Li Yucheng said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go eat. There is a new restaurant in the east of the city. I¡¯ve reserved a private room for you, hurry up and get on the sedan chair.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at the luxuriously soft sedan chair next to him. He turned around and got in.


    The newly opened restaurant was very lively, and in the lobby, there were entertainers specially invited to play instruments. The surrounding area was full of applause.


    There were also a lot of very colorful dishes, including carrots carved into the shape of phoenixes. After a table of delicacies was served, Zhao Yelan looked at Li Yucheng, who was hesitant to speak: ¡°Tell me, what is the matter?¡±


    Li Yucheng took a deep breath, then raised the wine glass in front of him and solemnly said: ¡°I want to formally apologize to you. I was arrogant and conceited in the past, and inexplicably blamed you for all the anger my father received at court, so I targeted you everywhere and even tried to make trouble for you several times. I will drink this cup first in respect.¡±


    This could be interesting. Zhao Yelan nodded slightly.


    Li Yucheng poured a second cup of wine and said: ¡°This cup is for gratitude. The cause of my sister¡¯s death¡­¡­if you hadn¡¯t helped his Holy Majesty ascend the throne, the late dog¡­¡­that person might have killed countless others.¡±


    After gulping it down, he poured a third cup, but couldn¡¯t open his mouth. After struggling for a while, he said in shame: ¡°This cup is my apology to Yan Mingting. I shouldn¡¯t have taken it upon myself to believe rumors and hold grudges against him. He has served the country and the people all his life, but I pressed unwarranted charges against him. It was truly hateful.¡±


    ¡°You should drink this cup of wine directly with him,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°I dare not¡­¡­anyway, aren¡¯t you both family?¡±


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Go back and convey it for me.¡± Perhaps because Yan Mingting was so upright, Li Yucheng was ashamed and always felt that he didn¡¯t fit in with him. But Zhao Yelan, who was both righteous and evil, was easier to talk to. ¡°If you accept my apology, drink this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t drink,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Then¡­¡­have a meal?¡± Li Yucheng looked at him beseechingly. ¡°Just forgive me, or my father won¡¯t take it easy on me.¡±


    ¡°What does your father want me to do?¡± Zhao Yelan had already guessed that Li Jinyu had sent him here, otherwise it would be impossible for him to apologize so obediently.


    ¡°You misunderstand, my father didn¡¯t mean to ask you for help, he just wanted me to apologize to Yan Mingting. I was too ashamed to face him directly, so I took a detour¡­¡­and turned up here with you.¡±


    ¡°Did it need to be so roundabout?¡± Zhao Yelan was amused, but his face remained blank.


    ¡°Of course, the two of you have such a good relationship, the effect is just the same.¡± Li Yucheng took out three banknotes. ¡°This is all my savings from over the years. My father has never embezzled, so I can¡¯t afford ten thousand taels of gold, and I can only use this to make amends to you. If one day I become prosperous, I will definitely make up the rest.¡±


    Dislike was dislike, but who couldn¡¯t get along with silver? Zhao Yelan put away the banknotes without changing his expression, and then paused abruptly: ¡°Who said I have a good relationship with him?¡±


    ¡°Does this still need to be said?¡± Li Yucheng¡¯s lips curled. ¡°I¡¯ve cursed him to his face, calling him my natural enemy, a bearer of ill luck, an evil star, and he just pretended he didn¡¯t hear it. But last time in front of you, when I cursed at him that he would kill you¡­¡­he slapped me twice in an instant! It took a fortnight for the swelling to subside!¡±


    ¡°You deserved it.¡± Zhao Yelan thought to himself, if it wasn¡¯t useful to keep you at that time, you would have died at my hands long ago.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I deserved it. My father told me not to cause trouble for you, but I refused to listen,¡± Li Yucheng said, smiling ingratiatingly. ¡°But not anymore. I¡¯ve decided to make you a friend!¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him in disbelief: ¡°Who gave you the face?¡±


    ¡°Why, what threshold needs to be reached before someone will be considered your friend?¡±


    ¡°They must at least have a functioning brain.¡± Zhao Yelan looked at his empty head with distaste and shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s because my dad didn¡¯t let me go to school when I was a child!¡± Li Yucheng said with conviction. ¡°He didn¡¯t want me to practice martial arts, saying that the battlefield was too dangerous, and he never wanted me to be an official, so he didn¡¯t care about my studies. Otherwise, there¡¯s no telling who this year¡¯s top scholar would be.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Who is talking about a new top scholar, ah?¡± Someone laughed outside the door.


    Li Yucheng opened the door curiously and saw two strangers. He was about to shoo them away when a smiling man walked in and said: ¡°Zhao-xiong, it really is you. I saw your back just now and thought I was mistaken.¡±


    ¡°You guys know each other?¡± Li Yucheng asked in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ruan Xian, of the Imperial Academy.¡± Ruan Xian smiled, then pointed to the person behind him and introduced, ¡°This is the number one scholar, Wang Guisheng.¡±


    Li Yucheng was dumbfounded, and wondered if he had run his mouth too much. He immediately muttered: ¡°Tathagata Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, appear quickly before me. If that doesn¡¯t work, Xichi Diaochan[2] will also do, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him speechlessly. It was a mystery how this person could think he was intelligent enough to be his friend.


    ¡°It is crowded out there, and there are no empty tables. I wonder if I can share a table with Zhao-xiong?¡± Ruan Xian asked.


    ¡°Take a seat.¡± Zhao Yelan simply didn¡¯t want to share a table alone with this Li idiot, so he ordered two more sets of bowls and chopsticks.


    Each of them sat on one side of the table. Ruan Xian and Zhao Yelan talked about the changes in the current situation. Li Yucheng found that he couldn¡¯t get a word in edgewise and was a little bit down, so he nudged the top scholar next to him: ¡°You and Zhao Yelan have a good relationship?¡±


    Wang Guisheng didn¡¯t know how to answer, and subconsciously looked at Zhao Yelan. He found him sitting on one side with a natural and casual posture, but without losing any elegance. Eating slowly, he occasionally nodded in agreement with Ruan Xian¡¯s comments. He couldn¡¯t help but stare at him in a daze, thinking that some people were born in such a way that people couldn¡¯t take their eyes off them.


    He didn¡¯t answer this question, and then heard Zhao Yelan mention the Jiangnan matter.


    ¡°A few days ago, the water report from the Huaihe River was submitted to the Imperial Court. Didn¡¯t it say that precipitation has increased significantly compared to the past, and floods are predicted?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Guisheng should be more aware of this matter, he was the one who drafted the decree for delegating disaster relief funds,¡± Ruan Xian replied.


    When the late Emperor was alive, there was a flood one year that led to people having no way to make a living. Therefore, as soon as Zhao Xuan came to power, he set up newsmen at the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. At the end of spring, they began to regularly report the precipitation to the court, so as to prepare flood control in advance.


    Zhao Yelan looked at Wang Guisheng: ¡°Where did the disaster funds go?¡±


    Wang Guisheng was surprised, and said, ¡°It will be distributed to Huaizhou and Zhizhou as appropriate when the time comes. According to the distance, there should be more than ten days left.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned. A few days ago, when talking with Sun Muyun about the customs of Jiangnan, the other party had warmly invited him to visit Jiangnan, saying that the weather had been good recently and that it had been sunny for more than ten days in a row, making it easy to travel.


    ¡°Is there an issue?¡± Ruan Xian asked.


    As soon as he spoke, there was the sound of a table overturning in the lobby. Li Yucheng, an excitable fellow, immediately opened the door. Looking down, he saw his old nemesis, Fu Qian, who was known as the most beautiful man in the capital.


    The other party firmly grasped a short young master, asking: ¡°Who are you? Do you dare to strip off your clothing and reveal yourself?¡±


    ¡°You let go of me!¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused. The voice was inexplicably familiar, and he calmly walked to the corridor overlooking the two arguing people. He suddenly remembered who this jade-faced young man was, and said: ¡°Go and bring this man up.¡±


    The three of them were taken aback, and went downstairs one after another. Li Yucheng was the first to act, grabbing Fu Qian by the collar and cursing: ¡°Everyone, come and see! In broad daylight, Fu Qian actually wanted to strip off the man¡¯s clothes. Could this be the goodness of Longyan?¡±[3]


    In an instant, everyone burst into laughter. In consideration of saving face, Fu Qian quickly released his grip and turned around to argue with him, but he was dragged out before he could speak, and the two scuffled at the gate.


    The jade-faced young man caught his breath and was just about to flee, but was instead politely invited upstairs by two gentlemen. When he caught sight of the person sitting in the private room, he said excitedly, as if meeting a relative: ¡°Zhao-daren!¡±


    ¡°You are too bold,¡± Zhao Yelan said, displeased. ¡°Where is your handmaiden?¡±


    ¡°Handmaiden?¡± Ruan Xian looked at this young man in surprise. Thin skin and tender flesh, slender fingers, a crisp voice, and upon closer look, no Adam¡¯s apple¡­¡­it was clearly a girl!


    ¡°She¡¯s gone to look for someone.¡± Sun Muyun smiled after having a close brush with disaster. ¡°Fortunately Zhao-daren helped me, otherwise I would be finished.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t just be finished. As she was here to participate in the draft, if she consorted with other men in public and someone had the mind to accuse her of adultery, the gains would not make up for the losses.


    ¡°I was wrong, I thought my disguise was flawless.¡± Sun Muyun was quick to admit her mistake, and said aggrievedly, ¡°I heard that the most beautiful man in Beijing was here, so I disguised myself and came to have a look, but who would have known that he was nothing but a useless person only fit for drinking. He saw that I was a girl and said that I was attracted to him, and had put on these clothes to have a private meeting with him. When he wanted to get closer to me, I refused, and we started arguing¡­¡­hmph, I saw his oily face, how could he be worthy of the title of most beautiful man? He doesn¡¯t hold a finger to Zhao-daren.¡±


    ¡°I agree with this!¡± Ruan Xian clapped his hands and laughed.


    ¡°Wow, you two¡­¡­are pretty handsome too!¡± Only then did Sun Muyun notice the other two people in the room, looking at them with piercing eyes.


    Zhao Yelan was speechless for a moment. He didn¡¯t know if he should admire her simple-minded courage or her sweet-talking skills. A mere sentence made these two blush inwardly.


    He thought for a moment and said: ¡°If Sun-guniang wants to see a handsome man, after entering the palace, she can glimpse the face of the Emperor. That is true excellence and grace.¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡± Sun Muyun lowered her voice and struggled to say, ¡°But I saw the late Emperor once when I was young, he was really ugly¡­¡­¡±


    Ruan Xian and Wang Guisheng hid their smiles. Zhao Yelan did so as well. ¡°The Holy Majesty is more like his mother concubine, with a face like a crown of jade. You won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Ruan Xian agreed, ¡°I saw the Holy Majesty and felt inferior.¡±


    Sun Muyun looked at Wang Guisheng doubtfully, and when he nodded, she was instantly moved. Let her see this famous handsome man in Beijing. The only two men with heavenly looks were husband and wife, so there was only one left that she hadn¡¯t met.


    In any case, her plan from the start was to see if there were any handsome men she liked in Beijing. If she found one, she would make herself look undesirable during the draft, and when the process was over, she would be inseparable from her ideal person. If she couldn¡¯t find one, then she would submit to the will of heaven.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back and prepare for the draft!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go out and cause trouble for the next few days. The draft is not just about you alone. You have the Sun family behind you,¡± Zhao Yelan reminded.


    ¡°I know, thank you, Zhao-daren.¡± Sun Muyun nodded. Her maid arrived just then with someone in tow, so she left first.


    The three of them left the restaurant one step later, and when they walked out the gate, they glanced at Li Yucheng and Fu Qian, who were still wrestling. Zhao Yelan walked around them without a sideways glance, but his footsteps halted suddenly, and he looked at the person standing in front of him with surprise.


    Ruan Xian and Wang Guisheng also saw him. Facing the other¡¯s gloomy eyes, they took the lead in politely saying: ¡°General Yan.¡±


    For some reason, Ruan Xian felt that General Yan seemed to hate him even more! What could have gone wrong, he hadn¡¯t even seen him a few times in total!


    This frustrated the sophisticated and tactful Ruan Xian. He had coaxed all the old and young of the Imperial Academy to view him favorably, so why did he fail with Yan Mingting?


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t even glance at them, and went straight to Zhao Yelan. Pulling him by the arm, he stuffed him into the sedan chair next to him and then sat inside with a dark expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Zhao Yelan rubbed the place where he had been dragged, feeling that it hurt a little, and was unavoidably somewhat aggravated. ¡°Have you eaten firecrackers?¡±


    Yan Mingting scoffed coldly: ¡°You¡¯ve had quite a carefree day, ah.¡±


    His purposeful coldness these few days had been in vain!


    Ever since their last dinner, Yan Mingting had intentionally ignored him so as to let him reflect on himself and preferably to realize his mistakes. Then he came to show his affection for him, but who knew that the other party not only did not show the slightest regret, but also came out to eat and drink with these two little white faces from the Imperial Academy. How happy!


    There were so many knowledgeable old men in the Imperial Academy, so why didn¡¯t he see him sharing a meal with those people?


    However, Zhao Yelan thought he disliked him going to the restaurant and spending extravagantly, so he said: ¡°It was Li Yucheng who arranged the table, and he also paid for everything.¡±


    Hurray, there was also Li Yucheng!


    Yan Mingting was so angry that his hair stood on end.


    There was silence all the way back. Zhao Yelan looked at his face, thinking that every time he went to a restaurant outside, he would chide him about wasting money, and couldn¡¯t help getting angry, saying: ¡°It¡¯s my money, so why does it bother you? In the end, did I cost you a penny?¡±


    As soon as the sedan chair stopped, he forcefully opened the curtain and furiously walked into the General¡¯s Mansion.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingtiing looked at the curtain that was still swaying. What did he have to be angry about?


    The atmosphere at the table during dinner was so abnormal that even the servants noticed it. Xiao Gao secretly asked Housekeeper Qin: ¡°Is the General forcing my lord to do horse stance again? Otherwise, why is my lord so unhappy?¡±


    ¡°How can a couple not quarrel?¡± Housekeeper Qin sighed. He could see that something was wrong a few days ago, but he didn¡¯t expect that instead of the two people reconciling, it had intensified instead. He would have to figure out a solution.


    After Zhao Yelan took a bath in the evening, he locked the door tightly, but tonight this scoundrel didn¡¯t come to knock on the door or open the window.


    He tossed and turned for a long time, a little curious about what this fellow was doing. Would he really go to sleep in the study obediently?


    But at this moment, the voice of Housekeeper Qin passing by came through the door: ¡°The General is injured, you should be careful when serving him and not touch his wound.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned, recalling Yan Mingting¡¯s lively appearance. He really didn¡¯t feel that he was injured, so he turned over and went to sleep.


    A quarter of an hour later, a candle was suddenly lit in the house. He put on his outer layers, searched around, and saw a light on in the study. When he walked inside, he happened to see Yan Mingting nimbly stuffing the thing in his hand into his bosom and asked: ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡­reading a book. Why are you still awake?¡± Yan Mingting asked nervously.


    Zhao Yelan walked up to him with the candle, looked him up and down, and asked with a frown: ¡°Where are you injured?¡±


    ¡°Injured?¡± Yan Mingting was taken aback. From the corner of his eye, he saw Housekeeper Qin poking his head into the study and desperately winking at him. Hearing Zhao Yelan¡¯s slightly concerned tone, he immediately covered his chest with his left hand: ¡°An old injury has relapsed, and my heart aches.¡±


    ¡°The heart is on the left.¡± Zhao Yelan remained expressionless.


    ¡°I misspoke, it¡¯s the middle of my chest.¡± Yan Mingting looked at him with an expression of suffering. ¡°It hurts so bad.¡±


    Zhao Yelan narrowed his eyes slightly: ¡°Take off your shirt.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good, ba¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting said shyly, but quickly peeled off his shirt, revealing his muscular chest covered in several knife scars.


    But none of them passed over the heart or the middle of the chest.


    Zhao Yelan pulled out the short, gaudy knife and slid it against his chest: ¡°It seems that your injury is somewhat light. You might as well properly feel what it means to have heartache, ba.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t,¡± Yan Mingting hurriedly begged for mercy and stepped back. He was putting on his clothes again when a booklet suddenly fell in front of Zhao Yelan.


    Zhao Yelan swiftly picked up the book, which was as big as his palm. It had a few large characters written on it ¨C Thirty-Six Strategies of the Qin and Jin Dynasties.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s expression changed slightly, and just when he was about to grab it, the knife pressed against his neck.


    Zhao Yelan quickly turned to the title page, which read: Marriage is like a battlefield. If you want to live in harmony with your husband or wife and have an unbreakable bond forever, you must use some small tricks to make it long and enduring.


    Turning to the first page, the first plan was: Bitter meat plan.[4]


    Zhao Yelan looked up at him with eyes like knives.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting gulped and said: ¡°You may not believe it, but this is a family heirloom left to me by my father, and it was given to me by Uncle Qin just now. You can¡­¡­you can tear me up, but can you not tear up the old man¡¯s posthumous work?¡±


    ¡°You sleep in the study!¡± Zhao Yelan angrily threw the posthumous work back to him, then pinched the other¡¯s mouth with both hands and started to tear.


    ¡°Hiss ¨C wuwuwu.¡±


    [1] Eat salty radishes and worry less (Ï̳ÔÂܲ·µ­²ÙÐÄ) is an idiom, meaning that someone is nosy and worries about something without knowing the truth of the facts. ?


    [2] Diaochan is one of the four legendary beauties of ancient China and a character in ¡°The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.¡± ?


    [3] The goodness of Longyan (ÁúÑôÖ®ºÃ) is an allusion to homosexuality, referring to a historical record of Lord Longyan and King Wei, who were two men in a dedicated romantic relationship. ?


    [4] The bitter meat plan is the plan of last resort. ?

 CH 42

    A few days later, it was the grand concubine selection day, and the palace was busy from top to bottom.


    Zhao Yelan stayed idle at home, tasting the newly arrived lychees.


    Lychees were hard to come by. The south had only paid tribute to Beijing yesterday, and the Emperor gave these to several hard-working officials this morning, including Yan Mingting


    Yan Mingting himself didn¡¯t like to eat this thing, thinking that it was a waste of time to peel them and really troublesome to wash the juice off one¡¯s hands.


    But he sat on the sidelines and watched Zhao Yelan peel the lychees. His two slender hands peeled off the scale-like shell, revealing the plump, tender flesh. The moist juice touched his fingertips, and there was a basin of cold water beside him that he could wash his hands with if they felt sticky.


    Then a mouth bit into the pulp, bright red lips becoming moist. The pit spit out was only the size of a fingernail, with a touch of sweet flavor.


    He continued in this way without a care, over and over.


    Yan Mingting was fascinated by the sight, and he was salivating a little. After another one was peeled, he leaned over and bit off the flesh in one bite.


    Zhao Yelan was startled as the lychee meat heading towards his mouth suddenly disappeared. His face sank and he said in displeasure: ¡°Do you not have hands?¡±


    ¡°Stingy, I¡¯ll give you one back.¡± Yan Mingting peeled one eagerly, and fed it to his mouth. ¡°Here.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at the lychee meat and reached out to pick it up. Unexpectedly, the other party stuffed it into his mouth without warning, so he had to open his mouth and swallow it, glancing at him angrily.


    Yan Mingting thought it was funny. The look in his eyes seemed to be smiling rather than angry, making his heart flutter.


    Yan Mingting simply placed the basket in front of himself, intending to feed them to him one by one, but Zhao Yelan stopped eating after realizing his careful plan. It so happened that Gao Tan came back with a basket, which contained a big watermelon. To quench summer thirst, it was put into the well to cool down first.


    There was also a bunch of grapes in the basket, which were big and plump, very attractive. If these were fed to him¡­¡­Yan Mingting began to fantasize, feeling a little hot for some reason.


    He reached out to grab the grapes, but was slapped away by Zhao Yelan: ¡°Go eat your lychees, don¡¯t come and grab my things.¡±


    As if afraid that he would snatch it away, he carried the basket and walked towards the bedroom. As soon as he entered the door, he turned around and asked Gao Tan with his eyes: Is anyone following?


    Gao Tan shook his head.


    Zhao Yelan took out the note from the basket, unfolded it, and was stunned.


    ¨C There are two pieces of good news. One, the cell boss has been found and is in my hands. What do you want to do with him? Second, the medicine is finally ready. When do you plan to act?


    ¡°I just want to eat a few of your grapes, why hide so far away?¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s voice sounded at the door, and he faltered imperceptibly. Pretending to be calm, he pinched the note in his palm, turned around, and changed the subject: ¡°Is there any news about Yao Muze¡¯s master?¡±


    ¡°Still searching.¡± Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know why he had suddenly asked about this, but when he thought of him being so caring, he couldn¡¯t help but be grateful. ¡°If there is any news, I will definitely notify you as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and eat grapes, ba. ¡° Zhao Yelan lowered his head, eyes dimming, and then stuffed the note into a sachet without any trace.


    In the evening, after eating, the two sat in the courtyard to enjoy the moon and drink tea.


    News came from the palace that the general election was over. A total of thirty-two people were selected, and Sun Muyun was named nobility.


    ¡°An idle member of nobility?¡± Yan Mingting laughed. ¡°I think she is quite independent, but how can she be so in the palace from now on?¡±


    The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth curved up: ¡°Perhaps she will make great achievements in the future. Had we met in Jiangnan, she would have been a good friend.¡±


    ¡°You want to go to Jiangnan to play?¡± Yan Mingting thought for a moment and smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t I take a leave of absence from the Imperial Court, and we can go south for a trip. How about it? I also haven¡¯t been to the south, I don¡¯t know if it is really as great as Sun Muyun said.¡±


    Zhao Yelan pinched the sachet and gave it some thought: ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it, there are still many matters to attend to in Beijing.¡±


    ¡°What matters?¡± Yan Mingting put his arms behind his head and gazed up at the moon. ¡°Ever since I returned to Beijing, I have had nothing to do. I go to early court every day and then it is over. I don¡¯t have the authority to take care of any major issues, and all I can do is listen to the quarrels of those civil servants.¡±


    ¡°Is this not a good thing? You earn a salary with no need to work, which is a job that many people can only dream of,¡± Zhao Yelan said with a smile.


    ¡°But I¡¯m idle and bored, ah.¡± Yan Mingting sighed.


    ¡°If you are so idle, go and cut up the watermelon in the well.¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately went to cut up the watermelon and returned with a large plate full of watermelon slices. As soon as Zhao Yelan reached out to take a piece, it was snatched away.


    ¡°It¡¯s too cold, let it sit for a while before you eat,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Zhao Yelan reached out once more, but was stopped by him again.


    ¡°Be good, you finally stopped coughing recently, so don¡¯t mess around and get sick again.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sighed deeply, feeling that Yan Mingting¡¯s nagging was also quite difficult to deal with. Wasn¡¯t it the point of icing the watermelon to be able to cool his mouth?


    Two days later, Yan Mingting reported the border news to the Emperor. Although the Mongols had surrendered, there was still a little movement from time to time recently, and they needed to send more people over to keep watch. He planned to order Zhong Yuehong to bring three thousand soldiers back to the border.


    After thinking about it for a long time, Zhao Xuan agreed. He also rewarded Zhong Yuehong with some good things and elevated her by a rank.


    On the day of departure, many officials went to meet with each other before they left.


    Yan Mingting rode out of the city at the head, followed by He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong. In the carriage was Mother Zhong and all her belongings.


    To leave with this party now was to never return.


    After arriving outside the city, He Cuizhang saw Zhong Yuehong looking all around. He poked her shoulder with a horsewhip and pointed to a pavilion in the distance: ¡°Look, Zhao-daren is over there.¡±


    In order to prevent those censors and civil officials who had nothing to do from accusing him of being close to these military officials, Zhao Yelan went out of the city first and waited in the pavilion. This way, he wouldn¡¯t bump into other colleagues and have to come up with excuses.


    ¡°Zhao-daren!¡± Zhong Yuehong swung her whip and galloped to the pavilion. As soon as Zhao Yelan stood, he watched her swing off her horse. With a plop, she went down to one knee and said solemnly: ¡°Many thanks to Zhao-daren for saving my life. This daughter will remember her benefactor for as long as she lives. From now on, the heavens will be high and the water far.[1] Please take care of your body, Zhao-daren, and live in good health for the rest of your life.¡±


    Zhao Yelan helped her up and smiled sincerely: ¡°It was nothing more than a little effort. Although the capital is dangerous, it is less so than the frontier with its swords and spears. Proceed with caution and never be careless.¡±


    ¡°Yuehong will keep this in mind.¡± Zhong Yuehong nodded heavily, her eyes a little red. She raised her arm and wiped away her tears vigorously, then picked up the wine cup on the table. ¡°My lord, General, we part here.¡±


    Yan Mingting also picked up his wine cup: ¡°Take care, and send me a message if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°I will substitute the wine with tea and drink for you, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan poured a cup of tea.


    The three of them drank together. Zhao Yelen took out another package and gave it to her, and when Zhong Yuehong opened it, she saw that it was a newly made dress.


    ¡°The material was gifted by a nobleman before, and I naturally don¡¯t need it. If you want to wear a dress, you can wear it without fear. If you meet your perfect person in the future, you can wear it for him too. If no man can make your heart beat, then you should be your own hero and wear it for yourself,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Tears welled up in Zhong Yuehong¡¯s eyes again, and she nodded solemnly. As if afraid to be seen crying, she turned and quickly mounted her horse, waved back at them, and led the troops away without looking back.


    The mighty group gradually faded from sight. Yan Mingting turned to look at Zhao Yelan and saw his distant gaze, not knowing whether he was looking at the traveling group or the sky. He said: ¡°We can go to the border to see her in the future. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    They returned to the city, because after Zhong Yuehong¡¯s departure, someone needed to be arranged to take over her duties. Yan Mingting hired a sedan chair, told Gao Tan to protect him, and went to the training grounds with He Cuizhang.


    Unexpectedly, the sedan chair was stopped by someone on the road. Li Yucheng opened the curtain with a smile: ¡°Hey, I said it must be you. What a coincidence, Zhao-xiong.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Zhao Yelan looked at his bruised nose and swollen face and said coolly: ¡°You fought hard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Li Yucheng touched his black eyes. ¡°I beat Fu Qian like this to help you save that person.¡±


    ¡°You and Fu Qian have been at odds for a long time,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Sure enough, I can¡¯t hide anything from you, ah,¡± Li Yucheng said. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, it is better to take advantage of the occasion than to choose another time to meet. Do you want to listen to music with me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan took a good look at him, recalled the conversation he had heard when they met Fu Qian in front of Hongxiu House that day, and said clearly: ¡°Could it be that you fell in love with that beauty and wanted to marry her, but your father refused to agree, so you want me to be a lobbyist?¡±


    Li Yucheng blushed, faltering as he said: ¡°I¡¯m a good-for-nothing in my twenties. If I can start a family, maybe Dad will be happier. But you also know my reputation. No woman from a good family is willing to marry me, but A-Chang is different. Not only does she sing beautifully, but she never looks down on me.¡±


    ¡°You are her benefactor, so of course she won¡¯t despise you.¡± Zhao Yelan jabbed straight at his heart.


    ¡°She sells her art but not her body! A lot of people throw money at her, but she ignores them,¡± Li Yucheng said.


    ¡°Then why are you looking for me? You should go to a matchmaker, or someone else more suitable.¡±


    ¡°My father¡¯s colleagues don¡¯t want to see me at all, and they don¡¯t understand the beauty of rhythm! And my dad actually admires you quite a bit. I used to make trouble for you all the time, and besides telling me not to provoke you, he also incidentally complimented you, which made me even more angry¡­¡­¡± Li Yucheng smiled sheepishly.


    The sedan chair happened to pass Hongxiu House. Li Yucheng continued to urge him, and as he was distracted, the sedan chair missed it.


    ¡°Zhao-xiong, I beg you, please help me! You can do anything, ah!¡± Li Yucheng pleaded bitterly.


    Zhao Yelan changed his mind and said: ¡°It¡¯s getting late, let¡¯s try another day.¡± After speaking, he pulled down the curtain.


    ¡°Okay, another day is fine, I will leave my life¡¯s important affairs to you!¡± Li Yucheng shouted at the sedan chair, and then ran excitedly back to Hongxiu House to discuss marriage with his confidante.


    In the evening, after Yan Mingting came back, he heard that Zhao Yelan and Li Yucheng were chatting on the street. This time he didn¡¯t sulk, and said directly to Zhao Yelan: ¡°Can you eat and drink less with those little white faces in the future?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡± Zhao Yelan was feeding the rabbit. He patted the rabbit¡¯s head, stood, and walked to his side. ¡°Who did you hear it from? Yu Dali?¡±


    Yan Mingting did not answer.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me that for them, my orders would definitely override yours? How are they different from the people sent by the Emperor to monitor me? You should remember what happened to those people, ba. If you don¡¯t want Yu Dali and the others to die tragically, then don¡¯t ask them about my whereabouts,¡± Zhao Yelan said coldly.


    ¡°No, my lord¡­¡­I told the General,¡± Gao Tan muttered beside him.


    Zhao Yelan swiftly looked at him and said: ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? !¡±


    ¡°The General gave me this¡­¡­¡± Gao Tan tremblingly took out a bunch of tanghulu and said with a very pitiful tone, ¡°He said that he would take you out to swim in the lake tonight, so I said you might be a little tired today¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Swim in what lake at night?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yan Mingting said: ¡°I saw that you are a little bored in the mansion all day long, so I wanted to take you to relax. Do you want to go?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s throat choked up. He had just finished being vicious toward someone, and they turned around to invite him to go to the lake. It was really embarrassing, so he refused: ¡°I don¡¯t, I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go to the lake another day,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    After he left the courtyard, Yan Mingting asked Gao Tan in a low voice: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your family¡¯s lord? His temper came out of nowhere, was he angry outside today?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, ah, his temper is really unpredictable. Don¡¯t you know that, General?¡± Gao Tan ate tanghulu and said, ¡°It seems that there are a few days every month where he is particularly quick to anger.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting only felt that his reaction this time was a little too big. He was clearly fine when he saw Zhong Yuehong off in the afternoon, so could it be that Li Yucheng angered him?


    At night, Yan Mingting lay on the ground and asked softly: ¡°Are you asleep?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What is the matter with you these days?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, why?¡±


    ¡°Are you weak and faint, emotionally unstable, with unbearable abdominal pain? Will there be any blood?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s brow creased: ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? !¡±


    Yan Mingting covered his mouth with embarrassment and said: ¡°You haven¡¯t promised me yet that you won¡¯t go out with those little white faces in the future.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡­there will be gossip, ah! And isn¡¯t Wang Guisheng your pawn? How can anyone hang around with chess pieces all day long? Isn¡¯t this clearly telling others that the two of you are in the same group?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was inwardly amused, so he didn¡¯t expose him, only saying: ¡°All right, I won¡¯t do it again.¡± There would also be no such opportunity.


    Only then did Yan Mingting fall asleep satisfied.


    For several days, Yan Mingting saw Li Yucheng¡¯s figure nearby. He would make a fist at him from afar, and then Li Yucheng would run away like a mouse that had encountered a cat.


    On this day, Li Yucheng had already figured out Yan Mingting¡¯s routine, and while he was out, he came to the General¡¯s Mansion and called: ¡°Zhao-xiong, Zhao-xiong, are you there?¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked out in splendor and looked at him without saying a word.


    ¡°I brought you something good!¡± Li Yucheng took out a sachet. ¡°This was my sister¡¯s favorite kind of sachet in the past. There are dozens of floral fragrances mixed in it, which is cool and pleasant in summer. I made this, and if you like it, I will give it to you. I¡¯ll even tell you the recipe!¡±


    Zhao Yelan took it and sniffed it: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    An hour later, Yan Mingting returned from the training grounds, but hadn¡¯t yet arrived at the General¡¯s Mansion when he heard passers-by chattering about Zhao Yelan. He immediately reined in his horse, pulled someone aside, and asked, ¡°Where did you say Zhao Yelan went?¡±


    ¡°He went to the brothel with Li Yucheng!¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡° ! ! ! ¡±


    Very good, he only just promised him last night that he wouldn¡¯t have dinner with the little white faces, and today he was looking for girls instead!


    [1] This phrase describes a long journey or a vast distance. ?

 CH 43

    In the brothel, the red gauze tent was full of fragrance.


    Because it was the afternoon, it was not as noisy as it was at night. Most of the girls were still resting, and only a few maids and the Madam poured wine for the two at the table.


    ¡°Li-gonzi is so powerful that he even brought someone like Zhao-daren here,¡± the Madam said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, my popularity is not just average.¡± Li Yucheng laughed loudly. Seeing that she was about to pour wine for Zhao Yelan, he reached out and stopped her. ¡°Zhao-xiong doesn¡¯t drink wine, go and fetch a cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a very good Mingqian Longjing here, which is only used for entertaining distinguished guests.¡± The Madam had already changed the kettle. She smiled coquettishly at him, and reached out to touch Li Yucheng¡¯s face, which made him giggle non-stop. If she didn¡¯t have the scar on her face, her charm could be considered stunning.


    Zhao Yelan turned his eyes away and simply didn¡¯t look.


    Seeing this, Li Yucheng swiftly corrected his posture. Instead of joking with the Madam, he said seriously: ¡°Are the doors closed?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, since Li-gongzi has already reserved the venue, I have done so for you. There will not be a third guest coming in.¡± The Madam smiled.


    ¡°Then can we ask Lady Miaoyin to come up now?¡± Li Yucheng asked eagerly.


    ¡°Wait a moment, she is dressing. Don¡¯t worry, young master.¡± The Madam lit incense in the censer on the table, and a wisp of white smoke drifted out from the crack, overflowing with fragrance after a while.


    ¡°The fragrance of Hongxiu House is really varied. Don¡¯t you love sachets? You can ask them where they get so many strange fragrances. There are always seasonal ones throughout the year, no wonder the business here is getting better and better.¡± Li Yucheng continued introducing the benefits of brothels to Zhao Yelan, as if he came here for the incense and pastries. ¡°Don¡¯t scholars and sophisticated guests like a few tunes with their wine? This Hongxiu House has everything you could want, auspicious days, good wine, and beautiful songs. This is one of the greatest joys in life!¡±


    Zhao Yelan saw that he had only had a couple of sips, and drank the tea by himself. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the Madam passing by downstairs. Coincidentally, the other party looked up and their eyes met. The Madam smiled and said: ¡°Zhao-daren, don¡¯t worry. The person you want has already arrived.¡±


    Li Yucheng looked down excitedly and saw the woman following behind her. She walked up slowly while holding a pipa, opened the bead curtain, and saluted whole-heartedly: ¡°Li-gongzi is safe and well.¡±


    ¡°Safe and well, safe and well.¡± Li Yucheng¡¯s face was full of joy, and he stepped forward to hold her hand. ¡°A-Chang, this is Zhao-daren. Quickly sing a tune for him to listen to, and maybe he will intercede for me to marry you back¡­..¡±


    A-Chang unobtrusively pulled out her hand and looked at Zhao Yelan, saying with a nod: ¡°This one will show her inadequacy.¡±


    ¡°Not inadequate, not inadequate!¡± Li Yucheng said.


    Zhao Yelan had truly used up his patience to come and listen to music with this fellow, and pushed the wine glass in front of him: ¡°Can you please shut up!¡±


    A-Chang pursed her lips and snickered. Li Yucheng was stunned, and immediately drank three cups. The sound of the pipa was mournful. The lingering sorrow, coupled with A-Chang¡¯s ethereal voice, complemented each other just right. As she sang emotionally, Li Yucheng actually cried, drinking his wine silently.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Revolting.


    After one song, Li Yucheng wanted to hear it again. A-Chang got up and drank a cup of wine with him, then continued to play and sing. As Li Yucheng listened, he felt that the alcohol was coming on. His head became dizzy, and he fell on the table with a bang.


    The sound of the pipa did not stop, and when A-Chang finished singing the song, only then did she carefully put away the pipa, walk to the table, and see if he was breathing. She called out: ¡°Li-gongzi, wake up.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t be able to wake up for more than two hours, so take him down.¡± The Madam opened the bead curtain and walked inside. A few maids behind her carried him out and to a side room.


    ¡°Yes.¡± A-Chang stepped back slowly and went to guard Li Yucheng¡¯s room.


    There were only two people left in the room. The Madam took up the jug and poured the wine mixed with sleeping medicine on the ground. Then she poured a cup of tea from the tea kettle and smiled: ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t be able to drink my tea this year.¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t come in person, would you still have to hide this tea for the next year?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°How can this be? It would be a waste if it stayed with me. I was planning to send it to you in a few days, but I didn¡¯t expect you to come here of your own initiative. Has everything been arranged outside?¡±


    ¡°En, thanks to this kid, I¡¯m afraid there are rumors that I was dragged along to become a brothel patron by Li Yucheng.¡± Zhao Yelan sneered.


    She frowned, fumbled the teacup with her fingers, and smiled peculiarly: ¡°Become a brothel patron¡­¡­you are not afraid of what other people see or say. Aren¡¯t you afraid of General Yan?¡±


    Zhao Yelan hesitated slightly: ¡°Afraid of him doing what?¡±


    ¡°Afraid that he will become furious and flatten my little brothel. You¡¯re not distressed, but I am. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will overturn a jar of vinegar, ah? Last time, he carried you back from this brothel in front of everyone. This time, I am not sure how to get you back if you are imprisoned for life¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Gu Niaoniao!¡± Zhao Yelan set his teacup down on the table heavily.


    ¡°Aiyo, he¡¯s getting angry from embarrassment.¡± Gu Niaoniao giggled behind a handkerchief.


    ¡°Stop messing around and get down to business.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to get together and reminisce about the old days. You really have a heart like iron~¡±


    ¡°Is that what you call reminiscing about the past?¡±


    Gu Niaoniao grinned, then suppressed the smile on her lips and said seriously: ¡°The cell boss is in the cellar now. What do you want to do with him?¡±


    Zhao Yelan tightened his grip, clutching the teacup with bulging veins: ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t identify the wrong person?¡±


    ¡°No mistake, I would recognize him even if he turned to ashes,¡± Gu Niaoniao said in a dark voice.


    Zhao Yelan stood up and suddenly heard the sounds of soldiers¡¯ horseshoes outside. He walked to the window, glanced out, and saw that they had returned from the training grounds. Looking at the sky again, Yan Mingting should have also already left the training grounds.


    ¡°Bring that person here.¡±


    Gu Niaoniao left for a while, and when she returned, the maids behind her dragged in a tall, burly man. After throwing him down, they were sent to guard the gate.


    ¡°Wuwuwu ¨C!¡±


    The man was filthy, bound with his arms tied behind his body and a rope looped around his neck. His mouth was stuffed with a dirty cloth, and he hadn¡¯t eaten in two days. The cloth strip covering his face was abruptly torn away, and his pupils shrank before adapting to the bright light. When he opened his eyes, he saw a young, handsome man with a gloomy expression, who seemed as if he wanted to eat him alive, but he couldn¡¯t remember when he would have provoked such a person.


    ¡°Wuwu ¨C¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at Gu Niaoniao, and she pulled the cloth bundle from his mouth.


    ¡°Are you wondering who we are?¡± Zhao Yelan crouched down and looked at him levelly.


    The man instinctively recoiled, nodded, and was about to speak, when a reflected light suddenly lit up before his eyes as a sharp dagger was pressed against his mouth.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to hear your voice. You just need to nod and shake your head, understand?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡­¡± As soon as the man made a sound, he felt the knife dig in a little bit. Blood oozed from his lips and he nodded in terror.


    ¡°Have you ever served as the head of a prison?¡±


    The man continued to nod, staring anxiously at the knife in front of him, but he didn¡¯t dare to nod too hard for fear of poking his nose onto the blade.


    Zhao Yelan looked at him in disgust for a moment, then got up and asked Gu Niaoniao for a jar of salt.


    ¡°Who are you? What are you going to do!¡± The man finally had a chance to catch his breath, and ask a few questions. ¡°I have no grievances nor enmities with you, why did you tie me up?¡±


    ¡°Who let you talk?¡± Zhao Yelan looked back at him with dark eyes and slowly wiped the salt on the blade. Then he walked in front of him and said with a voice like a demon crawling out of hell, ¡°Listen well, if you dare to make a sound in the future, I will make another cut. The harder you scream, the more I will make you hurt.¡±


    The man stared at him and the knife in his hand, as if guessing what he intended to do. With sweat dripping down his face, he fell headlong onto the ground and crawled forward to flee. In the next moment, his waist was stepped on by a woman¡¯s foot. Then there was a sudden pain as his hamstring was severed. The wound was bloody and stained with salt, excruciatingly painful.


    ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah!¡± The man cried out in agony.


    ¡°Hush.¡± Zhao Yelan comforted him softly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep quiet? Why are you disobedient?¡±


    The man¡¯s forehead was bulging with blue veins as he watched the other stop in front of him again. Another tendon was cut.


    The man still couldn¡¯t hold back, and screamed sharply, writhing on the ground.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s ears hurt from hearing this, and he said: ¡°If you scream again, I still have other ways to play with you. Skinning, cooking, sticking with bamboo sticks, or quartering the body? Which do you prefer?¡±


    The cell boss cowered suddenly, forgetting the pain for a moment and only looking at him with tear-filled eyes.


    ¡°You, fellow, don¡¯t you enjoy using the death of a thousand cuts on people the most?¡± The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched, and he plunged the knife into his chest without hitting the vitals. The knife was covered in salt, and the pain brought him to within an inch of his life.


    The man didn¡¯t dare scream anymore. He clenched his mouth shut and endured it. The veins on his forehead were nearly popping out, and his entire body was covered in sweat.


    ¡°I can still hear you, ah.¡±


    After an incense stick of time, there was a sudden knock on the door downstairs: ¡°Zhao Yelan, Zhao Yelan, are you in there!¡±


    ¡°Open the door?¡± Gu Niaoniao glanced at Zhao Yelan, and he nodded.


    The door opened, Yan Mingting ran in two or three steps, and the door closed again. He looked around. The whole building was empty, which was very strange, and he subconsciously searched for Zhao Yelan¡¯s figure. Then muffled groans sounded from upstairs, and he dashed up quickly, opened the beaded curtain, and saw Zhao Yelan holding a short knife. A vast amount of blood stained his sleeves and robes, and there were a few drops of blood on his fair cheeks, extremely bewitching.


    A dying man lay on the ground, riddled with stab wounds, blood and flesh flung everywhere. It seemed as if he couldn¡¯t feel the pain, breathing in vain as he looked at the ceiling blankly.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Yan Mingting took a few steps forward, only to see the large bloodstains obscured by the table. Some had dried up, and new ones covered the old. Zhao Yelan stepped on these bloodstains and smiled faintly.


    He was clearly smiling, but Yan Mingting only felt that the environment was very cold, so he stretched out his hand to grab his wrist: ¡°Come back with me.¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡± Zhao Yelan withdrew his hand, pointing the knife at him. The corner of his mouth lifted up. ¡°Don¡¯t you always say my knives are useless? Let¡¯s see if it works today.¡±


    After saying this, he crouched down and slashed the prisoner¡¯s leg again. The man on the ground twitched twice and passed out once more.


    Zhao Yelan splashed the tea on the table into his face: ¡°Don¡¯t play dead, wake up for me.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, enough is enough.¡± Yan Mingting reached out to stop his knife, looking at him with heavy eyes. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, follow me back.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him with a complicated expression, and then his eyes turned hard: ¡°Leave, you are in my way.¡±


    ¡°Come back with me!¡±


    The two were in a deadlock. Zhao Yelan said: ¡°Yan Mingting, we are not the same kind of people after all. You go back to your high road.¡±[1]


    Yan Mingting took a deep breath as he was pushed aside by him. Then the other continued to torture the cell boss.


    Yan Mingting took one last look at his back, turned around, and strode away.


    As soon as the door opened and closed, the silence returned and Zhao Yelan paused, turning to look at the closed door downstairs. The knife fell to the ground weakly and was picked up by Gu Niaoniao.


    ¡°You¡­¡­I really don¡¯t know what to say about you. You¡¯ve been tossing around for so long just waiting for him to come. Do you care about him or not?¡± As Gu Niaoniao spoke, she slit the cell boss¡¯s neck and spit on a corpse a few times. It seemed that she had not vented her anger, so she stabbed the knife into his heart. Seeing that his breathing had stopped completely, her eyes suddenly turned red as tears welled up in them.


    After a while, she wiped away her tears, looked upward with a sigh, and said weakly: ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s finally over¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan was a little fatigued. He stood up slowly and sat to the side, then picked up the teapot to pour a cup of tea, but it was empty. He threw it aside so hard that it shattered into a pile of porcelain when it hit a pillar.


    Gu Niaoniao wiped her face, fixed her makeup, and ordered someone to tidy up the room. Then she took the hairpin from her hair to the dark case next to the porcelain, inserted it into a crack, and a secret door slowly opened.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get the medicine, ba,¡± Gu Niaoniao said.


    Zhao Yelan regained his composure and followed.


    Ten years ago, relying on Zhao Yelan, Gu Niaoniao went from a servant doing odd jobs to the new owner of Hongxiu House, and she procured news for him while doing business. The brothel was a mixed bag of crooks mixed in with the honest folk, and there were many high-ranking guests, including officials. In this way, it was easy to grasp the handles of many people in the court. There were also merchants and strange people traveling from north to south, and Gu Niaoniao was in communication with a group of Westerners as well. She learned that there was a sort of false death medicine in the Western Regions. After taking it, a person would appear to be dead, without breath or feeling, and would not revive until seven days later.


    ¡°This medicine is not completely safe. It is very potent, and after taking it, the memory will gradually decline and the mind will not be as good as it was before. In short, there is a chance you will become a fool,¡± Gu Niaoniao said, pretending to be at ease. She opened a drawer and took out the box inside, opening it with a step shaker[2] to reveal a smaller box inside.


    This one she opened with a hairpin, and there was yet another small box inside.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡± Zhao Yelan frowned. ¡°What is the point of hiding it in such a way?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to show off my jewelry,¡± Gu Niaoniao said proudly.


    Zhao Yelan took a look at her hair full of pearls and didn¡¯t know how long this process would take, so he simply found a chair and sat down, saying: ¡°There is nothing to show off. These accessories are available everywhere.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t learn from you. If one has money, it must be spent in order for it to count, lest I have worked hard all this time in vain.¡± Gu Niaoniao smiled, and asked while opening a box, ¡°Though I hear what you mean. Do you still have good accessories that can¡¯t be bought?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his chin proudly.


    ¡°Where is it? Let me see?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it.¡± Zhao Yelan paused and added, ¡°It¡¯s a relic from the previous dynasty, and it is the only one.¡±


    ¡°Talk is useless, unless you bring it before me, I have seen as many treasures as you.¡± Gu Niaoniao gave a snort of disdain, and after hearing a click, she said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked up at her, and she picked up a pill and walked over.


    ¡°Before you take it, ask Xiao Gao to come up with a secret signal, so that I can prepare for the follow-up matters. If he really can¡¯t bring any news, that¡¯s fine, the General¡¯s Mansion will definitely arrange for your funeral, and I will arrange for someone to pick you up at that time so that you can rest assured and die.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± You certainly know how to talk.


    Gu Niaoniao wrapped it in a brocade handkerchief and set it in front of him. Seeing that he didn¡¯t put it away immediately, she teased: ¡°What, can¡¯t bear to part with life now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Zhao Yelan packed it away in his pocket.


    This was the plan two years ago, when the struggle for the throne was at its most intense, and Zhao Xuan had no time to take into account that he already had his own industry and arrangements in Beijing. He ordered Gu Niaoniao to take people and find the false death medicine, and at the same time helped Zhao Xuan ascend the throne, leaving a way out for both sides. But the medicine was not easy to find, and on the contrary, Zhao Xuan ascended the throne first.


    He naturally understood the concept of casting aside the bow once the birds were gone.[3] After Zhao Xuan was firmly seated on the throne, Zhao Yelan had planned to resign and travel around the world, but there were still a few enemies in the officialdom that needed to be eradicated, so his departure was delayed for some time.


    Unexpectedly, the long delay caused complications, and the sudden marriage decree broke his original pacing.


    This Imperial decree also dispelled his plan to resign voluntarily. After many years of turmoil in officialdom, he and Zhao Xuan were no longer what they used to be. Even if he resigned sincerely, the other party would only think that he was planning a bigger conspiracy. That was why he restrained him with the Imperial decree without saying a word.


    Zhao Xuan had long forgotten that his purpose from the beginning was revenge and survival.


    If he didn¡¯t leave now, he feared that he would not have a good end in the future.


    ¡°Here are the bank notes I exchanged, which can be used within the territory of the Xuan Dynasty. If you go to Nanjiang or the Western Regions and beyond¡­¡­remember to send a letter occasionally to let me know whether you are alive or dead,¡± Gu Niaoniao said.


    Zhao Yelan accepted them with a smile: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going with me?¡±


    ¡°No, you spend money like running water. Who will earn money for you if I leave?¡± Gu Niaoniao snorted softly.


    ¡°Many thanks.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit strange for us to say thank you?¡± Gu Niaoniao smiled helplessly. ¡°Anyway¡­¡­everything outside is ready, but what about the capital? Are you really willing to leave?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at her: ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡±


    ¡°Yan Mingting¡­¡­are you willing to part with him?¡± Gu Niaoniao said, ¡°Although he didn¡¯t recognize me, I discovered a lot of things. One day when I was having dinner in Huichun Tower, I saw with my own eyes that he was drinking too much and kept telling his subordinates how beautiful your paintings are, how beautiful your calligraphy is, and how beautiful your clothes are¡­¡­he never left you out of any sentence, just short of printing the words ¡®I like you¡¯ on his forehead.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s fingers moved slightly, and he said: ¡°So what? Do I have to take responsibility for those who like me?¡±


    He was not a fool, so he could not fail to see Yan Mingting¡¯s intentions.


    Gu Niaoniao laughed: ¡°There are many people who like you, but the only person you care about is that one, ah¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan shot her a look, but said: ¡°People¡¯s hearts are subject to change. Even Zhao Xuan said in the early years that he would never look upon me with suspicion in his life, but what about now? Yan Mingting and I have only known each other for less than half a year, so leaving as soon as possible is a good thing for both of us.¡±


    ¡°En, it makes sense, it seems that you are still that heartless fellow.¡± Gu Niaoniao patted his shoulder. ¡°Change your clothes, they¡¯re full of blood. I can¡¯t stand it anymore, it really dirties my beautiful eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    There were usually spare clothes in the building in case the guests needed them, so Zhao Yelan changed into clean clothes. He exited through the secret door, passing through the cellar to leave the small building, and hired a sedan chair to go back.


    After getting off the sedan chair, he realized that he had arrived at the General¡¯s Mansion. He estimated that Yan Mingting did not want to see him at this time, and didn¡¯t want to quarrel with the other party, so he sat back in the sedan chair and said: ¡°To Zhao Mansion.¡±


    The streets were still very lively, and he could hear the discussions outside from where he sat in the sedan chair. They said that Zhao Yelan had gone to the brothel with a rich young master today, and that Yan Mingting rushed in angrily but came out alone, obviously catching him in bed, and was furious.


    After the sedan chair stopped, he stood in front of Zhao Mansion. The two guards were about to speak, but he raised his hand to stop them. He didn¡¯t want to listen to their polite nonsense, and only wanted to go to his room and lie down.


    Who knew that as soon as he stepped through the gate, a voice would ring in his ear: ¡°You still know how to come back, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was startled. He turned to look over and saw Yan Mingting emerge from the darkness, and couldn¡¯t help saying in surprise: ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t go back honestly.¡± Yan Mingting clasped his wrist. ¡°Now you can go back with me.¡±


    ¡°Go back for what?¡±


    ¡°To sleep, of course.¡± Yan Mingting picked him up without another word.


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t evade in time. The world spun for a while, and when he came to his senses, he was already sitting on horseback with the other person behind him.


    Yan Mingting rode the horse through the busy city, immediately attracting countless eyes. Some whispered, while others pointed at them and laughed.


    Yan Mingting at once said sharply: ¡°Good, Zhao Yelan, you¡¯ve been dragged around by that Li Yucheng! He urged you to go to a brothel, so you went to the brothel? Although the girl who sang was not selling herself, you can¡¯t go to such a place for fun, ah, the same tea is several times more expensive! Sooner or later, I must change your extravagant and wasteful habits, see if I don¡¯t sort you out when we return!¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked back at him and asked in a low voice: ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    At this time, a commoner shouted in the distance: ¡°The General is mighty, teach him a lesson!¡±


    ¡°And sort out that Li Yucheng too, that rich dandy, everyone hates that lowlife!¡±


    ¡°Hongxiu House¡¯s tea is expensive, but it¡¯s really delicious, ah!¡±


    ¡°Delicious, my ass,  I see that your brain is completely full of girls! This old lady will break your dog legs today, and see if you dare run off to that place!¡±


    The common people quarreled amongst themselves, and it seemed that no one cared about Zhao Yelan going to the brothel for an hour or two, only that he and Li Yucheng listened to music and drank tea together.


    Zhao Yelan was silent along the way, and when they reached a secluded area, he said: ¡°You didn¡¯t need to deliberately say those things. Anyway, I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me, I¡¯m still angry.¡± Yan Mingting harrumphed.


    Zhao Yelan shut up.


    After a while, Yan Mingting said unhappily: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me why I¡¯m angry?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t allow me to talk.¡±


    ¡°Right now you¡¯re allowed.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Quickly ask me, ah!¡±


    Zhao Yelan sighed: ¡°Then, daring to ask this big brother, why are you so angry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m angry with a certain person who promised me that he would tell me everything, and then went and broke his promise!¡± Yan Mingting said in a powerful, resonating voice.


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback for a moment. He had thought that he would be blamed for his cruelty, or for killing innocent people indiscriminately, but had never entertained such a reason. He said: ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Who was that person that you killed?¡±


    Sure enough, this was what he asked.


    Zhao Yelan would not tell him, so he simply kept quiet for a long time. Then he heard him say: ¡°Do you really think I don¡¯t know anything? If I wanted to check, the person¡¯s family registry would be presented before my eyes. And yours, of course.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes flickered, and he looked back at him suspiciously.


    ¡°Mengting, Zhao Mengting, that is not your courtesy name at all, but your original name, right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s complexion suddenly changed.


    Yan Mingting looked down into his eyes and said softly: ¡°I won¡¯t look into things about Mengting. I¡¯ll wait for the day when he takes the initiative to tell me.¡±


    [1] This is part of the idiom, ¡°You take the high road, I will cross my single-plank bridge.¡± ?


    [2] A step shaker (²½Ò¡) is a dangling ornament worn by Han women. It is usually made of gold bent into the shape of a dragon or phoenix, and decorated with pearls and jade. It jingles when you walk, hence the name. ?


    [3] Casting aside the bow once the birds are gone (Äñ¾¡¹­²Ø) is an idiom that means getting rid of something once it has served its purpose. ?

 CH 44

    Yan Mingting saw the shock on his face that he tried his best to hide, and knew that he was right.


    A courtesy name should have been chosen by his parents, elders, or perhaps His Holiness. But Zhao Yelan¡¯s parents had died in his early years, and Zhao Xuan was the most likely to choose the courtesy name for him.


    At first, when he heard the word ¡°Mengting¡± from Zhao Xuan¡¯s mouth, there was an indescribable familiarity, but after careful inspection, he noticed that Zhao Yelan¡¯s reaction to this was not within the norm. It seemed that he was caught off guard when he heard this name, and his expression changed unexpectedly.


    Later at the hunting grounds, he had asked the other party why Zhao Xuan had called him Mengting.


    Zhao Yelan said it was a courtesy name.


    He called him that all the way, but every time he said it, Zhao Yelan was very annoyed. It wasn¡¯t until they returned and he called ¡°Mengting¡± in front of Housekeeper Qin that Zhao Yelan became furious, as if he didn¡¯t want this name mentioned in front of outsiders.


    So he didn¡¯t speak it in front of others anymore, and only occasionally called him Mengting when they were alone together, just for fun between the two of them.


    His name had been changed since childhood, and even though he became a noble official, there was no ancestral hall in Zhao Mansion to honor his ancestors¡­¡­he had a vague guess, but he didn¡¯t want to delve into how many stories were hidden behind the name Zhao Mengting.


    He firmly believed that human nature was inherently good. If Zhao Yelan could be driven into the abyss step by step, the story behind it must be heart-wrenching. He didn¡¯t want to investigate secretly, so as not to uncover that bloody scar again. The other party couldn¡¯t bear it, and he may not be able to face it calmly.


    As soon as the two of them returned to the General¡¯s Mansion, they saw Housekeeper Qin and Gao Tan squatting on the steps, arguing endlessly.


    Housekeeper Qin: ¡°Why did Zhao-daren go to the brothel? It¡¯s too outrageous, can¡¯t he stay in the mansion honestly?¡±


    ¡°The brothel smells fragrant and savory, my lord will naturally like it.¡±


    ¡°You sure know how to talk to adults, kid, do you know what that place is?!¡±


    ¡°Of course I know, but I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t. You¡¯re too old to go.¡±


    ¡°Who are you looking down on! Who wasn¡¯t powerful when he was young?! Back when I was messing around with girls, you didn¡¯t even know how to breastfeed!¡±


    ¡°Old is old, I only hear boasting.¡±


    ¡°Believe it! I could tell my wife to have a third child now, how about you!¡±


    ¡°Of course I can¡¯t, I don¡¯t like your wife, I don¡¯t want her to have my baby.¡±


    ¡°How can this be so!¡± Housekeeper Qin was so angry that his beard puffed up. He stood up to beat him but knew that he couldn¡¯t, so he just postured and waited for him to admit his mistake.


    At this time, someone grabbed his arm and he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his head to see that it was the General, and quickly said to Gao Tan: ¡°For the sake of the General, I won¡¯t fight with you, brat!¡±


    Xiao Gao ignored him, stepping forward to say aggrievedly: ¡°My lord, you are back. You didn¡¯t take me with you when you went out today, am I still your favorite Xiao Gao?¡±


    The veins on Yan Mingting¡¯s forehead twitched, and he let go of Housekeeper Qin¡¯s arm: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to beat him up? Go do it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, this¡­¡­¡± Housekeeper Qin looked at him in shame. How could he beat him, ah!


    Yan Mingting dragged Zhao Yelan back to the room, leaving the youth and the elder looking at each other.


    Housekeeper Qin was in a dilemma for a moment. When he saw someone passing by, he hurriedly asked the person to grab his arm in a whisper, and shouted: ¡°Xiao Gao, if someone hadn¡¯t stopped me, today I would show you the meaning of ¡®old but still vigorous.¡¯ There is no one I dare not face!¡±


    Zhao Yelan heard the two people¡¯s bickering and simply closed the window and let them mess around.


    Yan Mingting waited for a while and seeing that he had no intention of talking about today¡¯s events, he had no choice but to order someone to boil water. He guessed that he would definitely want to wash away the filth, but the clothes¡­¡­


    ¡°Whose clothes are you wearing?¡± Yan Mingting had never seen him wear this outfit. He had clearly changed it, but where? The brothel? Humph!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zhao Yelan replied truthfully. ¡°This is a spare from the brothel, it should be new.¡±


    Ah!


    Yan Mingting gave a bitter smile: ¡°Spares from the brothel ¨C doesn¡¯t it usually bother you for others to touch your clothes? How can you wear spares from the brothel?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Otherwise, do you think it would be more appropriate for me to come out covered in blood?¡±


    Yan Mingting choked, and went to the kitchen to speed up the process of heating the water. He paced over and pulled away the servants in front of the stove, sat down by himself, picked up the firewood, and tossed it in.


    Moments later, a cloud of smoke rose from the kitchen.


    ¡°Is it on fire?!¡± Housekeeper Qin detected the smell of smoke from a long distance away and hurried to the kitchen.


    Zhao Yelan also rushed over when he heard this, and just outside the kitchen window, he saw servants pulling Yan Mingting out and coaxing him: ¡°General, you can just stay in the room and wait, ba. The hot water will be ready soon, no matter how urgent it is, it can¡¯t be rushed, ah. That isn¡¯t how firewood is burned, you¡¯ll set the General¡¯s Mansion on fire.¡±


    Yan Mingting looked back at them in embarrassment as they waved away the smoke. Some got into his throat and he coughed uncontrollably. At this moment, a pair of white jade boots appeared in front of him. He froze for a moment, then looked up at Zhao Yelan.


    Zhao Yelan held out a brocade handkerchief. He awkwardly refused to take it, thinking that it would be over after a couple of coughs, and that there was no need to bother covering his mouth and nose.


    Unexpectedly, the other party wiped his face.


    He looked at him in surprise, and then saw that the piece of white fabric was stained black.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s expression was as dark as the bottom of a pot. The genuine bottom of a pot.


    He immediately rushed to the nearby well and looked at himself in the moonlight. Somehow ash had smeared on his face, which really made his handsome appearance ugly!


    Zhao Yelan was unable to restrain his smile: ¡°Can you wipe it properly now?¡±


    Yan Mingting fetched a basin of water and set it aside. He was just about to accept the handkerchief, but withdrew his hand and simply wrote himself off as hopeless and acted recklessly: ¡°You wipe it for me.¡±


    ¡°Who is willing to spoil you?¡±


    Yan Mingting tilted his face towards him, making it clear that he wanted him to wipe it: ¡°Mengting, wipe it¡­¡­Mengting!¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked around and saw that everyone was busy in the kitchen and no one had noticed, so he gritted his teeth and crouched down to wet the handkerchief, then wiped his face viciously: ¡°Is this what you said you wouldn¡¯t investigate?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I only called you, and that¡¯s not enough? You are too domineering.¡± Yan Mingting dangled his legs, pleased with himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as bad as you, scoundrel.¡±


    After wiping the cold well water on his face from side to side, Yan Minting smiled at him, refreshed.


    As soon as Housekeeper Qin came out after rescuing the kitchen, he saw the two of them flirting with each other by the well. He couldn¡¯t understand, why did Zhao-daren leave the General at home to go look for wild flowers, ah? Was it really just for tea?


    At night, Zhao Yelan lay on the bed with his eyes open in the dark, thinking about the day he would leave and what he would do. He suddenly heard Yan Mingting ask: ¡°When you killed that man today, there was a Madam in the house.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°She looked pretty.¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t frightened by you?¡± Yan Mingting asked tentatively, ¡°Or, did you actually know each other a long time ago?¡±


    It was only after Yan Mingting walked out of the brothel that he realized something was wrong. It was such a big brothel and the door was closed tightly, but he was able to enter with ease, as if they were expecting him. And Zhao Yelan, in front of a woman, on her territory, executed a person in such a slow manner. That woman¡¯s expression did not change, as if she didn¡¯t care at all. There was definitely a problem.


    Zhao Yelan thought for a moment. Knowing that it was impossible to hide it, he simply confessed: ¡°Yes, I know her.¡±


    ¡°How do you know each other?¡± Yan Mingting asked curiously. It couldn¡¯t be because he was a regular customer could it?


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t answer. He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, and fortunately Yan Mingting didn¡¯t ask any more questions.


    Early the next morning, Li Yucheng came to visit and waited in the foyer for a while. Seeing Zhao Yelan coming out in his official uniform, he hurriedly stood up and asked: ¡°Zhao-xiong, I was drunk yesterday, and I only realized when I woke up that Yan Mingting came to the brothel to look for you. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Is there something I can do for you?¡± Zhao Yelan walked toward the gate.


    ¡°Okay, forget it, then can you help this younger brother, ah?¡±


    ¡°That girl is not a good match for you, and you are not the only one waiting to redeem her. She is not absolutely loyal to you, so you should give up as soon as possible so as not to cause trouble. You can rest assured and wait for your father to arrange a marriage for you. Your father is the best person in the world to you.¡± After Zhao Yelan finished speaking, he got into the sedan chair and disappeared down the street.


    Li Yucheng was stunned for a while, and then left in disappointment. He heard someone calling his name, and when he looked back, it was Yan Mingting returning from morning court.


    ¡°What are you doing sneaking around here?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°Who¡¯s sneaking around¡­¡­¡± Li Yucheng muttered, about to run, but the other party grabbed him and pulled him over.


    ¡°Can you live in peace for two days, boy? You either gamble or whore all day long, are you deliberately trying to anger your father?¡± On the surface, Yan Mingting was teaching him a lesson for Li Jingyu, but in fact his teeth itched with hatred for this kid who tried to take Zhao Yelan to brothels several times. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he simply boxed him twice with his fist.


    ¡°Otherwise what can I do? Wuwuwuwu, don¡¯t hit.¡± Li Yucheng put his head in his hands. ¡°My father never let me learn scholarly arts, and I¡¯m not allowed to join the army. I also want to do something to make him happy!¡±


    Yan Mingting understood Li Jinyu¡¯s desire to protect him, but he did not agree with excessive safeguarding. No father would like his child to endure hardships, but some hardships must be experienced.


    When people grew up, it was easy to go astray without something serious to do. Li Jinyu could protect him for a while, but he could not protect him forever.


    Yan Mingting said: ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at eating, drinking, and having fun all day long? You should have some understanding of these trades, how about doing some business?¡±


    ¡°Ah, business¡­¡­my father is the Prime Minister, if I become a merchant, will I hurt his credibility?¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, Yan Mingting patted his head hard: ¡°Have you hurt his credibility less? If you don¡¯t want to endure hardship, just say you don¡¯t want to endure hardship. Make whatever excuses you want and get out of my way.¡±


    Li Yucheng held his head and stepped aside. Seeing him enter the mansion, he at once stepped forward and stood at the gate to shout: ¡°Yan Mingting, I¡¯m sorry! I wronged you before, and I will seriously consider your suggestion!¡±


    Yan Mingting turned his head and saw that he had run away: ¡°Brat.¡±


    In the Imperial Academy, Wang Guisheng was clearly being isolated. Only Ruan Xian occasionally took the time to converse with him, and he worked alone most of the time. When asking others for the classics he needed, their answers were exceedingly perfunctory.


    After a few days, he was somewhat frustrated, so he came to a corner of the pavilion and sighed alone with a mixture of depression and loss. He was very disheartened by the current situation.


    At this time, he saw that Zhao Yelan was alone by the window under the eaves not far away, bending over to pick up a brush and write something.


    He got up and walked to the window, standing in place. Only then did he realize that he was drawing a map of the Xuan Dynasty. He was a little puzzled, but the other party spoke first: ¡°What? Are you feeling wronged?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I was wrong, obviously they are the ones who are too pedantic. Why should they refuse to face their own shortcomings?¡±


    ¡°This is the Imperial Academy. Just like you, they all came from a scholarly background. If you have pride, so do they. You think they are wrong and they also think you are wrong, why do you persist in the end? What is in it for you?¡±


    ¡°But if you blind your eyes, you will only stagnate and not think about making progress. If we don¡¯t do practical things for the people, what meaning is there in being an official?¡±


    ¡°But you are only sixth-rank, a junior who has just entered the officialdom and is now trying to correct their shortcomings. Isn¡¯t this too aggressive? Why should they listen to you, a little brat? You have no power over them, and no real ability to convince them. Can you carry out your so-called official morality just by opening your mouth?¡± Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to talk too much with him, but needed to impress upon him the dangers of officialdom so that he would understand the truth of rigidity and change. ¡°If you still want to blame others, just find a cool patch of shade and stay there, don¡¯t bother me.¡±


    Wang Guisheng pursed his lips and said after a long moment: ¡°Then what do you think I should do?¡±


    ¡°Go and learn worldly wisdom from him, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan raised his chin in a certain direction.


    Wang Guisheng looked over and saw that Ruan Xian was listening to the lectures of those old scholars. Whatever he said caused those old pedants to stroke their beards and smile, and then take the initiative to bring up some knowledge.


    Zhao Yelan saw that he was finally willing to put down his pride and go to Ruan Xian for advice, and let out a sigh.


    Of these two, one was tactful but lacked real talent and learning, so he placed the idea of prosperity on the people around him, urging everyone on so that there was a greater chance of ascending to the top together.


    The other was too prideful and upright. He was ambitious and talented, but too solitary. One could not prosper in officialdom based solely on one¡¯s own integrity.


    The two of them were good partners who could learn from each other. If they could make use of their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, they would also be able to assist the Emperor in the future and help solve the big mess left behind by the previous Emperor.


    After leaving the government office, he took his purse and made purchases all the way from the street to the end of the alley. Minji¡¯s stuffed steamed buns, Huichunlou¡¯s drunken shrimp, Jinxuan¡¯s silk, street trinkets¡­¡­he accidentally bought too much.


    After returning to the mansion, he found a few servants to move things from the sedan chair.


    ¡°My lord, why did you suddenly buy so many things, ah?¡± Housekeeper Qin saw that there were all sorts of purchases, and also helped to carry them.


    ¡°Be careful.¡± The things in the bag fell, and Zhao Yelan picked them up. They happened to be two tanghulu that he had casually purchased on the street.


    Housekeeper Qin turned back again, saw the tanghulu in his hand, and suddenly realized: ¡°I see. My lord, this is a birthday gift for the General, right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused: ¡°Birthday?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah, it will be the General¡¯s birthday in six days.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked down at the tanghulu, clenched his fingers, and frowned slightly ¨C would it be inauspicious to ¡°die¡± right before his birthday?


    Forget it, it wouldn¡¯t be too late to wait these few days and ¡°leave¡± after Yan Mingting¡¯s birthday.


    ¡°Oh! General, will¡­¡­you?¡± Housekeeper Qin seemed to have seen Yan Mingting appear at the gate just now, but he vanished in the blink of an eye.


    Zhao Yelan stared at the gate together with him and said: ¡°You must have the blurred vision of the elderly, ba.¡±


    At the corner outside the gate, He Cuizhang whispered: ¡°General, why are we hiding?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, didn¡¯t you hear what they said about birthday gifts?¡± Yan Mingting rubbed his hands, standing on tiptoe to look into the courtyard at the people coming in and out. ¡°More likely than not, those are all congratulatory gifts prepared by Zhao Yelan. If I go out now, won¡¯t I destroy his carefully prepared surprise?¡±


    ¡°It makes sense¡­¡­let me see what he has prepared?¡± He Cuizhang also stood on tiptoe to look into the courtyard, and reported in a whisper: ¡°He has two tanghulu in hand!¡±


    Of course!


    It absolutely must be a congratulatory gift for him. Yan Mingting inwardly made a fist.


    He Cuizhang: ¡°Oh! Xiao Gao asked for one.¡±


    Damn Xiao Gao! !

 CH 45

    Zhao Yelan handed over the rest of the purchases to Housekeeper Qin to arrange and led Xiao Gao to the bedroom. He took out a house deed and handed it to him: ¡°You have been with me for so many years, and it is time for you to start a family. You take this deed and check on the house, see if there are any repairs that need to be made. Buy some new things and find a girl that you like, ba.¡±


    Xiao Gao looked at the house deed, then at him, and quickly took two steps back: ¡°My lord, what I want is tanghulu, not a house deed, ah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Zhao Yelan tucked it into his belt and whispered softly: ¡°You¡¯ve grown up and it¡¯s time for you to have your own place. If you really can¡¯t find a good place to go, then ask your uncle to arrange it, and he will find a good job for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want Uncle.¡± Xiao Gao pursed his mouth. ¡°My lord, what¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡±


    Zhao Yelan sighed, persuading with kind words: ¡°Don¡¯t you want to marry a wife and have children?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to,¡± Xiao Gao said without hesitation.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°If I marry a wife and have children, I will become a bald old man like Housekeeper Qin. I just want to follow my lord.¡± Xiao Gao suddenly asked, ¡°My lord, are you going to die?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°When my dad died, he was just like you are now! Don¡¯t die, I don¡¯t want you to die¡­¡­¡±As Xiao Gao spoke, his eyes turned red.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m not dead yet, I won¡¯t die.¡± Zhao Yelan coaxed: ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to marry a wife, then stay.¡±


    ¡°En!¡± Xiao Gao wiped away his tears, nodded swiftly, and then quickly wiped his eyes again: ¡°The General is here.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked outside. He saw Yan Mingting coming over and whispered: ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone know what we spoke about today.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Before Xiao Gao left, he hesitantly pointed to the tanghulu in his hand. ¡°Can you give this to me?¡±


    As soon as Yan Mingting entered the room, he saw Zhao Yelan give Xiao Gao the last pieces of tanghulu. Just as he was about to speak, Xiao Gao turned around with tears in his eyes and ran out with it.


    He opened his mouth several times, and only after a while did he ask: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xiao Gao?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s homesick.¡± Zhao Yelan sat down leisurely, then remembered the food he had bought and got up to look for something to eat.


    ¡°I saw it, ah, you gave him some tanghulu.¡± Yan Mingting followed and walked up beside him, noticing that he had bought a lot of delicacies. There were still a few days before his birthday, was he not afraid of letting it go bad?


    ¡°What? You want some too?¡± Zhao Yelan took out Huichunlou¡¯s drunken shrimp and opened the paper bag. Its fragrance wafted out immediately.


    ¡°En, I¡¯m homesick too,¡± Yan Mingting blurted out.


    Zhao Yelan gave him a strange look: ¡°Whose home are you in now?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­I mean, I miss my parents and brother.¡±


    ¡°Then do you want to eat these?¡± Zhao Yelan asked, pointing at the lavish meal he had brought back.


    ¡°No, I just want tanghulu.¡±


    ¡°What is the trouble?¡± Zhao Yelan opened a paper bag beside him. There happened to be a few tanghulu inside, and he gave it all to him. ¡°Take it.¡±


    Satisfied, Yan Mingting stepped aside with the tanghulu and heard Zhao Yelan summon all the servants to divide up the lavish meal.


    Yan Mingting: ¡° ? ¡±


    In the end, while eating tanghulu, Yan Mingting watched the servants eat fish and shredded chicken so happily, and regretted it very much.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you today?¡± Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t help asking.


    ¡°If you accidentally buy too much, it will become rancid after some time, so it is better to ask everyone to come taste it,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting grudgingly accepted this explanation, but over the next few days, Zhao Yelan seemed a bit abnormal.


    First, he spent a lot of money to add things to the house. The tables and chairs were replaced with high-quality rosewood, the wooden screens were replaced with glazed ones, the weeds in the yard were pulled out, the chicken coop fence was repaired, and some koi were thrown in the fish pond. Even Hongshao had its own extra-large cage. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t wait to renovate the General¡¯s Mansion.


    ¡°It¡¯s not right, really not right.¡± Standing in the foyer, Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Yelan who was going out shopping again, and narrowed his eyes slightly, asking Housekeeper Qin beside him, ¡°What exactly is he trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Housekeeper Qin smiled happily. ¡°My lord is obviously preparing for your birthday, ah. Isn¡¯t renovating the mansion just to let you live comfortably?¡±


    ¡°Then why did he buy so many things?¡±


    ¡°They are congratulatory gifts for you. After all, it¡¯s his first time celebrating your birthday. If he can¡¯t make up his mind, he buys more.¡±


    Yan Mingting came to a realization and nodded: ¡°It¡¯s still Uncle Qin who sees most clearly.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin stroked his beard with a smile. After being pleased with himself for a moment, he picked up a broom and went to clean the mansion.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Uncle Qin, you go tidy up the west wing.¡± Yan Mingting remembered another thing.


    ¡°Who will use it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will be used or not, but prepare it first.¡±


    He had received a letter from Zhong Yuehong yesterday. According to the distance, it would take two days to be delivered from the border, so this letter was written at a post station on the way. The letter briefly mentioned a few things about her travels, and then mentioned that she had met Zuo Ran at the post station.


    Zuo Ran was traveling to Beijing alone and said that she was going to look for the General. She was in a hurry, and continued on her way without taking even a sip of water.


    Zhong Yuehong couldn¡¯t find out her purpose, but knew that something had happened, so she hurriedly wrote a letter and sent it to Beijing to notify him in advance.


    If she was traveling day and night, Zuo Ran should arrive at about the same time as the letter. No matter what had happened, he would know when he saw her.


    Zhao Yelan hadn¡¯t come back yet when it was time for dinner. Yan Mingting walked outside the gate and looked around for a while, and a man ran up to him and asked: ¡°Excuse me, is General Yan at the residence?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Someone asked me to hand this to you.¡± The man handed him a letter and ran away.


    Yan Mingting opened it and saw an address written on it. He put the letter away, walked along a secluded path, and came to a small farmyard. According to the instructions on the letter, he knocked on the door five times in succession. The door opened.


    Yan Mingting looked at Xiao Gao, who had opened the door, and said, ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Inside, please.¡± Xiao Gao gestured for him to go in quickly, and then guarded the door.


    Yan Mingting took out the letter, walked towards the person at the table, and put it in front of him: ¡°Why did you go to so much trouble to call me here?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just call you out for no reason?¡± Zhao Yelan asked back.


    ¡°Of course you can.¡± Yan Mingting smiled, sat down beside him, and looked around. There was only one candle lit in the room, and the environment was a little dark, so he had to move the chair a little to the side in order to see Zhao Yelan¡¯s face clearly.


    Zhao Yelan turned his head to the side with a neutral expression, and Yan Mingting grinned: ¡°I came here specially to meet you, what is the matter?¡±


    ¡°I want to introduce you to a friend.¡±


    ¡°A friend? Who, ah?¡±


    Just as he spoke, there were five knocks on the door, neither light nor heavy, and Xiao Gao glanced out the window before opening the door.


    Yan Mingting looked out the door suspiciously but couldn¡¯t get a clear view. When the other party walked in, he pointed at the person, dumbfounded, and was speechless for a long moment.


    The new arrival didn¡¯t seem to expect him to be there, and was briefly stunned before turning to Zhao Yelan and asking: ¡°Why is the General here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, come in, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The visitor restrained his surprised expression, walked over calmly, and sat down on the other side of him so that he was face to face with Yan Mingting.


    Now that he could see his appearance clearly, Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t hide his inner astonishment and turned pale with shock: ¡°Kan Chuan?!¡±


    ¡°General Yan, I have long wanted to pay a visit, but never found the opportunity. I didn¡¯t think I would meet you here.¡± Kan Chuan smiled slightly. His speech and demeanor were somewhat similar to Zhao Yelan¡¯s. At first glance, he was either someone under his influence or a like-minded person.


    ¡°You, you two¡­¡­aren¡¯t at odds?¡± Yan Mingting was so shocked that he was unable to recover for a long time.


    No wonder he didn¡¯t suspect it at all. After returning to Beijing and going to court with Zhao Yelan for the first time, he had witnessed Kan Chuan¡¯s request to abolish Zhao Yelan¡¯s official position and learned from hundreds of officials that the two often had verbal disputes in court. Even though Zhao Yelan had gone to the Imperial Academy, he was repeatedly mentioned and castigated by Kan Chuan from time to time.


    Originally, he had admired Kan Chuan¡¯s temperament. If he hadn¡¯t always insulted Zhao Yelan openly, he might still have been able to make friends with him. He really didn¡¯t expect this¡­¡­


    ¡°It seems that even General Yan has been fooled by this ruse. Does this mean that my acting skills are not bad, Zhao-daren?¡± Kan Chuan looked at Zhao Yelan with a smile, and Zhao Yelan smiled back.


    ¡°Then when you asked to impeach him in court that day, in fact¡­¡­¡±


    Kan Chuan took a glance at Zhao Yelan and saw that he didn¡¯t object, so he knew the reason he was here tonight. He wanted to hand over his cards to General Yan. It seemed that their relationship was closer than he had imagined.


    ¡°It was Zhao-daren¡¯s idea,¡± Kan Chuan said.


    Yan Mingting understood everything. Presumably, it was Zhao Yelan who saw the Emperor¡¯s intention behind the marriage decree. He simply retreated in order to advance and let Kan Chuan come out on top, so that he was appreciated by the Emperor. He became a supporter of high moral character and there was no objection to his extraordinary promotion. Now he had become a new palace favorite, but no one insulted him like they had insulted Zhao Yelan, and he gained a lot of support instead.


    And Zhao Yelan appeared to have withdrawn from court, but still held the greatest power. Moreover, he didn¡¯t have to go to court every day and face his enemies, but could hide in the Imperial Academy with a group of scholars, relaxed and happy.


    At first, Yan Mingting had seen that he was not dispirited after being demoted, and thought that he was optimistically accepting his fate, but he didn¡¯t expect that the arrangement had been made long ago. He had still underestimated Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Last time, when we learned about Yuehong¡¯s entry into the harem in advance, that was you?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the Emperor discussed this matter with me. I thought it was an extraordinary piece of news, so I passed the information to Zhao-daren,¡± Kan Chuan said.


    It turned out that this was Zhao Yelan¡¯s person in court. At that time, he had been admonished that small indiscretions could lead to big problems, and if the informer in the court was exposed, there would indeed be endless troubles.


    No wonder the two were exchanging looks at the Imperial Examination banquet.


    ¡°My lord, recently the Prime Minister has asked the Emperor to invite you to return to court several times on the grounds of numerous government affairs, but I temporarily stopped it. What are your thoughts on this matter?¡± Kan Chuan asked.


    ¡°Stop it, I don¡¯t want to go back yet.¡±


    Zhao Yelan knew that Li Jinyu was doing this either to repay his son¡¯s gambling debts, or for Yan Mingting. But after all, Li Jinyu didn¡¯t know that he had stepped down on purpose. Fortunately, Kan Chuan was quick-witted and opposed Li Jinyu¡¯s suggestion in time before receiving instructions, which made the scholar-politicians favor him even more.


    ¡°All right.¡± Kan Chuan spoke again, ¡°Yesterday, the Mongolian royal family sent a letter, wanting to make peace through marriage to the princess. Do you think this is a good thing or not?¡±


    ¡°There is only one princess, who is not yet of age, so naturally there will be discord.¡±


    ¡°The Emperor also thinks similarly. However, the old prince insists on the marriage.¡±


    The old prince was the younger brother of the late Emperor, an idle prince with only a few daughters in his family. Worried that there would be no one to inherit the family estate, while taking concubines to have children and using his daughters to win over the powerful, he actually turned his thoughts to the Mongolian prince.


    Zhao Yelan said firmly: ¡°It is absolutely impossible. The Mongolian people surrendered, what prestige is there in delivering a princess for a political marriage? The Mongols are just testing us. Once they see us backing down, they will only ask for more in the future. Besides, did they forget how to surrender? Although the Yan family army has returned to the court, they are not dead yet, so what is there to be afraid of?¡±


    Yan Mingting was shocked, and looked at him with burning eyes: ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°All right, then tomorrow I will have a good fight with that old prince,¡± Kan Chuan said with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan nodded, and had another matter to discuss: ¡°The water report from the Huainan area stated that there may be a risk of flooding, and the Imperial court has distributed disaster funds. However, I have heard people south of the Yangtze river say that it has been sunny for more than ten days, so I have sent people to verify this matter. In the end, it is either a Jiangnan population error or the water reporter lied about the disaster situation.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kan Chuan said worriedly, ¡°Natural disasters are the most difficult. As soon as the court received notice, it prepared silver taels lest the disaster relief be delayed. The water reporter is an official position that has just been established, and I am afraid that someone will take advantage of this and use the changing weather to make false reports.¡±


    Yan Mingting listened to the two of them discussing the affairs of the court and gradually accepted the fact that this righteous-looking Kan Chuan was actually allied with Zhao Yelan. How many other surprises was he unaware of?


    Zhao Yelan talked too much and started coughing, and Kan Chuan asked in concern, ¡°How is your health, my lord?¡±


    ¡°Still the same.¡±


    ¡°You should pay more attention to it, ah. I¡¯m still waiting for you to come back and work with me.¡±


    Why did these words sound so familiar?


    Yan Mingting thought about it carefully, and recalled that on the day that Zhao Yelan was dismissed, Kan Chuan once said in front of all the officials once court was let out: ¡°Zhao-daren, I look forward to seeing you again in court.¡±


    What had Zhao Yelan said? Oh, he had said: ¡°When I come back, you¡¯d better be alive.¡±


    Everyone present at the time, including Yan Mingting, thought they were being sarcastic, but didn¡¯t know that there was truth in the drama, ah.


    The candle was about to burn out, and the night was already dark. Zhao Yelan asked Yan Mingting to leave first, and then opened the box that had been placed on the table. Inside were a pair of jade ruyis[1] and golden locks. ¡°Is your baby coming soon? At that time, I may not be able to drink a cup of full moon wine,[2] so I am delivering the gift to you in private.¡±


    ¡°My lord, what are you doing? The child will not be born until autumn, so it is too early to send a gift now,¡± Kan Chuan said.


    ¡°I just happened to see it when passing by, so I bought it. If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll exchange it for another gift.¡±


    Kan Chuan quickly put it away with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Then I would like to thank Zhao-daren. Now that the child has been mentioned, I would like to make a presumptuous request. My lord, would you like to be my child¡¯s godfather?¡±


    Zhao Yelan blinked and said: ¡°No¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°My lord, don¡¯t refuse me in a hurry. Anyway, Li Niang and I will only recognize you. It is thanks to you, my lord, that we can be together. Other words of gratitude, I will not repeat. It is all thanks to my lord that I can have today, and the only one I admire is you. After all, not just anyone is willing to bear so much infamy,¡± Kan Chuan spoke with conviction.


    Zhao Yelan felt that he was not as great as he said. In any case, Zhao Yelan did all those infamous things, so what did it have to do with him, Zhao Mengting?


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this once your baby is born. It is too early to mention such things.¡±


    At that time, he would have disappeared from the eyes of the world. The name Zhao Yelan, whether it was accompanied by stigma or power, would be completely buried under the tombstone of history over time.


    And the one who lived would be Zhao Mengting, free for a lifetime.


    The two left after the conversation was over. Zhao Yelan walked a distance away from the courtyard and heard the sound of unhurried footsteps behind him. He said without turning his head: ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go back first?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do, I wanted to wait for you,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk forward, but this person did not keep up, and remained a short distance away from him.


    He stopped and looked back at the other party.


    Yan Mingting said with a smile: ¡°I just wanted to see how many people there are behind you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned: ¡°Then how many people did you see?¡±


    ¡°I looked horizontally and vertically, front and back, and behind you¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting twirled his fingers and finally pointed at himself. ¡°It¡¯s just me.¡±


    The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched.


    After lying down at night, Yan Mingting asked curiously: ¡°Kan Chuan is much more powerful now. Aren¡¯t you afraid that one day he will stop listening to you and bite you back?¡±


    ¡°I dared to give him power to go up, but naturally there are ways to pull him down,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Besides, he has a very affectionate and righteous nature, so he won¡¯t easily betray me. If you need him for something in the future, just go to him.¡±


    ¡°You invited me to meet him today, and now you say this again. What is your meaning? You want him to help me with my father¡¯s case?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment, then said: ¡°I also have my own affairs, and it is impossible to help you all of the time. Kan Chuan is a good candidate. You can observe for a while before making a decision.¡±


    That was the point of organizing the meeting today. If there was anything more he could do for Yan Mingting before leaving, it would be with this matter.


    ¡°Are you planning to give up your responsibilities?¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°That¡¯s why you found someone to take over?¡±


    The words were coarse, but the rationale was not.


    Zhao Yelan counterattacked: ¡°I just want to find a few more trustworthy people for you. You can use them or not.¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t say anything more.


    The next day when Zhao Yelan came back from the Imperial Academy, he heard commotion from afar, and then the sedan chair stopped. He went out to take a look, and it turned out that someone had taken two beautiful concubines at once. People coming and going to watch the excitement blocked the road.


    He had no choice but to order the sedan chair to go back and take Xiao Gao to walk the distance. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the red-faced master standing at the door. He was very young, and continuously showed off how amazing his concubines were.


    Concubines¡­¡­


    After he left, Yan Mingting would marry a wife and have concubines, right? The Yan family itself was sparsely populated. If he, the man that the Emperor forced onto him, died, it would be normal for him to have children.


    He was lost in thought when he heard a sarcastic remark in his ear: ¡°What are you looking at? Do you also want to see other people¡¯s beautiful concubines?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was startled. He turned his head and his nose brushed against Yan Mingting¡¯s cheek. ¡°Why are you here?¡± How was he so free that he could haunt him every day?


    Yan Mingting blinked nonchalantly, then pretended to be angry: ¡°I happened to pass by and saw you standing there, staring at the beauties in other people¡¯s houses in a daze.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to argue with him, so he continued moving forward, followed by Yan Mingting. They went through a few alleys, entered the main road, and were about to enter the General¡¯s Mansion when someone nearby suddenly called out to Yan Mingting: ¡°General!¡±


    The two turned their heads together and saw a horse coming to an abrupt stop. The horse¡¯s hooves were raised high, almost stepping on Zhao Yelan, and Yan Mingting pulled him to the side.


    Sitting on horseback was a young woman with a fair face and heroic features. She was elegant, with bright eyes and good looks, but her clothes were a bit dirty and smelly, her hair was a mess, and her travel-worn appearance was indeed a bit battered.


    ¡°Zuo Ran.¡± Yan Mingting saw who it was and called out her name.


    ¡°You know her?¡± Zhao Yelan had just spoken when he saw the woman neatly dismount the horse. Her knees seemed to have no strength, and they buckled. As soon as Yan Mingting reached out to help, the other party directly collapsed on Yan Mingting¡¯s body.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°General, something has happened.¡± The woman burst into tears and grabbed onto his arm, begging, ¡°You¡¯ll help us, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Seeing this, Yan Mingting knew that something was truly wrong and hurriedly supported her: ¡°Let¡¯s go back and you can explain in detail. A wing of the house has been prepared for you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan stood on the spot, looking at their backs. His eyes narrowed slightly and a stern look flashed through them. It was all right to hug and hold each other in a public place with numerous people, and even a wing had been prepared without a word?


    He gave Xiao Gao a meaningful look and said in a cold voice: ¡°Have Gu Niaoniao investigate, who is this woman of unknown origin?¡±


    [1] A Ruyi (ÈçÒâ) is a decorative ceremonial scepter or talisman symbolizing power and good fortune. ?


    [2] A baby¡¯s one-month birthday dinner celebration. ?

 CH 46

    The mansion was already busy heating water and cleaning a wing of the house. Zhao Yelan stood in the courtyard watching servants hurrying to and fro. Those not in the know might have thought that a new master was about to enter.


    Yan Mingting took the woman to her wing of the house and asked her to take a bath before discussing matters, then went to inform the other lieutenants and invited a doctor on the way.


    This business had nothing to do with Zhao Yelan, so he picked up a fishing rod and went to fish in the back courtyard¡¯s fish pond. After an incense stick of time passed, he hadn¡¯t caught a single one. With his face sinking lower than the fish pond, he quickly retracted the fishing line and threw it aside angrily.


    Xiao Gao picked it up for him again and began to roll up the legs of his trousers: ¡°My lord, do you want me to go down and get you a few like the General did? Do you want to eat some?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Zhao Yelan spoke with a dark face, and when he heard footsteps behind him, he looked furiously at the fish pond.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, why did you come here to fish?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°Who stipulated that you can¡¯t fish when it¡¯s dark? Do you understand the concept of night fishing?¡± Zhao Yelan said snappily.


    ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t comprehend your sophistication.¡± Yan Mingting really thought he was delaying his business, so he warned, ¡°Then don¡¯t forget to have dinner later, I¡¯ll go to the front courtyard to check on the situation first.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned around angrily, but found that he had already turned to leave.


    The sun sank, leaving only the last bit of gray in the sky, which fell into darkness in the blink of an eye. Zhao Yelan sat quietly by the fish pond for a while, listening to the movement in the front courtyard. It wasn¡¯t until Xiao Gao began to slap mosquitos to remind him to go back to the house that he stood up and began to walk slowly out of the back courtyard.


    ¡°Oh, my lord, have you finished fishing? Go quickly and eat, we¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Housekeeper Qin had come to look for him, and hurriedly led him to the main hall.


    As soon as he reached the door, he heard murmurs of conversation. When he stepped over, the conversation stopped. The woman regarded him vigilantly, and gave a shaky nod in a show of friendliness.


    There were many good dishes on the table, but no one moved their chopsticks.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, sit down quickly, ba.¡± Seeing him coming, Yan Mingting stood up and pulled out a chair for him.


    Zhao Yelan took a seat and looked at the woman calmly. After taking a bath, she had changed into a maid¡¯s clothes and her whole person looked completely refreshed. It was only that her eyes still looked a little red. Yan Mingting comforted her: ¡°It¡¯s all right, wait until after dinner and we will discuss it and figure out a way.¡±


    The woman nodded, but she didn¡¯t have any appetite. She put down the bowl and chopsticks after two mouthfuls, apologized, and hurried back to her room.


    Yan Mingting gazed in the direction she had left and sighed. When he turned back, he noticed Zhao Yelan¡¯s gloomy gaze and made introductions: ¡°Her name is Zuo Ran, a friend I met at the border.¡±


    Oh, a friend at the border, ah. Hurrying all the way back to the capital, there must really be deep feelings.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°She also participated in combat, and she is as good at martial arts as Zhong Yuehong. But she didn¡¯t want fame, so she didn¡¯t go back to Beijing with us before, concealing her credit.¡±


    Oh, a good woman who doesn¡¯t care about fame and is also good at martial arts. She is the perfect match for you, ah.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°We met because she went out with her friend and encountered a team delivering military rations that was trapped, so she helped them and sent them to the front lines just in time, saving all of our lives.¡±


    Oh, there was also a life debt, so shouldn¡¯t it be repaid with gratitude?


    Yan Mingting ate two mouthfuls of food in a hurry, and suddenly heard Zhao Yelan ask: ¡°Does she like you, or do you like her?¡±


    ¡°Pfft ¨C¡± Yan Mingting almost spit out the contents of his mouth. Caught off guard, he choked and beat his chest heavily.


    ¡°General! Zuo Ran is here? General, what is wrong with you!¡± As He Cuizhang rushed in, he continued to yell.


    There were several other lieutenants who came as well.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°Cough, cough, cough, cough¡­¡­¡±


    He Cuizhang quickly smacked his back and beat his chest, which seemed to stop his coughing.


    Yan Mingting took several sips of water before feeling his throat relax. He pointed to the courtyard door and said: ¡°She is in the west wing.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why did this girl come here without saying a word? I¡¯ll go see what is going on.¡± He Cuizhang disappeared like a wisp of smoke.


    Yan Mingting was worried that he would say something without thinking and poke the person¡¯s sensitive spot, so he had no choice but to bring the others to follow. Without knowing why, he turned back and explained to Zhao Yelan: ¡°I¡¯ll go see them first, and then I¡¯ll come back and explain to you that she and I are just comrades-in-arms.¡±


    Saying this, he disappeared from sight with the others.


    After dinner, Zhao Yelan went to bathe before the people who had gone to the west wing came out, and lay down in bed, falling asleep early.


    It was late at night when He Cuizhang left, and Yan Mingting returned to the room. It was pitch black, and he walked lightly to the side of the bed, calling: ¡°Mengting, are you asleep?¡±


    Zhao Yelan closed his eyes and did not reply.


    Yan Mingting called again, but there was no response, so he went to lay down the bedding and fell asleep.


    The bedroom was on the east side, separated from the west wing by a considerable distance. Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help thinking: when would the girl move to the east side?


    Perhaps because he was about to leave, all sorts of messy things kept appearing in his mind. He couldn¡¯t fall asleep and couldn¡¯t turn over without waking Yan Mingting.


    That night, he slept and woke without being able to distinguish between reality and dreams.


    There were several dreams on and off, but only the last one made an impression.


    In the dream, Yan Mingting went on to take concubines less than a month after his ¡°death,¡± and a couple of children were born within the year. A few years later, his grave was already covered with grass. Yan Mingting was there among a group of wives and concubines, and had brought his family members to pay homage to him in high spirits. He told the children that it was thanks to the early death of the person in the tomb that he could have so many children, and said that in the future, he would need those beautiful concubines to spread branches and leaves for the Yan family¡­¡­


    Zhao Yelan opened his eyes abruptly, stunned for a moment, and then threw off the blanket and got out of bed to kick Yan Mingting: ¡°Get up!¡±


    Yan Mingting let out an ¡°ouch¡± and then opened his eyes in a daze. He looked at the dark night outside and asked: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get up, get the hell out!¡± Zhao Yelan snapped.


    Yan Mingting rubbed his eyes, yawning as he got up, and became happy again in a flash. Could it be that he wanted to follow the example of Kan Chuan¡¯s wife and wake up early with him?


    Zhao Yelan looked at the person who was suddenly washing and dressing with excitement, and his expression became even uglier: ¡°You¡¯re rather happy about getting the hell out.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Yan Mingting unconsciously fixed his sword in place and went out in a daze. He turned back to the door after a moment and said in a low voice, ¡°By the way, if I come back late, you help me keep an eye on Zhuo Ran and don¡¯t let her run around alone.¡±


    Look at this caring appearance!


    Zhao Yelan gritted his teeth and bolted the door. He couldn¡¯t sleep in the end. As soon as he closed his eyes, there was the scene of Yan Mingting taking his wives, concubines, and children to weed his grave, and he woke up angrily. He dragged Xiao Gao up from bed and went to the back courtyard to kill two chickens.


    ¡°My lord, why are you up so early, ah?¡± Housekeeper Qin took the chickens from Xiao Gao¡¯s hands and brought them to the kitchen for extra lunch that day.


    After handing them over to the kitchen, he felt that there were not enough chickens to kill, so he ordered a maid to go out and buy some juvenile chickens, otherwise the coop would be empty sooner or later.


    During breakfast, the woman was invited out for a meal by Housekeeper Qin. After a night¡¯s rest, her complexion looked much better, but her legs and feet were still a little awkward and she wobbled a bit when walking. When she saw him, she knew to say in greeting: ¡°Zhao-daren, I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Zhao Yelan nodded, gave her a cold look, and then watched her movements, only to find that she was also secretly looking back at him.


    Caught off guard, they stared at each other and looked away in embarrassment at the same time.


    Zuo Ran forced herself to eat a few more mouthfuls, then stood looking at the gate, asking the guards beside her: ¡°When will the General return?¡±


    The guard said it would be soon, and she stood guard at the door like a watchman, pacing back and forth.


    Zhao Yelan took a deep breath, pretended to be calm, and continued to eat.


    At this time, Housekeeper Qin made a cup of tea and called: ¡°Zuo-guniang, the doctor said that your legs and knees are worn out, and you need to rest well. You must come in and sit while you wait, the General will be back soon.¡±


    ¡°What kind of tea are you making?¡± Zhao Yelan asked abruptly.


    ¡°My lord, have you forgotten? This is from the tree planted by the old lady herself ah,¡± Housekeeper Qin replied.


    Very good, the tea from one¡¯s own family, only served to distinguished guests.


    Ever since Zhao Yelan set eyes on these tea leaves the second day after entering the door, he had never seen them again. Many guests had come to the General¡¯s Mansion so far, and even Li Jinyu, the Prime Minister, had failed to drink a cup of this tea. Yet this girl of unknown origin could drink it.


    He couldn¡¯t finish his meal, so he put down his chopsticks and took Xiao Gao out to the Imperial Academy. When passing through the gate, Zuo Ran called out for Zhao-daren.


    Zhao Yelan looked at her suspiciously, but she hesitated to speak, opening and closing her mouth several times before finally shaking her head and saying: ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Walk slowly, my lord.¡±


    Before noon, Ruan Xian walked to Zhao Yelan¡¯s side and wondered: ¡°Zhao-xiong, you have been absent-minded. Is something wrong?¡±


    Zhao Yelan stared blankly: ¡°Nothing is wrong.¡±


    ¡°If nothing is wrong, what do you think you drew?¡± Ruan Xian pointed to the painting on his desk.


    Zhao Yelan looked down, and there was a magnificent turtle on what was originally a map.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Who are you drawing?¡± Ruan Xian joked. Not far away, Wang Guisheng came over at the sound, took a look, and laughed as well.


    ¡°You have nothing else to do?¡± Zhao Yelan cast a glance at the two of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for lunch soon. If there is anything to do, it is to eat. Let¡¯s go see what dishes are available today,¡± Ruan Xian said.


    The Imperial Academy specially provided lunch, which was convenient for officials who lived far away and didn¡¯t go home at noon. Those like Ruan Xian could also bring their own food. His wife cooked well, but the weather was hot these days. In order to prevent the food from spoiling, he didn¡¯t bring a food box to flaunt in front of everyone.


    There were naturally also officials who lived nearby, and they would rather go back than eat this lunch that always consisted of soup.


    Zhao Yelan usually stayed, but he wouldn¡¯t eat the food here and ordered Xiao Gao to bring some decent food from the restaurant outside. Only he could eat expensive and luxurious food. Others couldn¡¯t envy him, and could only criticize him secretly.


    ¡°My lord, I¡¯m here!¡± Xiao Gao called from where he stood outside the gate.


    Zhao Yelan folded the turtle drawing and put it in his pocket, then went to pick up the food box. Seeing Xiao Gao turning to leave, he said at once: ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    Xiao Gao stood there waiting for his orders, and Zhao Yelan turned around and handed the food box to Ruan Xian and Wang Guisheng: ¡°I have to go back and do something, you can take this and eat it., ba.¡±


    ¡°How kind of you.¡± Ruan Xian took it with a smile, pressing Wang Guisheng¡¯s head down and bowing. ¡°Zhao-xiong, don¡¯t worry, we will eat it all!¡±


    Zhao Yelan left the Imperial Academy in a hurry, hired a sedan chair to go back to the General¡¯s mansion, and shouted after a while: ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    The sedan chair soon arrived at the General¡¯s Mansion, and as soon as it stopped, Zhao Yelan swiftly disembarked and straightened his clothes. Then he took Xiao Gao inside and pretended to act natural, just in time for the mansion to serve lunch.


    The people who were talking stopped, and He Cuizhang called out: ¡°Zhao-daren, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Yan Mingting, who was deep in discussion with Zuo Ran, paused and raised his head, saying joyfully: ¡°Why did you suddenly come back?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at the way he and Zuo Ran were sitting together, whether it was intentional or not, and said calmly and collectedly: ¡°I left a book in the study and came back to retrieve it.¡±


    ¡°So have you eaten? Do you want to stay and eat something?¡± Yan Mingting immediately ordered the servants to get another pair of bowls and chopsticks, and then drove He Cuizhang to the other side to make room for him.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan sat down, he saw the braised rabbit head in the middle: ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Braised rabbit head,¡± He Cuizhang said. ¡°Zuo Ran likes to eat this dish the most, she¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan stood abruptly, looked at them with a complicated expression, and then walked angrily toward the back courtyard.


    ¡°My lord, what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± He Cuizhang was mystified. ¡°Did I say the wrong thing just now?¡±


    Yan Mingting looked at the rabbit meat on the table, seemed to have thought of something, and went to the back courtyard alone to find him. Sure enough, he saw him standing in front of the rabbit cage, staring at Hongshao, who was eating vegetable leaves.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think we were going to cook Hongshao, did you?¡± Yan Mingting asked with a laugh.


    Zhao Yelan turned around and looked at him.


    ¡°How could this be? Who would dare to touch it without its father¡¯s consent?¡± Yan Mingting teased, then tugged on his wrist and walked back to the main hall. ¡°It¡¯s hot outside, let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    As the two walked down the corridor, Zhao Yelan suddenly shook off his hand. Holding his arms proudly behind his back, he asked: ¡°Who is that woman?¡±


    ¡°Zuo Ran, a friend I met on the battlefield¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan interrupted: ¡°She came here specially to find you. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡­involves her personal affairs, so it¡¯s not convenient to go into detail with you,¡± Yan Mingting said vaguely.


    ¡°All right, I understand. The book has been found, I should go back to the Imperial Academy.¡± Zhao Yelan parted ways with him.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Yan Mingting immediately grabbed him. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you, but I can let her decide whether to tell you or not, okay?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows, turned around, and walked to the main hall. He wanted to see what was going on.


    When the two returned to the table, Zuo Ran¡¯s brow was practically in a knot, and she asked Yan Mingting in a low voice: ¡°General, can you help me with this matter? If not, I must head south today.¡±


    ¡°If you go alone, you will die. I¡¯ll go south with you,¡± Yan Mingting replied. ¡°It just so happened that early this morning, someone reported that a large number of bandits had appeared in the Jiangnan area, and the officers and soldiers were unable to arrest them. The Emperor just ordered me to suppress the bandits and try to enlist them. When the time comes, you will go with me to meet the magistrate of Huaizhou. He is a stubborn man, after all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, General.¡± Zuo Ran was incredibly moved.


    Zhao Yelan coughed twice before Yan Mingting said: ¡°Zuo Ran, this is the Zhao Yelan whom I mentioned to you. You came back in a hurry, and you probably don¡¯t know that Yuehong almost had an accident a while ago, right?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell it, I¡¯ll tell it.¡± He Cuizhang took the lead and vividly told her about Zhong Yuehong almost entering the palace as a concubine. Listening to this, Zuo Ran would frown one moment and then rejoice the next, and finally looked at Zhao Yelan a little differently.


    ¡°He is the person I trust the most now,¡± Yan Mingting said to Zuo Ran, and Zhao Yelan glanced at him in surprise.


    ¡°If you can trust me, you can tell him about your situation. Maybe you will need his help to mediate. You also know that after I returned to Beijing, there were many differences between officialdom and the battlefield, and he is more suitable for handling such matters¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zuo Ran nodded, bit her lower lip, and then looked earnestly at Zhao Yelan: ¡°Zhao-daren, if you help me rescue Pinglu, then I, Zuo Ran, am willing to be at your service for the rest of my life. Mountains of daggers and seas of flames will not stop me!¡±


    ¡°Guniang is serious. Tell me, what happened?¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    Zuo Ran glanced around and said: ¡°Can we go to the study?¡±


    A handful of people wandered into the study room. Zuo Ran took another look at Yan Mingting and He Cuizhang and saw that they both trusted Zhao Yelan very much, so she said: ¡°I have a good friend who is the daughter of the Magistrate of Huaizhou. In the early years, her family, which I served, had a marriage contract with a wealthy businessman from the south of the Yangtze river. That is, their son. The old lady wanted me to marry him as a concubine. I didn¡¯t know what it meant to be a concubine at that time, but fortunately, I met my friend. She didn¡¯t dislike my humble background, and taught me to read and write. She showed me how to be my own person instead of an obedient servant. Later, some things happened. I was about to escape from Huaizhou, and learned that she also had this plan. The two of us made an agreement to go out together to travel the rivers and lakes, to see the outside world¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Zhao Yelan felt that this story was familiar. ¡°That wealthy businessman¡¯s name was Wang, correct? The gongzi that was burned to death by the fire girl?¡±


    ¡°How do you know?!¡± Zuo Ran looked astonished.


    He Cuizhang was also shocked: ¡°As expected of Zhao-daren, he can even calculate this much?!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan glanced coolly at Yan Mingting. This was the ¡°bedtime story¡± that caused him to have a nightmare!

 CH 47

    Zuo Ran was originally the daughter of the head guard serving the rich merchant Wang¡¯s family. She had followed her father to practice martial arts since she was a child, and grew up with Wang-gongzi. But Wang-gonzi fell in love with the fire-burning girl at home. The old lady was very angry and forced him to marry his fiancee as soon as possible, planning to give Zuo Ran to him as a concubine.


    This matter was known to Yin Pinglu, who was a concubine. She was calm and tranquil, and wrote an unauthorized letter of divorce, which was blocked by the magistrate.


    Then something happened to Wang-gongzi. It turned out that the fire-burning girl had come to avenge her father, and after the two died together, Zuo Ran¡¯s father was also executed by the old lady because of his incompetence.


    The magistrate completely canceled the marriage, but he was not idle, and planned to send Yin Pinglu to renew the marriage with an official who was over fifty years old.


    Yin Pinglu didn¡¯t want to be a vassal in the struggle for power and profit for the rest of her life, so she packed her bags and prepared to escape. However, she ran into Zuo Ran at the gate of the city. She thought that the other party was there to arrest her, but unexpectedly, she took the initiative to sit in the carriage, driving the horse to gallop away, and said: ¡°I have no home¡­¡­you¡¯ve brought enough money, and as long as you take care of me, I will always protect you.¡±


    The two went all the way north, wandering around the mountains and rivers, enjoying themselves leisurely until they met the ration team that was besieged by heavy rain on a blocked road. Yin Pinglu happened to be familiar with the terrain, so she took some soldiers to open the way and asked Zuo Ran to take a group to report to the large contingent and bring people to rescue them.


    Thus, the two became acquainted with Yan Mingting.


    Yan Mingting saw that the two of them had suffered some injuries due to this incident, so they stayed in the military hospital for treatment and Yin Pinglu suggested a few ideas from time to time to help the army fight. Yan Mingting laughed and called her a little think tank.


    Zuo Ran also became friends with Zhong Yuehong and the others, spending all day in the military camp, practicing with them and going to the battlefield with them. It was only that she was unwilling to give her name, just wanting to be an unknown person so as not to be found by the Magistrate Yin.


    After the war ended in victory, the two stayed at a small town on the border. Yan Mingting left some money for them so that the two could live and work there in peace.


    The good times didn¡¯t last long, and the Magistrate still found them out there, taking Yin Pinglu away while Zuo Ran was out shopping. When she returned home, she found a mess and a note left by Yin Pinglu in the dark ¨C ¡°My father¡¯s people. Quickly go to the General.¡±


    Zuo Ran had been on the road day and night. The skin on both sides of her thighs was worn away, she barely had time to swallow anything but her saliva, and she had hardly closed her eyes.


    ¡°General, only you can help us.¡± Zuo Ran burst into tears and said, ¡°Her father has power and authority. We don¡¯t know anyone more powerful than him, so I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ba, we will find a way.¡± Yan Mingting patted her on the shoulder to calm her down.


    It was easy to say such a thing, but a little troublesome to actually accomplish. As the saying went, even an honest and upright official would have difficulty resolving a family dispute. It was unreasonable for a general far away in the capital to meddle in the family affairs of a prefectural magistrate out of the blue.


    It could be said that the magistrate¡¯s daughter was already promised in marriage, and no one would object to him taking her back to marry her off.


    Would it be possible to tell the world that Yin Pinglu didn¡¯t want to get married at all, and that she and Zuo Ran could support each other until they grew old?


    Would anyone believe it?


    They would think that it was a big joke, that it violated the three principles and five virtues.[1] How could there be a woman who did not marry?


    Public opinion would only turn in favor of the magistrate.


    ¡°Is it not simple?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Everyone looked at him together and heard him say: ¡°Go and ask the magistrate to betroth his daughter to you, then you can intervene in this matter openly and aboveboard. If Magistrate Yin fears your notoriety as an evil star, he will not agree to this matter. If he is not afraid, you can simply get her through the door and let Zuo-guniang live in the General¡¯s Mansion as a maid. This time they would both be protected, and no outsiders would know what goes on inside the General¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    When He Cuizhang heard this, he also thought it was feasible. In any case, only the people who were close to them would know about the situation inside. The General would not touch them, and no one would dare to bully Yin Pinglu and Zuo Ran in the future.


    Yan Mingting, however, said: ¡°I don¡¯t agree.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him, calm and unruffled.


    ¡°Although I wouldn¡¯t do anything to them, they escaped because they didn¡¯t want to become vassals and servants. How could they return to the same fate?¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zuo Ran nodded heavily.


    Zhao Yelan raised his brows. He didn¡¯t expect him to reject a simple, effective, and harmless solution for the reason of putting himself in the shoes of these two women. He was confounded, and at the same time felt unavoidable admiration. This was the magnanimous Yan Mingting, ah.


    ¡°Let me look at the map first.¡± Zhao Yelan took out the map in his pocket, and as soon as he unfolded it, they saw the big turtle on the map.


    Several people: ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s face froze. He immediately crumpled it into a ball of paper and threw it aside, saying: ¡°Is there a more detailed map in the study?¡±


    ¡°There is.¡± Yan Mingting glanced at the ball of paper curiously, feeling that the turtle was himself. After all, Zhao Yelan had painted it on his face before. While guessing when and where the other party drew it, he rummaged through boxes to find a map of the Xuan Dynasty that his father had drawn before, which was very detailed.


    ¡°Found it!¡± He took the map out of a drawer and unfolded it on the desktop.


    ¡°How long did it take Zuo-guniang to return to Beijing?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°Five days,¡± answered Zuo Ran.


    ¡°Starting from the border town, you, a woman, traveled all the way through the deserts and mountains, and it only took five days for you to reach the capital. This is certainly not easy. The Magistrate¡¯s men must not be rushing as hard as you. If they go at a normal pace and follow the official roads, they must still be in the area of Quzhou. The terrain there is complicated, and the official roads are all built into the hillside, so it is not easy to travel. There should still be ten days before they arrive in Huaizhou.¡± Zhao Yelan pointed at the map as he made his analysis.


    Zuo Ran let go of the fearful uncertainty she had been holding onto all this time. In ten days, they would definitely be able to rescue Yin Pinglu before she got married!


    ¡°What if they don¡¯t follow the official roads?¡± Yan Mingting pointed to another remote path. ¡°From here, Quzhou is directly bypassed, and it should take seven or eight days to get there if they travel overnight.¡±


    ¡°Even if we arrive in Huaizhou in seven or eight days, Magistrate Yin may not be busy with the concubine¡¯s marriage right away.¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at him, pointing to the route to the south of the capital. ¡°Look at this route again.¡±


    Yan Mingting thought for a moment and suddenly realized: ¡°The teams transporting the disaster relief money are about to arrive in Huaizhou and Zhizhou, and he will soon commence this important matter of the court.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If you want to go south to suppress the bandits, you will definitely have to set off the day after tomorrow. After arriving in Huaizhou, the excuse of being old acquaintances can be used to temporarily take Yin-guniang out of the manor, and you can make arrangements for the future according to the specific situation,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Thank you, Zhao-daren!¡± Zuo Ran was very grateful.


    ¡°Go back and rest first. Seeing you like this, you must not have slept well last night. Take a good rest these two days, adjust yourself, and then go south with me,¡± Yan Mingting ordered.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to rest now!¡± The stone in Zuo Ran¡¯s heart was put down, and she felt a lot more at ease. She turned around and went back to the room to catch up on sleep.


    ¡°General, then I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You first send a few teams south today, and then go talk to the Ministry of War again.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± He Cuizhang took the order and hurriedly left the General¡¯s Mansion.


    There were only two people left in the room. Zhao Yelan put away the map and stuffed it into his sleeve casually. This map was much more detailed and effective than the one he drew from memory, and it would definitely be more useful in the future.


    ¡°I just wanted to ask, could the turtle you drew above be¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting picked up the ball of paper and asked cautiously, ¡°Could it be¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother guessing, it¡¯s you,¡± Zhao Yelan said frankly.


    ¡°Why are you painting me again, ah? Where did I offend you?¡± Yan Mingting looked at him aggrievedly.


    Seeing this, Zhao Yelan¡¯s mood improved slightly and the corners of his lips couldn¡¯t help but curl up: ¡°I just wanted to paint, do I need a reason?¡±


    Yan Mingting shrugged unconcernedly and put it away with a smile: ¡°Ai, you affirm with your lips but deny with your heart.¡±


    ¡°I what?¡±


    Yan Mingting walked in front of him and arched his eyebrows: ¡°You looked at the map and counted the days. So much trouble, isn¡¯t it just to convince us to set off at a later date?¡±


    ¡°You originally planned to leave the day after tomorrow?¡± Zhao Yelan looked up at him.


    ¡°Yes, the Emperor wanted me to leave tomorrow, but I deliberately postponed it for a day.¡± There was a hint of a smile in Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes, but it was as bright as the sun shining onto his head. ¡°Because tomorrow is my birthday, and I want to spend this year¡¯s birthday with you.¡±


    The hand hanging by Zhao Yelan¡¯s side pulled back slightly.


    ¡°Do you also want me to celebrate my birthday with you before leaving?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t speak, but the other party took a step closer, caging him in by the table, and he admitted straightforwardly: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Although it was the expected answer, after hearing his confession, Yan Mingting still couldn¡¯t help but feel a warmth in his chest as if he was about to burn up. He restrained his pounding heart and smiled, saying: ¡°I¡¯ve never looked forward to my birthday so much.¡±


    Zhao Yelan returned to the Imperial Academy preoccupied and disinterested in politics. From time to time, Yan Mingting¡¯s expectant look flashed before his eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder: what kind of expression would appear on that face after he left?


    Fortunately, time would heal all wounds. Even if he would be sad for a while, Yan Mingting should also recover soon. The most important thing right now was to spend his birthday with him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been restless all day, are you really all right?¡± Ruan Xian asked worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Didn¡¯t you notice that your book is upside down?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan calmly turned the book around.


    ¡°I lied, you just now put the book upside down.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan gave him a sharp look. ¡°Go away.¡±


    Ruan Xian didn¡¯t intend to go away at all, and started to guess: ¡°Recently, everything in the Imperial Academy has been normal, as well as in the court, so what is it that makes you so unsettled? These few days¡­¡­by the way, tomorrow is General Yan¡¯s birthday, right?¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°You are confused, ah, everyone knows the birthday of General Yan. After all, many people are thinking of¡­¡­¡± Ruan Xian lowered his voice and said, ¡°Currying favor with him.¡±


    Indeed, his thoughts were very confused. He even forgot such a simple truth, believing that he was the only one who knew about this day.


    It seemed that there would be a lot of excitement in the mansion tomorrow. What sorts of gifts could be given that would not be the same as others?


    ¡°What are you going to give?¡± Zhao Yelan asked him.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you, what does General Yan usually like?¡± Ruan Xian asked.


    ¡°All kinds of weapons.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Tanghulu.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­anything else?¡±


    Me. Does that count?


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s mind shifted, and he inwardly spurned his own wild thoughts.


    ¡°You can figure it out, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan himself was still worried.


    When he returned to the mansion, Zuo Ran was still sleeping. It seemed that she wanted to make up for her lack of sleep these past few days all at once.


    Yan Mingting said not to disturb her, and after dinner with Zhao Yelan, he went back to the room and pretended to read The Art of War while secretly observing Zhao Yelan¡¯s movements.


    He saw Zhao Yelan open a brocade box, take out a wooden hairpin from inside, wrap it properly in a handkerchief, and then put it away carefully.


    Zhao Yelan suddenly looked over, and Yan Mingting looked away at once. On the surface, he read The Art of War seriously, but in his heart he wondered what kind of congratulatory gift this was. Regardless, it didn¡¯t matter if it was a wooden hairpin or a gold or silver hairpin as long as it could bind the hair.


    Zhao Yelan put away his mother¡¯s belongings so that they could be taken away with him. When Yan Mingting left the day after tomorrow, he would go back to the Zhao mansion and take his parents¡¯ ashes.


    He walked around the room while deciding what to take away.


    Yan Mingting saw him pick up a knife for a moment, then drop it and change to a sword, repeating this until he finally sat by the bed with a sigh.


    Yan Mingting really wanted to tell him: I like them all! I love these knives and weapons! Give whatever you want, don¡¯t sigh!


    However, Zhao Yelan fell into deep thought. With so many weapons, he couldn¡¯t use anything. It would be wasted on more than twenty of him, and he couldn¡¯t even lift the dueling sword. In the end, he may still just have to bring his small crossbow.


    In the end, Yan Mingting saw him pick up a stack of ledgers and begin to look through them by candlelight. The entirety of the family property was contained within.


    Yan Mingting was extremely excited ¨C could it be that Zhao Yelan, an old money fanatic, was going to give him all the family property?!


    Seeing him frowning while checking the accounts, Yan Mingting thought that there was no need to worry about it. If he really didn¡¯t want to part with something, it was fine not to give it. Anyway, he wouldn¡¯t take so much property, the thought itself was already touching!


    Zhao Yelan was indeed very worried. There was so much money, enough to squander in another lifetime, but alas, he didn¡¯t have another lifetime.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you go to bed early?¡± Yan Mingting was distressed for his eyes. He had been busy with his congratulatory gift up to this point, and he hurriedly urged him to go to bed.


    Zhao Yelan rubbed the space between his brows. When the other party went to the kitchen, he put away the ledger, which he also had to take away. But it was possible to save a little for Yan Mingting to let him buy a bunch of tanghulu.


    After he took a bath, Yan Mingting returned to the room holding a few freshly made stuffed steamed buns and said: ¡°Come and try my buns, I learned from Shopkeeper Minji last time.¡±


    ¡°You just made buns?¡± Zhao Yelan walked over in astonishment.


    ¡°En, you¡¯ve been busy all night and must be hungry. Eat something first, and we¡¯ll eat better things tomorrow.¡± Yan Mingting picked the biggest one and handed it to him.


    Zhao Yelan accepted it in disbelief and took a few slow bites.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Yan Mingting looked at him expectantly.


    Zhao Yelan directly brought the one in his hand to the other¡¯s mouth. Yan Mingting was stunned, and when he lowered his head, his gaze inadvertently swept across his chest.


    The weather had become hot, and Zhao Yelan only wore a white undershirt after bathing. The chest was open, and when he stretched out his hand, it hung down to reveal a small piece of fair skin, incredibly white.


    The weather was getting hotter and hotter!


    Yan Mingting took a deep breath, and then a big bite of steamed bun. As he ate, his expression became ugly.


    ¡°Thick skin and undercooked stuffing. You need to practice more.¡± Zhao Yelan held back a smile, and was about to take another bite when Yan Mingting snatched it away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat it, be careful not to get an upset stomach.¡± Yan Mingting threw away the rest of the stuffed steamed buns and solemnly promised, ¡°Next time. I will definitely succeed in making them next time!¡±


    Next time¡­¡­


    Zhao Yelan nodded and lay down on the bed sleepily. He heard the sound of the other party making his bed, the sound of candles being extinguished, and the sound of even breathing.


    In the early hours of the morning, Zhao Yelan was still unable to sleep, but a rustling sound was heard.


    Yan Mingting knelt down beside the bed and poked Zhao Yelan¡¯s face: ¡°Mengting, wake up.¡±


    Zhao Yelan opened clear eyes and propped himself up with his hands, black hair hanging behind him as he looked at him in the hazy moonlight: ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Yan Mingting was all smiles.


    Their gazes met, and although the light was not much, Zhao Yelan seemed to see his eyes shining. The corners of his own eyes unknowingly carried a hint of a smile as he whispered: ¡°Yan Fangli, happy birthday.¡±


    [1] The three rules are: ¡°Ruler guides subject, father guides son, and husband guides wife.¡± The five virtues are: ¡°Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, and Fidelity.¡± ?

 CH 48

    In Yan Mingting¡¯s memory, birthdays were rarely celebrated and he was at the border all year round, so he didn¡¯t have the heart to hold a birthday party. What¡¯s more, since his loved ones all passed away one after another, he never looked forward to his so-called birthday. Without relatives, the meaning of the day was gone. On the contrary, it reminded him that he was the ¡°evil star¡± among the world¡¯s population, and he was left to live alone.


    But this year was different.


    There was one more person beside him, a person bound to him in marriage. They were one in name, and he was the closest person he had now.


    He also couldn¡¯t tell when his thoughts toward Zhao Yelan had shifted.


    At first, he just noticed that Zhao Yelan was different from the rumors in the market, but he didn¡¯t let down his guard easily. While observing him and getting along with him, he gradually became aware of his interest.


    The person kept emphasizing how cold-blooded and ruthless he was on the surface, but in fact, when he got angry, he would just use the chickens in the back courtyard to vent. There was also the rabbit that he didn¡¯t seem to pay much attention to, but immediately went to check on when he saw the braised rabbit head.


    He may be kind, but when he really got serious, he was like the king of Hell. It had to be said that Yan Mingting was still deeply impressed by the scene where he personally killed that strange man in the brothel.


    Simple good and evil did not seem to easily define Zhao Yelan.


    It was likely that Yan Mingting also had rebellious bones in his body. Once he discovered that Zhao Yelan had an evil side, he would not believe what the world said about him having a cruel nature. On the contrary, he felt that someone else was at fault for torturing a good person until he became like this, and he felt sorry for the other even more.


    No matter how miserable Yan Mingting was, at least his father guided him for more than ten years before passing away. But Zhao Yelan had grown up alone in the capital city, surrounded by wolves.


    The world was vicious, and no one treated Zhao Yelan well, so why should he cling to the true, the good, and the beautiful?


    In the early morning, Yan Mingting was still going to court as usual. To his surprise, Zhao Yelan also woke up, and when he was about to go out, he personally escorted him to the gate.


    Yan Mingting suspected that he was still dreaming.


    Otherwise, how could Zhao Yelan be so thoughtful!


    He had hinted and outright said to Zhao Yelan more than once that he hoped he could follow the example of Kan Chuan¡¯s wife and send him off when he went to court.


    But he also knew that according to Zhao Yelan¡¯s temperament, it was absolutely impossible for him to agree to this request.


    Now that he did it obediently, Yan Mingting was not accustomed to it and felt flustered for some reason.


    In the past two days, Zhao Yelan¡¯s kindness toward him seemed a little too much, but he thought ¨C maybe it was because of his birthday?


    He turned his head. It was truly darkest before dawn, and only a waning moon hung in the sky. Faint moonlight fell on the man as Zhao Yelan stood upright at the gate and saw him off. His heart warmed and he waved his hand, urging: ¡°Go back, ba, go back to sleep! I¡¯ll be back soon!¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded slightly, not knowing if he could see it or not, and then turned and went back. He went to the study with a candle in his hand, and quietly studied the ink and paper laid out.


    Yan Mingting had said he would be back soon, but he was still caught up in the affairs of the court. First he discussed with everyone the suppression of the bandits, then after a prolonged time in court, many people held him back to congratulate him on his birthday. They all said that they had prepared congratulatory gifts and were waiting to visit him for a drink.


    How could this work!


    Were they very close?


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t want to trade sham gestures of politeness with them on a good day, so he rejected all entertainments, let it be known that he would not attend banquets, and did not accept gifts, let alone guests.


    Everyone was resentful, but Kan Chuan followed in his footsteps discreetly and handed over a land deed to him.


    ¡°How can this be done!¡± Yan Mingting repeatedly refused. Although he knew that Kan Chuan belonged to Zhao Yelan, he could not accept such an expensive gift. ¡°Take it back quickly, or I will beat you.¡±


    ¡°The General misunderstands, this is not for you.¡± Kan Chuan glanced around and saw that no one was nearby, so he whispered, ¡°It is for ¡®him.¡¯ He accidentally dropped it in my child¡¯s gift, please return it to him.¡±


    How could Zhao Yelan be so obsessed with money, yet leave such an important thing behind? It must have been given to Kan Chuan on purpose, but Kan Cuan wouldn¡¯t keep it, ah.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Yan Mingting frowned, and the suspicions in his heart became even deeper. After a moment, he patted Kan Chuan¡¯s shoulder with a smile and raised his voice, ¡°All right, since what you gave is a calligraphy painting, I¡¯ll make an exception and accept it. No more spending money in the future, ah!¡±


    Although no one was around, Kan Chuan was amused by his cautiousness and agreed: ¡°Okay, it will be the General¡¯s turn to give my child a one-month celebration gift another day.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem, not a problem. But there is one thing that I would like to ask you¡­¡­¡±


    Breakfast in the General¡¯s Mansion was almost getting cold, and Yan Mingting came in late.


    When Xiao Gao saw that he had returned, he immediately called out loudly: ¡°My lord, the General is back! Come and eat!¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled and sat down first, looking at the dishes on the table. There was a bowl of longevity noodles with two eggs in it, along with other side dishes.


    ¡°General, eat this bowl of longevity noodles quickly,¡± Housekeeper Qin said with a smile.


    ¡°Where is Zhao Yelan¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting paused as he saw Zhao Yelan coming out of the gatehouse. He wore clothes the color of amber, the shade deep and gorgeous, with flowing clouds embroidered on the sleeves and the hem. The patterns on his body were stitched with intersecting gold and silver threads, so complicated that the pattern wasn¡¯t discernable, but he found it so pleasing to the eye that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off it.


    Yan Mingting suddenly understood why Zhao Yelan enjoyed buying clothing so much.


    Clothes made the man look good, and the man also made the clothes look good.


    Only by complementing each other could this effect be achieved.


    Buy! No matter how expensive, you must buy! Buy them all! Only good-looking clothes were worthy of his person!


    Not to mention Yan Mingting, the servants had also been staring blankly for a long time. They had not recovered from the shock all morning, and just thought it was an immortal that had come down to earth, arriving here to open their eyes.


    Zhao Yelan was accustomed to these kinds of gazes, and could tell whether they were good or not. It was only that when dressing today, he couldn¡¯t find anything he liked after picking and choosing. After all, he seldom wore the same clothes twice, but today might be the only time he wore it ¨C he was celebrating Yan Mingting¡¯s birthday with him, and the color matched the occasion quite well.


    ¡°My lord is so beautiful today!¡± Xiao Gao was very supportive. ¡°This outfit was bought last year and he has never worn it!¡±


    Zhao Yelan was a little embarrassed when he heard these words just as he was about to sit down. They made it seem as if he had worn them on a specially chosen day.


    Well, it was no exaggeration to say that it was special, but this was not the only reason. This set of clothes was very complicated to wear, and was too eye-catching, so he ought not to take it away with him. Since he had spent a lot of money to buy it, he must wear it once.


    After convincing himself of this, he looked at Yan Mingting with feigned casualness: ¡°I wear whatever I want.¡±


    ¡°En, I know,¡± Yan Mingting said seriously. ¡°Even if you dress casually, it will make people feel ashamed in comparison.¡±


    Zhao Yelan touched his nose in embarrassment: ¡°Eat the noodles first, they¡¯ll get lumpy.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Yan Mingting looked at him while eating noodles. At first he just glanced secretly, but later his gaze became more and more unrestrained. In the end, he even drained the soup from the bowl while staring at him.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan had a difficult time ignoring his gaze. Before finishing the noodles, he put down his chopsticks stiffly, took a deep breath, and maintained a smile: ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°I just feel that everything is fine aside from one small deficiency,¡± Yan Mingting commented very seriously.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression changed slightly: ¡°Where is the deficiency?¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Yan Mingting put down the bowl, grabbed his sleeve, and walked toward the bedroom.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s steps were a little too big, and Zhao Yelan had to increase his speed to keep up. The sleeves of his outfit fluttered beautifully.


    Yan Mingting paused for a moment, then led him from one end of the corridor to the other, and then back again.


    ¡°Yan Mingting, are you ill?!¡± Zhao Yelan was dreadfully tormented by him. It was rare for him to decide to spend a good birthday with him today without getting angry, but this fellow repeatedly tested the boundaries of his patience.


    Yan Mingting laughed, coaxed him with a few words, and took him back to the room to search through a drawer. After a while, he finally found the flowing cloud jade hairpin, inserted it into his hair, and said with satisfaction: ¡°Not bad, not bad, very nice.¡±


    Zhao Yelan subconsciously glanced in the bronze mirror. He didn¡¯t think it was very beautiful, and it was a bit cumbersome. It was not as good-looking as the gold-plated jade crown he had specially chosen today.


    But Yan Mingting didn¡¯t allow him to choose, so he gave up.


    Yan Mingting began to stare at him unscrupulously again.


    Zhao Yelan took a few steps in the room, was unable to divert his attention, and had begun to think about poking his eyes out to blind him when he heard footsteps.


    ¡°General, I heard that today is your birthday!¡±


    Zuo Ran had slept from noon to midnight yesterday, got up to get something to eat from the kitchen, and fell asleep again until now. When she awoke, she heard servants happily discussing birthdays, and only then did she know what day it was. She hurriedly came to congratulate him, but found that there was another person in the room. She exclaimed and covered her eyes: ¡°Did I come at a bad time?¡±


    Yan Mingting: Such a bad time!


    ¡°It is fine,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Come in and talk.¡±


    Only then did Zuo Ran walk in, wondering: ¡°Are you not going to the Imperial Academy today, my lord? At this time yesterday, you had already set off.¡±


    Right!


    Yan Mingting had only been interested in the happy proceedings and hadn¡¯t taken this matter into consideration at all. He said: ¡°Hurry up and change into your official uniform, I¡¯ll send you there. There¡¯s still time.¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯m not on duty today.¡±


    Nonsense. He and Ruan Xian had switched dates, but he couldn¡¯t say this or else Yan Mingting¡¯s tail would be up to the sky.[1]


    ¡°Very good.¡± Yan Mingting chuckled, then looked at Zuo Ran. ¡°What do you want from us?¡±


    Zuo Ran swiftly congratulated him on his birthday and took out some coins from her purse: ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you would like, General, so these are my congratulatory gifts. I didn¡¯t expect to ask you to help me on such a day. This trip to the south will take a month at least. My life is as cheap as grass, but I will never forget such kindness!¡±


    As she said this, she knelt down with a plop and kowtowed to Yan Mingting. Her head knocked on the ground almost hard enough to break skin.


    ¡°Okay, get up quickly. If Yin Pinglu saw this, she would think I was bullying you.¡± Yan Mingting helped her up. ¡°You and Pinglu are my friends, so isn¡¯t helping a friend the correct thing to do?¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡± Zuo Ran panicked. ¡°How can I be worthy of being friends with the General!¡±


    She came from a low family background and didn¡¯t know but a few characters, so how could she dare be friends with General Yan!


    ¡°What ¡®worthy,¡¯ you value love and righteousness, and you went to the battlefield with us anonymously. Your courage is enough for me to call you my friend. I just reincarnated better than you, but I still need someone to help me when I am in distress. You and Pinglu happened to help me solve a big problem. This is the fate of friends,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zuo Ran¡¯s eyes turned red and Yan Mingting teased: ¡°Zuo Ran, why didn¡¯t I realize you were still a crybaby? Where has all your fierceness gone?¡±


    Wiping away her tears, Zuo Ran cheered up again: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, General. After I rescue Pinglu, I will go to the border and formally enlist in the army and join the Yuehong team!¡±


    There were no female leaders in the army, but Yan Mingting favored Zhong Yuehong, and Beijing was too busy with transitioning to a new Emperor to take care of the affairs of the frontier. He set a precedent by promoting a female lieutenant general, which caused a lot of controversy at first, but fortunately Zhong Yuehong persuaded everyone with her strength.


    Afterwards, one or two occasional women wanted to join and were arranged under Zhong Yuehong¡¯s command.


    ¡°Yes, ah, your women¡¯s army is growing stronger and stronger.¡± Yan Mingting was very pleased.


    Zuo Ran smiled, and also had an idea in mind. She had been trying to escape before, not wanting the Magistrate to discover where she and Yin Pinglu were. But now she realized the importance of status and hated her incompetence. She also wanted to make contributions like Zhong Yuehong and let everyone know how powerful she was, so that no one would dare snatch anyone away from her!


    He Cuizhang also came after a while, bringing a few jars of good wine. He said he wanted to drink until they were drunk, but Zhao Yelan gave him a glare and he changed his words: ¡°This good wine should be stored in the cellar first, and we can drink it after the New Year!¡±


    He Cuizhang inwardly patted himself on the back. No wonder the General was henpecked, who wouldn¡¯t be afraid when they saw such a look?


    After lunch, everyone began giving gifts. He Cuizhang gave a big sword that he and several other lieutenants had pooled their money to buy, including Zhong Yuehong.


    Housekeeper Qin gave a peace talisman, and Xiao Gao also gave a gift ¨C a bunch of tanghulu. He had originally bought twenty skewers, but couldn¡¯t hold back last night and ate ten of them.


    The Li family did not come, but their gift also arrived. Li Jinyu sent a compilation of military tactics, and Li Yucheng sent a few gold ingots.


    Yan Mingting suddenly felt that perhaps this Li Yuheng and Zhao Yelan could become confidantes, look at this unbearably vulgar money grubber!


    Wait¡­¡­would Zhao Yelan really give him money simply and flagrantly? He couldn¡¯t help but think of last night¡¯s account book. All that money¡­¡­in the end, should he accept it or not?


    He was shamefully moved. Sorry, it turned out that he was also very vulgar, he really deserved to be a member of this family!


    [1] Tail up to the sky = being arrogant and full of oneself. ?

 CH 49

    Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Yelan with burning eyes.


    The others also looked over one after another, wondering what gift Zhao Yelan had prepared.


    Zhao Yelan pondered for a while before saying: ¡°In the study.¡±


    As soon as his voice fell, a collision of tables and chairs sounded in his ears. Yan Mingting hurried to the study, and He Cuizhang and Xiao Gao quickly followed. Zuo Ran looked around, then followed behind curiously.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After a moment, Zhao Yelan walked leisurely to the study and heard Yan Mingting¡¯s joyful voice: ¡°You see, this one looks much better than Bao Lun¡¯s portrait!¡±


    A ruler pressed a sheet of rice paper on the table. It was a painting, in which the person¡¯s hair was flying as they sat on horseback while shooting wild geese.


    ¡°Yes, yes, this painting is very beautiful! So lifelike, just as if he had seen the General hunting with his own eyes!¡± He Cuizhang spared no effort in his praise, not knowing that Zhao Yelan had also entered the hunting grounds with Yan Mingting.


    It suddenly seemed like a secret between the two of them. Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Yelan with a smile as he came in. Their eyes met, and Zhao Yelan lowered his head and hurriedly looked away.


    ¡°My lord, I want a portrait too,¡± Xiao Gao said expectantly, and made a gesture of drawing a bow. ¡°Do you think my posture is okay?¡¯


    Before Zhao Yelan could reply to him, Yan Mingting patted his head: ¡°What do you want, go feed Hongshao.¡±


    Xiao Gao went to feed the rabbit with grievances. Yan Mingting rolled up the painting happily, and then prepared to go out with great enthusiasm.


    ¡°General, where are you going?¡± He Cuizhang called.


    ¡°To find someone to frame it,¡± Yan Mingting said without looking back.


    ¡°Wait for me, I¡¯ll go too!¡± He Cuizhang chased after him.


    Only Zuo Ran and Zhao Yelan were left looking at each other. She smiled shyly and turned to go after them as well. After all, she didn¡¯t know Zao Yelan very well.


    Hearing the sound of their footsteps gradually fading away, Zhao Yelan walked to the desk and opened the lower drawer. There was actually another painting inside.


    He unfolded it and took a look. The person in the painting was turning around to wave his hand with a smile on his face. It was the scene of when he had watched Yan Mingting go to court today, when the other party turned around to wave goodbye to him.


    The corners of his mouth curled slightly in a fleeting smile, and he put the painting in the cabinet, storing it together with the luggage that needed to be taken away with him.


    In the afternoon, even though Yan Mingting said that he would not accept guests, many officials still came to visit. However, Yan Mingting was not in the mansion at this time, so only Zhao Yelan could receive them.


    He was just about to take a nap when he heard a servant come to report the matter, and he really didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with it. He walked to the front hall and gave the officials ugly expressions, and those people found reasons to leave with embarrassment.


    ¡°Wait, take everything back,¡± Zhao Yelan said coldly.


    The group of people took their congratulatory gifts and left in a desperate manner.


    He turned around and was about to go back to the room when he heard another guest coming, and waved his hand: ¡°Tell them to go back instead of bringing them in.¡±


    ¡°It seems that I have come at an inauspicious time?¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused and turned his head to look at Eunuch Gao, who walked in with a smile on his face, and his expression softened slightly. ¡°Eunuch Gao, what is your purpose in coming here?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t today General Yan¡¯s birthday? His Majesty specially sent me to give something.¡± After Eunuch Gao spoke, the young eunuchs following behind him respectfully offered congratulatory gifts.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t look at what they were, ordering Xiao Gao to take it all.


    Xiao Gao glanced at Eunuch Gao, then went to the storeroom with Housekeeper Qin in silence.


    Eunuch Gao looked at his retreating back and smiled with gratification. He told everyone to leave, then took a box from his sleeve and said: ¡°General Yan will go south tomorrow and will pass Zhizhou. Concubine Xian is very homesick and wants the General to bring something to her family. I hope the General can do her this favor.¡±


    ¡°Concubine Xian?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sun Muyun, the daughter of the Magistrate of the prefecture, has been promoted to concubine Xian,¡± Eunuch Gao said with a smile.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since she entered the palace, and the speed of promotion couldn¡¯t be ignored. It seemed that Sun Muyun was rather easy to like.


    ¡°Zhao-daren is not an outsider, so I¡¯ll just tell you the truth.¡± Eunuch Gao whispered in his ear, ¡°This concubine was promoted due to your blessing.¡±


    ¡°When did I do this?¡±


    ¡°When the Emperor summoned all the concubines, he happened to hear her muttering, ¡®Zhao-daren really didn¡¯t lie to me.¡¯ The Emperor asked why, and she said that Zhao-daren once praised the Emperor for being handsome, which made him laugh.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    As soon as Eunuch Gao left, Yan Mingting came back and said: ¡°The painting can be picked up in three days. I won¡¯t be here then, so you can pick it up for me.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment, then nodded and told him about Eunuch Gao¡¯s visit. Yan Mingting was not curious about what the Emperor had given him, but felt strange about Sun Muyun entrusting him with a token: ¡°Although the distance is long, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to send a few people back to Zhizhou to bring some tokens, right? Why did she ask me to take it for her?¡±


    ¡°Who are you? You are the famous General Yan Mingting.¡± The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°It turns out that she also has brains. She is likely unaccompanied in the harem, and her status rose too fast, drawing the hatred of others. In addition, her father is far away in Zhizhou. A magistrate can be regarded as a family of status in a local area, but in this harem, she is really not a person with powerful connections. Because of this, she considered the prestige of the General¡¯s Mansion and wants you to be her backer.¡±


    Yan Mingting understood: ¡°So I just need to help her deliver this token, and outsiders will know that I have a good relationship with her. If it is for my sake, they will go easy on her?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded.


    ¡°Why is this so troublesome? In your opinion, should I help her deliver it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan considered for a moment, then said: ¡°Deliver it. She has a lively temperament and is not too stupid. If she really continues to be favored in the future, it will do no harm. If she loses power, it has nothing to do with you. Anyway, you were just being kind, not meddling in the affairs of the harem.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Yan Mingting put the token away.


    After dinner in the evening, Yan Mingting proposed to go out for a walk, and took Zhao Yelan out with him together.


    There were many more small merchants and hawkers who came out to set up stalls in the night market than in the daytime, and their hawking was constant. The lanterns on both sides of the street were hung high, not only for lighting, but also for the unique scenery of this night.


    Zhao Yelan walked for a while before unknowingly coming to the tailor shop and walking in.


    Yan Mingting quickly followed, and subconsciously went to look at those colorful clothes. He wondered which ones would be taken away by Zhao Yelan, but he didn¡¯t expect the other party to pick up the black silk on the other side and give the shopkeeper a meaningful look.


    The shopkeeper followed his gaze, understood immediately, and went up to measure Yan Mingting with a smile.


    ¡°The General is so lucky, Zhao-daren personally chooses clothes for you. Don¡¯t worry, I will sew it up as soon as possible and send it to the house.¡±


    Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Yelan, flattered, but seeing that his expression was normal, he could only laugh inwardly and ask: ¡°Can it be made tonight?¡±


    The shopkeeper¡¯s smile froze: ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting was a little frustrated. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t go out in new clothes.


    Hearing this request, Zhao Yelan raised his head and looked around. He also chose a ready-made garment, paid for it, and handed it over to him.


    Yan Mingting held the new clothes and walked happily beside him with light steps: ¡°So this is the joy of wearing new clothes on your birthday?¡±


    ¡°Have you never worn new clothes on your birthday?¡±


    Yan Mingting shook his head. In his memory, his birthdays were almost always spent in the military camp, so there was no room to think of such trivial things.


    ¡°What about you?¡± He asked back.


    Zhao Yelan seemed to be in a good mood, and actually answered this question: ¡°En, my mother¡­¡­would give me a new outfit every year.¡±


    The family was poor, and there were only these things that could be gifted, such as his father¡¯s calligraphy paintings, new clothes, and snacks that could not usually be eaten¡­¡­these gifts couldn¡¯t compare to those of the children of rich and noble families, but they were also things that were normally difficult to obtain.


    He looked around and walked swiftly over to an old man, looked at the bunch of tanghulu, and asked, ¡°How many skewers do you want?¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°One skewer is enough.¡± There were still ten skewers given by Xiao Gao back at home.


    Zhao Yelan bought one and then asked him what else he wanted to eat. Walking a few steps, he looked back and found that the other person was stunned: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to you¡­¡­being like this,¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°You didn¡¯t do something to offend me, did you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Just say it straight. I¡¯m in a good mood today and won¡¯t fight with you,¡± Yan Mingting said generously.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression changed several times, and he finally gave him a cold look: ¡°It¡¯s just because it¡¯s your birthday. The sky and the earth are big, but the birthday star is the biggest.¡±


    Yan Mingting looked into those familiar eyes and relaxed again at once. Walking to his side with a smile, he said: ¡°Then whatever request I make today, will you satisfy me?¡±


    ¡°What else do you want?¡±


    ¡°Let me think about it, ah¡­¡­¡± Originally, Yan Mingting was really serious about taking the opportunity to make some requests, but while he was thinking it over, he became absent-minded and stared at the person in front of him intently.


    The two stood under the eaves as the red and yellow lanterns above their heads shone down on their faces. Zhao Yelan¡¯s fair face reflected a bit of warmth, and in today¡¯s clothes, he really couldn¡¯t take his eyes off him.


    Not only him, but everyone around subconsciously paid more attention to him, although they didn¡¯t dare approach.


    ¡°Can you promise me one thing¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting looked at him hesitantly, his eyes sincere.


    Zhao Yelan looked at the other for a moment, almost burned by his fiery eyes, and seemed to guess what he was going to say. He immediately covered his mouth: ¡°Can¡¯t¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t said it yet.¡± Yan Mingting took his hand away. ¡°I want you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± Zhao Yelan covered his mouth again.


    ¡°Wu¡­¡­I want to say it!¡± Yan Mingting pushed his hand away again, and held it down to prevent him from moving.


    Zhao Yelan closed his eyes tightly, but heard him say: ¡°I want you to move your foot away, you are stepping on me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Zhao Yelan opened his eyes blankly and looked down. He had indeed stepped on his foot by accident. Moving his foot away in embarrassment, he walked away without a backward glance.


    Yan Mingting laughed on the spot. In fact, he was almost about to speak his mind just now.


    But he was going to head south soon, and the round-trip journey alone would take at least ten days, not to mention the delay in suppressing the bandits and other things, and it should take at least a month to come back.


    Now was not a good time. To say those words right before leaving, like a romantic man who could only talk sweetly, he worried that the other party would blame him for having no sense of propriety and be anxious during the days he was gone. Anyway, the future was long, so there was no rush.


    However, when he looked over again, Zhao Yelan was nowhere to be found.


    He quickened his pace and searched around, but he didn¡¯t see that figure¡¯s back. His expression tightened and he expanded his search area.


    No matter how fast Zhao Yelan¡¯s steps were, it was impossible to be as fast as him. Either he had reached some hidden corner, or¡­¡­he was taken away.


    Thinking that it might be the latter, he frowned and showed a rare bit of hostility, even exerting strength when pushing a passerby aside.


    ¡°Have you decided on a date?¡±


    At this time, on the second floor of a pawn shop, a woman in casual clothes held the deed to Zhao Yelan¡¯s house and hesitantly asked this of the man opposite her.


    Just now, Zhao Yelan had walked a few steps when he bumped into Gu Niaoniao, who had come out to do errands. He gave her a meaningful look, then they walked into the nearby pawn shop one after the other and went to the second floor to find an empty room, closed the door, and began to talk in low voices.


    ¡°Three days from now,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get ready.¡±


    ¡°See if you can secretly bring Gao Tan out at that time. If it will easily arouse suspicion, just leave him alone and let him find another way to make a living with Eunuch Gao,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°En, I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Zhao Yelan once again thought about what he had left behind for Yan Mingting. His two most powerful informants had been exposed to him, and if anything needed to be done, they would help him. A birthday gift was also given, and a ten thousand-tael banknote was left in the bedroom. He did everything that should be done, which was already benevolent and dutiful.


    ¡°Hey, your jade hairpin has a pretty color,¡± Gu Niaoniao suddenly said. ¡°Is this the hard-to-find accessory you spoke of?¡±


    Zhao Yelan subconsciously touched the jade hairpin on his head.


    ¡°Where did you get it, will you ¡®bury¡¯ it with you?¡± Gu Niaoniao eagerly said, ¡°If you find it cumbersome, why not leave it to me? Or do you want to set a price?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dreaming,¡± Zhao Yelan scoffed at her.


    Gu Niaoniao shrugged resentfully, took an inadvertent glance out the window, and said: ¡°Is that Yan Mingting? It seems that he is in a hurry to find someone, could he be looking for you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his head and looked out the window, and saw Yan Mingting¡¯s anxious figure looking around.


    ¡°Go back quickly, lest he find you here,¡± Gu Niaoniao said.


    Zhao Yelan went downstairs first and lowered his head to quickly walk somewhere else. After finding a secluded place, he stood there silently and waited for the other party to come over.


    Unexpectedly, a bright light flashed across the sky at this time, followed by a bang as if the sky had split in two. The crowd suddenly startled, looking up at the sky until big raindrops hit their faces, and then quickened their pace and fled in all directions.


    There was no defense against the torrential summer rain. As soon as it came, it would rain heavily for a short while.


    Yan Mingting was even more anxious, calling Zhao Yelan¡¯s name everywhere. When he was just about to find some nearby officers and soldiers to search for him, he heard a faint voice: ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    He paused and immediately turned around, running toward the source of the sound. The voice became clearer and clearer, until he saw the person sheltering from the rain under the eaves. When he was about to step forward, he turned around and borrowed an umbrella before returning.


    Zhao Yelan had originally thought he would ask him where he had been, and had even thought of what to say, but the other put the umbrella over his head and the first thing he said was: ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him in astonishment.


    ¡°You are all wet.¡± Yan Mingting touched his clothes. ¡°I don¡¯t know when the rain will stop, and it¡¯s no good to wait here and let the cold enter the body. It¡¯s better to go back and soak in hot water now.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded.


    There were no sedan chairs or carriages to hire at this time, so they had to return in the rain. The umbrella was fluttering in the storm, and Yan Mingting firmly held it in one hand over Zhao Yelan¡¯s head, with the other arm around his shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯re soaking wet.¡± Zhao Yelan frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it, I won¡¯t get sick easily like you,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    As the icy rain poured down on his body, Zhao Yelan seemed to have forgotten how much he hated rainy days. He just lowered his head silently, looking at his feet as he walked, as if an invisible force had dispelled the cold.


    As soon as the two returned to the mansion, Yan Mingting urged people to find Yao Muze, who was the closest doctor to the General¡¯s Mansion.


    The servants rushed to boil hot water, and they went back to their room to change into dry clothes.


    When the hot water was ready, Yan Mingting asked Zhao Yelan to take a bath first, and then went out with their wet clothes. It happened that Yao Muze had arrived, so he stopped him and took him to the foyer to wait. While talking and holding the clothes, he accidentally touched Zhao Yelan¡¯s sachet hanging on his clothes. With a sudden frown, he took off the sachet, opened the inside, and took out a small note.


    He calmly asked his servants to entertain the guests, then handed the clothes over to the maids and went to the study to unfold the note. Upon it were two lines of fine characters.


    ¨C The cell boss has been found and escorted back to the capital today. What do you want to do with him? In addition, the medicine has been prepared. When are you going to act?


    Cell boss? Medicine? What action?


    After a while, he put the note into the sachet. Once Zhao Yelan finished bathing, he quietly put it back in its original place, secretly took another sachet, and then called Yao Muze in to feel his pulse.


    Zhao Yelan had already started coughing, but it wasn¡¯t too severe. Yao Muze brought medicine and asked his servants to brew it.


    When Yan Mingting sent Yao Muze away, he pulled him into a corner, took out the sachet, and handed it to him while saying in a low voice: ¡°I¡¯ve always been very sensitive to this stuff and have to sneeze when I smell it. Is there anything wrong with my nose?¡±


    ¡°Is this sweetgrass?¡± Yao Muze sniffed it, then opened it to sniff it more carefully, and gradually frowned. ¡°Sweetgrass¡¯s smell is already particular, but the contents are generally heavy and it doesn¡¯t have such a strong scent. I used to go to gather herbs, and it took about eight taels of sweetgrass to achieve this level of smell. There may be other things in this sachet. Can you let me take it back and examine it thoroughly?¡±


    He definitely couldn¡¯t directly take it away. Zhao Yelan often wore it, so it was easy for him to find out and become suspicious. Yan Mingting poured some out for him: ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t go to take a bath until he sent this person away, and when the two of them lay down, it was almost midnight.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with your body?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°En.¡± In the darkness, Yan Mingting kept his eyes open, deep in thought.


    Zhao Yelan became quiet, and just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a rustling sound. He opened his eyes and found that the room was lit up again.


    Yan Mingting went out holding a candle, and when he returned, he moved the blanket on the ground to the bottom of the bed. He sat cross-legged on it to block him in, clinging to the bed, and said: ¡°There is still a quarter of an hour before my birthday will pass. Can I still make a request?¡±


    Seeing his serious expression, Zhao Yelan also sat up and asked: ¡°What request?¡±


    Yan Mingting handed a stack of booklets to him: ¡°This is the account book of the General¡¯s Mansion and all my salary, as well as the property left to me by my parents. I will give it all to you. Can you keep it for me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan froze: ¡°Why do you want me to keep it? Isn¡¯t there an accountant?¡±


    ¡°In the end, an accountant is an outsider, so I¡¯m worried,¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to take care of it. In any case, I don¡¯t know how to check the accounts, so you can use it however you want, whether it is to buy nice clothes or expensive meals.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this just giving him family wealth for nothing? Zhao Yelan said in disbelief: ¡°Why are you leaving this to me?¡±


    ¡°I specifically asked Kan Chuan this morning why his wife is so considerate. He said that because he handed in all his salary, his wife trusted him very much.¡± Yan Mingting paused for a moment, showing a smile. ¡°It turns out that husbands should also be considerate to each other. Don¡¯t you like shopping? You can take all of this. Although I don¡¯t have as much wealth as you, I won¡¯t starve you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked slightly mournful, not sure how he felt, and gave back all of these things: ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary, I can¡¯t even spend all of my own.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t promise me, I won¡¯t leave,¡± Yan Mingting said resolutely.


    The two confronted each other for a long time before Zhao Yelan was defeated: ¡°All right, first release me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yan Mingting laughed, and his tense back finally relaxed a little. Urging him to fall asleep early, he tucked him in the blanket and said again, ¡°Actually I still have some wishes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too greedy!¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled: ¡°The first wish is for Zhao Mengting¡¯s wishes to come true, the second wish is for Zhao Mengting to always smile and be in good health, the third wish¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°Whose birthday is it? How can you speak about my wishes?¡±


    ¡°But this is indeed what I hope most for, ah.¡± Yan Mingting smiled softly, leaning over to touch his forehead. ¡°The third wish is as the years pass by, you will always have today¡¯s glory. Let¡¯s spend the next birthday together, okay?¡±

 CH 50

    Zhao Yelan suffered from insomnia.


    He had been unable to sleep for the past two days, but tonight was somewhat different. Before, he would close his eyes and think about it unconsciously, still hoping that he could fall asleep quickly.


    But tonight, with his eyes open, he didn¡¯t think about anything. He simply emptied his mind and didn¡¯t want to fall asleep.


    For some reason, he felt that Yan Mingting was not asleep either.


    But he didn¡¯t turn over to check. He was afraid that the other party would continue to talk to him. Intentionally or not, some words could confuse people¡¯s minds.


    At dawn, he heard Yan Mingting get up and leave the room lightly, and there were footsteps outside.


    He sat up slowly, walked to the window, and watched Yan Mingting and Zuo Ran lead the horses to the gate. After discussing the affairs of the mansion with Housekeeper Qin, he raised his head and suddenly looked toward the bedroom.


    Zhao Yelan was startled, and instinctively dodged aside. It wasn¡¯t until hoofbeats sounded outside the gate that he returned to the bed without looking back, closing his eyes tightly.


    When he woke up again, it was already noon, and he took a three-day leave from the Imperial Academy on the grounds that he had contracted a cold. He put on the sweetgrass sachet again, rested at home, and coughed a few times now and then.


    ¡°Did my lord not drink the medicine? Why does the cold seem to be getting worse?¡± Housekeeper Qin said worriedly, and couldn¡¯t help but nag, ¡°My lord, drink your medicine quickly, lest the General come back and see that you are still ill and punish us.¡±


    Zhao Yelan poured the medicine in front of him, then locked himself in the room, feeling bored after a little while.


    He was obviously used to being alone in the house in the past, but today it seemed to be particularly deserted.


    As he walked around the mansion, the servants performed their duties and were busy in an orderly manner, but they didn¡¯t get together and secretly gossip about why the two masters were arguing again.


    Even Xiao Gao was a little listless: ¡°Why do I feel that even the chickens are quiet after the General left? My lord, when will the General come back, ah?¡±


    ¡°Miss him so soon?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Do you like him very much?¡±


    ¡°En, en.¡±


    In the afternoon, Zhao Yelan received a letter from Yan Mingting.


    He opened it in surprise. The handwriting on it was a bit messy, and seemed that it had been written in haste. The letter stated that they had arrived at the first post station, so he wrote to report that they were safe.


    In the evening, the second letter came again, from the second station.


    After two days, Zhao Yelan received a total of six letters, all of which were small things ¨C


    Mengting, we are now at the border of Longzhou, and it is raining heavily here. I wonder if it is raining in the capital? Remember to wear more layers, don¡¯t catch a cold.


    Mengting, let me tell you a joke. A soldier went to piss at night and was kicked by a horse, haha! Zuo Ran also walked in on him, and she beat him up again, haha!


    Mengting, what did you eat tonight? We could only eat some dry food on the road tonight, because the weather is hot and most of the food is rotten. In fact, I have long been used to this kind of life, but it may be that I have eaten too well in the capital in the past six months. I actually started to miss Mingji¡¯s steamed buns and Huichunlou¡¯s drunken shrimp. It¡¯s all thanks to you.


    Mengting, I had a dream last night about when we met for the first time. If at that time I took you directly to the military camp to serve as my military adviser, would the war have ended sooner? Would we have grown up together?


    Mengting, He Cuizhang is still in Beijing. If you have any troubles, you can go to him. He has a letter from me and can act in my name.


    Mengting, I regret it, I shouldn¡¯t have left without saying goodbye. I thought I would be anxious about saying goodbye in person, but even without saying goodbye, I miss you a little now¡­¡­I lied to you, I miss your Hongshao.


    ¡°General, are you writing a letter again?¡± Zuo Ran carried a water bag to the river to finish fetching water. She saw Yan Mingting leaning against a big tree with a piece of biscuit held in his mouth, writing on his bent knees.


    Along the way, whenever he was free, Yan Mingting would write letters and deliver them at the post station. Some were mailed out, and some were crumpled up and thrown away.


    ¡°Are you all rested up?¡± Yan Mingting quickly chewed on the stale biscuit, then folded the letter and said, ¡°There is food at the next post station, and we can prepare some more dry food.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zuo Ran raised her head and looked at the sun. The scorching heat made people sweat profusely. Today was already the seventh day since they left the capital. According to the speed of their traveling day and night, they would be able to reach Huaizhou tomorrow.


    ¡°General, I just watched you write a letter. Why don¡¯t you seem to have received a letter from Zhao-daren?¡± Zuo Ran asked curiously.


    ¡°Because we are traveling fast, how could the letters traveling back and forth keep up with our speed?¡± Yan Mingting got on his horse.


    ¡°That makes sense. Then when you arrive in Huaizhou, you might be able to receive a letter,¡± Zuo Ran said optimistically.


    However, on the third day after arriving in Huaizhou, he did not receive any letter from Beijing.


    Zuo Ran didn¡¯t have the time to ask about Yan Mingting¡¯s letter, because she was worried about how to rescue Yin Pinglu.


    When he first arrived in Huaizhou, Yan Mingting received good news from his subordinates. The troops who had arrived first, together with Huaizhou officers and soldiers, captured a large number of bandits alive, and they had been put in prison. They had destroyed all their strongholds, but two leaders escaped.


    Yan Mingting sent people to investigate the whereabouts of these two, and then he was taken over by the Huaizhou Magistrate.


    After conversing with the Magistrate for a while, he then brought up Yin Pinglu: ¡°Yin-daren is so lucky to have such a good daughter as Pinglu.¡±


    Magistrate Yin asked doubtfully: ¡°General Yan knows Pinglu?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she tell you? We met at the border once. She has a clever mind and was a great help to me,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Magistrate Yin had of course heard Yin Pinglu say this, but he didn¡¯t believe it at all. She was a weak woman, how could she know Yan Mingting on the battlefield? Not to mention being of  help. If this was the case, why didn¡¯t anyone mention Yin Pinglu¡¯s name when the court discussed meritorious deeds and rewards? It must be a lie that this girl made up in order to escape.


    But now hearing Yan Mingting admit it in person, he was aghast, but there was still a smile on his face: ¡°It turned out to be like this. Maybe she was just lucky and happened to come up with some crazy ideas.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that, the battlefield changes rapidly and a few fleeting ideas can¡¯t turn the tide. Your daughter is very talented,¡± Yan Mingting said seriously.


    ¡°Ai, what¡¯s the use of having great talent? She studied and practiced calligraphy in her early years, so she was a little ignorant of worldly matters. Who would look down on this, ah. Not only did she take the initiative to break off the engagement with her fiance, but she also ran away with a lowly girl. It has long been the biggest joke in Huaizhou. This woman is not married, how can this be proper, ah? I almost lost all face because of her,¡± Magistrate Yin said in vexation.


    Yan Mingting saw his stubborn nature. He feared that in his eyes, even the main daughters should be used to marry higher up and improve his official position, not to mention Yin Pinglu, a rebellious concubine.


    Yan Mingting once heard Yin Pinglu mention that Magistrate Yin had eight daughters and a young son who was just three years old. The sisters were all married to dignitaries, and the last one was also married to a magistrate. Among the remaining daughters of age, only Yin Pinglu was still unmarried.


    He knew that it would be difficult to change Magistrate Yin¡¯s mind with these few words, so he said: ¡°I came to the mansion today because I actually have something to ask. The bandit leaders fled, but I¡¯m new here and not familiar with the terrain, so I wanted to borrow Pinglu to help.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡­¡± Magistrate Yin wiped the sweat off his face. This wasn¡¯t good. ¡°It¡¯s really not that this humble official wants to refuse the General¡¯s request, it¡¯s just that Pinglu has been infected with a serious disease lately and is still recuperating in the house. Whether she can recover is unknown, and we are powerless, ah.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡­then I won¡¯t disturb her. There are many women in the house, so I won¡¯t borrow a room. I will be staying at the biggest inn in the city. If Yin Pinglu recovers well, you just let her come to me directly, ba,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°All right, all right.¡± Magistrate Yin repeatedly agreed, then graciously sent him to the inn himself.


    After the people left, Zuo Ran appeared covertly: ¡°General, how is Pinglu?¡±


    ¡°Not too great.¡± Yan Mingting frowned. ¡°You go to her house late at night to see what the situation is like with the guards. Don¡¯t alert the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    At midnight, Zuo Ran returned and said: ¡°The security is heavy, especially around Pinglu¡¯s room. It is full of guards, with senior officials coming in and out. Is Magistrate Yin afraid of her escaping and wants to imprison her?¡±


    ¡°No, she should have already escaped,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°With Magistrate Yin¡¯s temperament of cozying up to others, how could he be willing to refuse such a good opportunity when he heard that I wanted to borrow someone? And clearly he gave me a warm invitation to be a guest in his house, but after hearing me ask for someone, he didn¡¯t urge me to stay. This is likely because he was afraid that we would find out that the person had already run away, so he lied about her being ill and sent people to strictly guard to create false appearances.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do? Nothing will happen to Pinglu, right?¡± Zuo Ran was nervous.


    ¡°We split into two groups. You take a team and stay at the inn. Keep an eye on the movement in the Yin Mansion at all times, and send someone to deliver some medical materials and supplements in my name every day or two. In this way, Magistrate Yin will have to speed up his search for Yin Pinglu. If she is found, don¡¯t act rashly, and notify me immediately.¡± Yan Mingting said, ¡°I still have to track down the whereabouts of those two thieves.¡±


    ¡°All right, I understand,¡± Zuo Ran said calmly.


    Yan Mingting glanced at her in surprise: ¡°You seem to be¡­¡­a lot more stable.¡±


    ¡°I am stupid and weak, so it is hard for me to find her by myself, but I trust the General. Since this is the case, I cannot panic and drag my feet,¡± Zuo Ran said firmly. ¡°And I believe in her. She is so smart, she will definitely be able to save the day.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Yan Minging said with a smile. ¡°Perhaps she has escaped safely. We¡¯re staying at this inn, with a lot of people coming in and out. The news will spread quickly, and once she finds out, she will come to us.¡±


    ¡°En!¡±


    Early the next morning, Yan Mingting went to the prison to interrogate a few bandits about news of the two bandit leaders, and came up with a piece of information ¨C


    They had backers, and those two were coaxed into making trouble.


    But this information didn¡¯t need to be tortured out at all. He could guess that bandits had appeared in several areas simultaneously, and why else would that be if it was not premeditated? Were bandits like cats, who when the season comes, would go into collective heat?


    In the afternoon, he took people to the stronghold to check the situation, and it was already destroyed. However, that did not rule out that there could be something left and that the two would come back secretly. He sent a handful of teams in several directions to track down a trail.


    One day later, he finally found a clue. Not far from the stronghold was a grass field with a line of shallow marks where the grass was obviously sparser than on the sides. He walked down this path and found a secret passage, leading people in to search it. The inside was a mess, and there were a few pieces of jewelry on the ground that they hadn¡¯t had time to take away.


    He looked around and found a letter. It ordered the two to rush to Quzhou, and said that someone would meet them.


    He immediately summoned three teams to chase along several roads, then sent news to the officials in Quzhou while keeping some people in Huaizhou to prevent the other party from deliberately luring the tiger away from the mountain.[1]


    After several days of busy work, he had time to write a letter after dinner. He wrote down everything that happened these past few days in detail, and unexpectedly wrote four voluminous pages. Instead of using his own people to deliver the letter, he went out to find a messenger.


    However, before he could find a messenger, he first met Zuo Ran, who was standing on a bridge and staring at the calm water in a daze.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Yan Mingting walked over and asked.


    Zuo Ran was startled, and turned to look at him: ¡°General¡­¡­have you eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°En, what about you? Why aren¡¯t you guarding the Yin residence?¡±


    ¡°I kept someone there, but I don¡¯t want to be near that place right now.¡± Zuo Ran curled her lip and turned to walk over the bridge.


    The two walked along the river and finally came to a pavilion. Zuo Ran then said: ¡°Today that old man went to the Yin mansion, that fellow who wants to marry Pinglu. You should have seen Magistrate Yin¡¯s groveling look¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting knew that she was feeling indignant and angry on Yin Pinglu¡¯s behalf, so he didn¡¯t speak immediately. After she vented for a while, scolding those two people bloody, he laughed and asked, ¡°Has your temper cooled?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then you can scold them for as long as you want.¡±


    Hearing this, Zuo Ran laughed self-consciously: ¡°Forgive me, ah, I¡¯ve wasted your time with my complaining.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m happy to hear it, and it improved my mood a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Is the General worried about the bandits?¡± When Zuo Ran received no response after asking, she guessed at another reason. ¡°Or is it because you haven¡¯t received a letter from Zhao-daren?¡±


    As expected, Yan Mingting¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    ¡°When we first met you, we thought you were ignorant and didn¡¯t understand feelings at all. You saved a beautiful woman, and no matter how many times she clearly approached you, your heart was as firm as iron and stone and you said that you would never marry a wife in this life.¡±


    ¡°She ran into the military camp without authorization, disrupting military discipline. That I didn¡¯t punish her was already good.¡±


    ¡°Then Zhao-daren will obediently observe your military discipline?¡± Zuo Ran teased.


    Yan Mingting glanced down at her and Zuo Ran stopped teasing him. After a while, she heard him sigh deeply: ¡°If it¡¯s just that he won¡¯t write back, then that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Zuo Ran wondered.


    ¡°He may¡­¡­have left.¡±


    ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Yan Mingting said in a heavy voice: ¡°He should have been planning it for a long time.¡±


    Judging from Zhao Yelan¡¯s abnormal behavior recently, while on the surface he seemed to agree to all of his requests meticulously and thoughtfully to celebrate his birthday, when he thought about it deeply, it seemed more like he was dealing with funeral arrangements. In particular, the identities of Gu Niaoniao and Kan Chuan had been exposed to him. If it wasn¡¯t for a sudden incident, how could Zhao Yelan have revealed this to him so easily?


    So the plan on that note probably referred to a plan to leave.


    It was unknown how he would go about leaving, but with Zhao Yelan¡¯s temperament, if he truly planned to disappear, he would certainly make arrangements.


    He feared that after returning to Beijing this time, Zhao Yelan would no longer be in the General¡¯s Mansion.


    Zuo Ran was very surprised, but she didn¡¯t quite understand what took place between these two people, so she just asked: ¡°Since you guessed that he was leaving, why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡±


    Yan Mingting gave a wan smile: ¡°He was an important minister above tens of thousands of people, he has endless money, and he has cultivated many powerful forces. It would not be difficult for him to return to a prominent status. That he would rather give up this kind of life only shows how much he wants to leave¡­¡­there is nothing in Beijing for him to recall fondly.¡±


    Including Yan Mingting.


    He had tried to use his family property and birthday wishes to keep him, but if the other party was still indifferent, then what was the use of forcing him to stay?


    Zuo Ran frowned, and when she looked at him again, she actually saw an unprecedented desolation on his face. She didn¡¯t know how to comfort him, so she could only stay quietly at his side.


    The night in the Jiangnan canal town was very lively, but it was a bit more gentle than the capital city. There were many talents and beautiful women boating down the middle of the water pathways.


    One of the most beautifully painted boats was gliding slowly over the water with several beauties standing on the bow alongside a pavilion. The girls in rouge and powder raised their heads to look at Yan Mingting with unconcealed surprise. They looked at each other a few times, then got off the boat one by one, went to the pavilion, and saluted: ¡°This gongzi, our master has prepared tea and snacks, and would like to invite you aboard for a talk.¡±


    Yan Mingting smelled a flowery fragrance and then saw the bouquets of flowers on the ornately decorated boat. Guessing that these were boudoir girls, he thought that the folk customs in the south of the Yangtze River were really open.


    ¡°No need.¡± Yan Mingting bluntly refused.


    Zuo Ran stepped forward and stopped in front of him, saying to the girls: ¡°My family¡¯s gongzi is already married, I hope that you can respect that.¡±


    The group of girls glanced at each other with varied expressions and returned to the boat one after another, truthfully replying: ¡°Master, that young gongzi already has a family and refuses to board the boat.¡±


    ¡°Since he already has a family, let¡¯s not bother him.¡±


    Yan Mingting had already turned around and was about to leave, but when he heard this faint voice with a hint of a smile in it, he turned his head in surprise and jumped onto the bow in the blink of an eye. The girls exclaimed one after another.


    A row of beaded curtains faintly concealed the person inside. For a moment, Yan Mingting was afraid that he had misheard and that the master only had a similar voice. He hesitated and lowered his eyes, asking: ¡°May I know who this lord is?¡±


    ¡°Gongzi will know at a glance.¡± A girl pushed him suddenly from behind. Caught off guard, he broke through the curtains.


    There were laughing voices from behind and Zuo Ran¡¯s worried cry: ¡°Gongzi!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you go back first,¡± Yan Mingting ordered.


    Zuo Ran was taken aback for a moment, and then was dragged away by those girls.


    There were only two people left on the boat. Yan Mingting stared dumbfounded at the person sitting at the table. Dressed in blue and purple and wearing a jade hairpin, his fair face was like the reflection of the moon on the water, so handsome that it made people feel hazy and lightheaded, unreal, as if they were unable to tell whether it was an illusion or reality.


    After a long while, Yan Mingting spoke with difficulty: ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Long time, no see.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled slightly, put one arm on the table to rest his chin in his hand, and watched him leisurely as he said, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten thinner.¡±


    Yan Mingting walked up to him in a handful of steps and suddenly grabbed his face.


    ¡° ? ¡±


    ¡°Are you itching for a beating?¡± Zhao Yelan glared at him irritably.


    This expression was Zhao Yelan¡¯s, no doubt. He wasn¡¯t dreaming.


    ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t you plan to leave?¡± Yan Mingting blurted out.


    Hearing this, Zhao Yelan stood up with a scoff, slowly grabbed his collar, and raised his head slightly, saying: ¡°Yan Mingting, do you know who I am?¡±


    Yan Mingting lowered his eyes to meet his gaze, staring at him intently.


    Zhao Yelan said word by word: ¡°The first time you and I met, I said to you, ¡®General Yan is only fighting for the common people,¡¯ but it was just a self-preservation scheme. If Zhao Xuan couldn¡¯t convince your father to join him, then I would ask that none of your Yan family¡¯s forces stand with any side. The doctor sent to the frontier to treat you was just to win you over.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing all of a sudden¡­¡­Mengting?¡± Yan Mingting looked at the face that was so close to him, a little dazed. ¡°If that¡¯s what you wanted to say, I had already guessed¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan clenched his neckline tightly. His eyes were sharp: ¡°I am selfish, mean, and ungrateful, greedy for money and power, and full of calculations. I have punished corrupt officials, and I have also persecuted good and loyal men. I will do whatever it takes to achieve my goals. People like me go to hell when they die. But there is a person who is blind and deliberately wants to provoke me. How can I let him alone enjoy glory, wealth, honor, and groups of wives and concubines? I want him to never leave me in life or in death.¡±


    [1] To lure the tiger away from the mountain (µ÷»¢Àëɽ), is to lure the enemy away from one¡¯s territory. ?

 CH 51

    The painted boat continued to move forward, stirring the water and Yan Mingting¡¯s heartstrings. He had thought he had a heart like an old dog, accustomed to life and death, and would not easily encounter surprises.


    However, the exhaustion and worry of the past few days had disturbed his sleep and appetite, and due to the delay in news, he had fallen into endless loss. But when he heard the other party say these words in person, he seemed to have won a battle he had never fought before, and his heart was so impassioned that it was as if tens of thousands of horses were galloping wildly through it with the drums of war shaking the sky, almost breaking through.


    But after all, he was no teenage boy. He suppressed the intensity of his expression, hugged him into his arms, and took a deep breath. Inwardly going wild with unscrupulous laughter, he pretended to be calm and steady and said: ¡°Good, my heart is like yours. Whoever breaks the promise will be the other¡¯s grandson.¡±


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. He slowly lowered his eyelashes, looking at those broad shoulders, and a trace of hesitation flashed in his heart ¨C


    Would he really not regret this decision?


    He had no experience with being close to people, and had never thought that he would spend the rest of his life with someone, let alone an exasperating man.


    At this time, he should have gone to the Western Regions, the Southern Border, or Dongpu. The world was so big, and there would always be a place for him. He could escape from the treacherous waves of the court, get rid of the name Zhao Yelan, and simply change his surname. He could wander around, with plentiful money to spend on leisure and wine, wanton and unrestrained until the end of life.


    But¡­¡­on the third day after Yan Mingting left, the day he planned to fake his death, he got up early in the morning and coughed profusely, his face pale. This was just to pave the way for his death due to illness.


    He took out the pill and placed it on the table, trying to recall anything he might have missed, as if this could slow down the passage of time. Then he remembered the account books that Yan Mingting gave him before leaving.


    In any case, he was not in a hurry, so he took out those account books and handed them to Housekeeper Qin: ¡°Leave these to the accountant, I can¡¯t handle them.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin did not doubt him, but asked him to wait for a moment, as the General had something for him.


    He waited doubtfully for a while, and Housekeeper Qin handed him a letter, saying: ¡°Before the General left, he specifically said that if my lord didn¡¯t want to take care of the accounts and returned the ledgers to me, I should give you this letter.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took the letter in surprise. It was whole and like new, and he opened it curiously as he walked slowly back to the bedroom ¨C


    Mengting, in fact, I really don¡¯t want you to read this letter. It means that you¡¯ve made up your mind to leave, doesn¡¯t it? After careful calculation, we have only been together for three or four months, but you have more than twenty years behind you. So if you really want to rid yourself of the past, and I have no grounds to force you to stay, then I wish you all the best for the rest of your life.


    It seems that I really can¡¯t get rid of the name ¡®evil star,¡¯ and that all the people I want to cherish will leave me for various reasons. Is there really destiny in this world?


    Originally, I wanted to play tricks so that you would covet some of my property and I could keep you, but it seems that this plan has failed. I know you despise what little property I have, but it represents my good intentions. I am not like you, who wants the best and most expensive of everything, and there won¡¯t be any reason for me to spend it in the future, so you should just use it.


    Of course, if you want to come back one day, the gate of the General¡¯s Mansion will always be open for you, as well as the back door and the side door. Haha, just kidding.


    Zhao Yelan walked to the door of the room, paused in his steps, and held the door frame with one hand, calming down his flustered breathing ¨C it turned out that he had already guessed it.


    ¡°My lord, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Gao Tan approached with the medicine bowl in hand, and saw him lean against the door and slide to the ground weakly, not caring if he dirtied his clothes. His hands were trembling, and his eyes were fixed on the letter in his hand.


    Zhao Yelan read it again, and then found that there seemed to be some handwriting on the back. He turned it over and found only a short line of words ¨C


    I¡¯ll also wait for you, this sentence is not a joke.


    ¡°My lord, get up quickly, the ground is dirty and cold.¡± Xiao Gao hurriedly tugged him up with the other hand, but the other party didn¡¯t move, continuing to sit on the ground with his head drooping heavily.


    Xiao Gao had never seen him like this. Even when his enemies attempted to assassinate him before, this person scolded them to their faces. The Emperor even asked him to marry a man, and he accepted these things calmly, always giving Xiao Gao a strong sense of security ¨C even if the sky was falling, Zhao-daren would say it was fine without a change in expression, and then try to mend the hole.


    But at this time, Xiao Gao looked at his lost expression and felt that he was very sad for some reason, and that it was not a simple kind of sadness. He couldn¡¯t tell what emotional state he was in, so he went to help his lord again, but he didn¡¯t notice the bowl tilting until the contents poured onto this lord¡¯s clothes.


    Xiao Gao¡¯s expression was horrified, as if his life was about to be over. These clothes were precious, and his lord loved cleanliness so much that he would surely be severely punished!


    After a long time, Zhao Yelan smelled the scent of medicine on his body and came back to his senses. Raising his head to look at the immobilized Xiao Gao, he said: ¡°What are you doing, why haven¡¯t you poured another bowl?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go right away!¡± Seeing that he didn¡¯t intend to beat or scold him, Xiao Gao immediately ran to the kitchen to pour another bowl. Carefully returning to the room, he saw that the lord had finally moved his seat from the ground to sit slouched at the threshold, and thought for a moment that he had been possessed by the spirit of the General.


    His family¡¯s lord wouldn¡¯t sit like this!


    Xiao Gao waited for him to drink the medicine in one gulp, and said with a smile: ¡°My lord drank the medicine obediently today! Great!¡±


    For the past two days, his lord had been refusing to take the medicine, which caused him and Housekeeper Qin a lot of headaches, but he was doing very well today!


    On that day, Zhao Yelan threw away all of his plans and couldn¡¯t help but linger on this question at night ¨C would he regret it?


    Perhaps he would a long time later, but that was far in the future.


    He just felt that if he left now, he would regret it immediately.


    The two arms around his back hugged him firmly, wrapped up tight, until he was almost out of breath. Zhao Yelan said: ¡°Let go.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Since Yan Mingting understood his intentions, he became a little arrogant and not only did not let go, but even continued to hug him and shook him twice. ¡°Mengting, I missed you so much. Did you miss me too, that¡¯s why you came to see me?¡±


    At this time, the boat stopped abruptly and Li Yucheng¡¯s voice sounded outside: ¡°Brother, are you done yet?¡±


    ¡°Why is he here?¡± Yan Mingting asked in surprise.


    ¡°He found this boat.¡±


    Zhao Yelan pushed him away and ordered the boatman to pull over. There was the sound of footsteps, and Li Yucheng walked in, unsurprised to see Yan Mingting¡¯s figure. He said: ¡°My cousin invited us to drink, will you go?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡­why are you two getting involved? Who are you going to drink with again?¡± Yan Mingting continued to ask.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell him about it?¡± Li Yucheng¡¯s eyes tracked across the two of them, and he said in a hushed voice, ¡°Did you quarrel?¡±


    ¡°You stop talking nonsense,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan cleared his throat to interrupt them, and answered Yan Mingting¡¯s question: ¡°I was directed to secretly investigate the false report of the disaster situation by the water reporter.¡±


    ¡°Someone lied about the disaster?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan sat down and said, ¡°I had been skeptical before. I heard Sun Muyun talk about the scene in her Jiangnan hometown, and it was different from the reporter¡¯s account. But the distance between the two places is great, so the rain situation could not be known immediately. It wasn¡¯t until Concubine Xian mentioned the matter to the Emperor that he realized something was wrong.¡±


    Sun Muyun¡¯s appeal to the Emperor about homesickness was normal, after all, she had passionately followed them and introduced herself a few days after she first came to the capital, so Yan Mingting had no doubts. It had never occurred to him that Zhao Yelan secretly notified Sun Muyun about this matter and asked her to bring it up in front of the Emperor.


    Because Yan Mingting promised to help bring the token to her father, Sun Muyun had given Zhao Yelan some pastries as a thank you. It was not something valuable that would cause others to talk, so Zhao Yelan asked the maid to bring her a message.


    In the palace, Zhao Xuan heard her inadvertently mention that there had been no rain in the south of the Yangtze River recently, and his face darkened. He didn¡¯t expect that someone would overly interfere with the disaster relief plan, and called Kan Chuan and several other officials into the palace overnight to ask who would be sent to investigate the matter.


    This business was a lucrative job. Firstly, the water reporter was a new official position that had just been established, so it was easy to handle. Second, Jiangnan was rich in resources and people, and the allowance to be harvested would fill their purses to bursting, so several courtiers secretly recommended their own people.


    Only Kan Chuan remained silent.


    Zhao Xuan asked the opinion of the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and he said: ¡°There are still vacancies in official court positions at this time. Sending people to the south of the Yangtze River would take more than a month at the least, and it is very likely that the affairs of the court would be delayed. If we send important officials to Jiangnan, we will have to find someone to fill the vacancies of those people, but it will be difficult to quickly find the right people to take over. Although if you send someone with a low position and weak ability, they may not be able to handle the officials south of the Yangtze River.¡±


    Zhao Xuan thoroughly took this at face value. He was very strict with the conferring of these official positions now, and leaving any one of them open would affect the whole body. After much deliberation, he actually felt that only Zhao Yelan was the most suitable.


    He had no important position in the court and was capable, and the officials in Jiangnan had hardly seen him in person.


    In this way, on the fifth day after Yan Mingting left, Zhao Yelan set off for Jiangnan.


    Yan Mingting had no objection, but was only curious: ¡°Why did you bring Li Yucheng along?¡±


    With a swish, Li Yucheng opened his fan smartly, waving it pretentiously: ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me, ba, who am I? I am the number one dandy in Beijing, ah!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite proud.¡± Yan Mingting snorted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the situation in Jiangnan, and my investigation is secret, so I temporarily cannot reveal my identity. And his mother¡¯s Cheng family are merchants in Jiangnan. He would come here for a period of time every year to have fun, so it is perfect to have him as a guide and middleman,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Li Yucheng proudly nodded his head.


    ¡°Since you are secretly investigating, why are you acting so high-profile?¡± Yan Mingting pointed to the exterior of the boat and the many people standing on the bridge and by the waterside, whispering over this richly and luxuriously painted boat.


    ¡°It is easy to spot those who have been sent, and most of the relevant personnel are already prepared to deal with people from the Imperial court, so they will scrutinize people who enter the city in a low-key manner. Now I¡¯m just a dandy who came to play with Li Yucheng. Fu Qian, the most beautiful man in the capital, and the Cheng family vouched for me, so no one came to investigate me. When they find something suspicious, they will send someone to the capital to look into it, and the round-trip time is enough for me to complete my investigation.¡±


    Yan Mingting, hearing ¡°Fu Qian, the most beautiful man in the capital,¡± twitched the corners of his lips.


    This Fu Qian was really shameless, who gave him such a title!


    ¡°Exactly!¡± When Li Yucheng thought that he was here to accompany Zhao Yelan on business, he raised his chin higher than the others with an inexplicable sense of responsibility and pride. He was determined to do well so that his father could feel relieved.


    He proudly said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zhao-xiong and I went to the biggest restaurant to drink as soon as we entered the city today. He is used to eating well and is very stylish, and he invited several female pipa players to play. We went to the best brothel, and now many people believe that Zhao-xiong and I are the same.¡±


    ¡°What? You went to a brothel again?!¡± Yan Mingting gave Zhao Yelan a fierce look, and immediately transferred his anger to Li Yucheng.¡±


    ¡°No, no, nothing happened, he was in charge of eating and drinking and I was in charge of whoring and gambling!¡± Li Yucheng quickly explained. ¡°Actually, we did nothing! This young master is just playing around!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Throw Li Yucheng to the shore,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡° ? ¡± Li Yucheng didn¡¯t expect him to cross the river and destroy the bridge[1] so quickly!


    When Yan Mingting heard this, he really didn¡¯t hesitate at all. He carried him out of the boat and threw him to the shore.


    ¡°Aiyo, I¡¯m going! Yan Mingting, are you still human?! This young master¡¯s ass is about to fall apart¡± Li Yucheng cursed, and the people watching the excitement all around burst into laughter.


    As soon as Yan Mingting entered the cabin, he heard Zhao Yelan say reluctantly: ¡°Now, throw me out too.¡±


    Yan Mingting was taken aback for a moment, and immediately guessed his intention.


    There were many people standing by the lake, and his identity as a general was directly revealed. If those officials knew that he had chatted with the people on this boat for so long, they would definitely be suspicious.


    They would create a scene where he was entangled by two dandies and righteously taught them a lesson.


    ¡°Then you get ready, ah,¡± When Yan Mingting grabbed his belt and led him out, he asked in a whisper, ¡°Where are you staying? With the Cheng family?¡±


    ¡°The biggest inn in the city,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Good fellow, I said I wouldn¡¯t drink, so you had to force it!¡± Yan Mingting walked out of the cabin, reprimanded and glared at him, and then, under the eyes of all those watching the show, held his waist with both hands and lifted the person safely onto the shore.


    ¡° ? ¡± Li Yucheng rubbed his bottom and cursed in his heart: you treated him differently!


    ¡°Old bastard, let go of my brother! Just wait, us brothers will settle accounts with you sooner or later!¡± Li Yucheng led Zhao Yelan towards the inn while cursing and waving his sleeves. ¡°Go, go, go, what are you looking at, scram!¡±


    Yan Mingting returned to the inn and studied map routes until late at night, when he heard the voices of two drunks. After closing the map and listening intently to their movements, he heard the two walk to the two most expensive rooms upstairs, one of which was directly above his own.


    The inn was already closed at this time, and the waiter yawned as he locked the door, not noticing the dark shadow that flashed by on the second floor.


    Yan Mingting knocked softly on the door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t lift his head when he heard the sound, still sorting out the list of Jiangnan officials.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Mengting.¡±


    ¡°There is no such Mengting here, just Fu Qian, the most beautiful man in the capital.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting choked for a long time before enduring the discomfort and saying, ¡°Then I¡¯m looking for Fu Qian.¡±


    ¡°Come in, ba.¡±


    Yan Mingting quickly pushed open the door and entered, thinking to himself, what is this, ah? It¡¯s nothing more than sneaking around like having an affair, an affair with ¡°Fu Qian!¡±


    When he returned to Beijing, he would definitely beat up Fu Qian!


    [1] To cross the river and destroy the bridge (¹ýºÓ²ðÇŵÃ) is to abandon one¡¯s benefactor upon achieving one¡¯s goal. ?

 CH 52

    ¡°Did you go drinking?¡± Yan Mingting closed the door and walked inside.


    ¡°The Cheng family hosted a banquet, and Li Yucheng drank a lot,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting moved closer and sniffed him: ¡°You didn¡¯t drink? Can you refuse on such an occasion?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can, I just declared in advance that I can¡¯t drink alcohol. The Cheng family won¡¯t embarrass me. Although, I may have to put on a show outside,¡± Zhao Yelan replied.


    ¡°En, anyway, drink less, ba. Your body is indeed unsuitable,¡± Yan Mingting said with concern.


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback: ¡°My body is unsuitable?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, aren¡¯t you prone to colds? Drinking alcohol will hurt your health, ah.¡± Yan Mingting still remembered what Xiao Gao had told him before, that Zhao-daren couldn¡¯t drink alcohol and would have some strange reactions, presumably because his body didn¡¯t allow it.


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows slightly but said nothing. Because this was indeed an excuse he used on the outside world, but occasionally when he was alone, he would have a drink or two to taste fine wine. He was not a big drinker, and it was easy for him to get drunk. It would be unfortunate if he made a fool of himself in front of other people, so in order to keep his composure, he refused all wine offered by others.


    Yan Mingting sat on the side, quietly watching him handle business. He had originally wanted to accompany him in his work, but as he watched him, his mind drifted.


    The summer was scorching, and it was hotter than in the capital here. Even if ice was placed in a room, it was difficult to cool down the heat.


    After Zhao Yelan took a bath, he wore a comfortable thin robe. Jiangnan¡¯s weaving methods were top-notch. The material was slippery but not sticky, light and comfortable, and it would slide down one elbow when he raised his hand, revealing a white forearm. The collar even more faintly concealed the scenery beneath, making a person¡¯s mind wander.


    Yan Mingting subconsciously swallowed, feeling inexplicably hot, and picked up the teacup in front of him, draining it in one gulp.


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t stop him in time, and said flatly: ¡°You are drinking from my cup.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± All right, it was getting hotter.


    Without explanation, Yan Mingting poured a few more cups one after another. After drinking from this cup, he got up and walked behind the screen. There was a block of ice in a wooden tub, and he touched it with both hands. It took him a long time to get relief from the heat.


    Zhao Yelan hurried to finish everything, and was about to rest, but found that this person didn¡¯t seem to want to leave.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Zhao Yelan asked, standing in front of the bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t slept in the same room before. It¡¯s not easy for us to meet, so naturally we have to sleep in the same room.¡± Yan Mingting was about to confidently get into bed, but was stopped by Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to stay overnight, but you will still sleep on the floor.¡± Zhao Yelan opened the cabinet, took out two thin blankets from inside, and placed them in his arms. ¡°Lay them out yourself.¡±


    Yan Mingting was dumbfounded ¨C why couldn¡¯t they sleep together even after expressing their feelings?!


    ¡°It¡¯s hot,¡± Zhao Yelan said concisely.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the heat!¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting aggrievedly made the bed, took off his robes, and lay down on it. Then he glanced at the person beside him and saw him loosely covering his stomach with a thin blanket. His legs were exposed, and his pair of jade feet were resting on the side of the bed, almost hanging off.


    He got up and moved those feet onto the bed, and then took a painless kick.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhao Yelan looked at him meaningfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll fall.¡± Yan Mingting had an upright face, but that foot was not upright. It rubbed against his waist, gently lifted his clothes, and pressed on his abdominal muscles.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s face turned red in an instant, and he stood abruptly, bumping his head against the bannister and making Zhao Yelan chuckle.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying to you, isn¡¯t it hot?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes,¡± Yan Mingting replied hoarsely and quickly rolled back to his bed. He thought it was too hot! If they really slept in the same bed, how hot would it be, ah!


    Zhao Yelan glanced flirtatiously at his blushing face, and a secret smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.


    ¨C He, Zhao Yelan, would absolutely never make a decision that would allow him to lose.


    In order to reduce the chance of regret in the future, he would firmly hold on to this person, make this person put him first in everything and only place his eyes on him. Even if he wanted to leave, the other party would never let him go like he had this time.


    He also knew very well that things that were too easy to get were easy to lose interest in, so he had to hold his heart and hook his soul. He would rather go to hell together than let go of the other person.


    At maoshi, Yan Mingting woke up and delicately put away the bed. When he was about to leave, he fell back to the window and looked at the sleeping person.


    When the weather turned hot, Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t sleep well. With his head turned sideways, his neckline was wide open, his hair scattered across the pillow.


    It was cool at this time, and Yan Mingting took advantage of the hazy moonlight to cover him with a blanket. As he did so, he secretly pinched his foot to vent his anger, and then quietly returned to his own room.


    The inn was still quiet in the early morning, and there were just a few residents in the lobby eating a tranquil breakfast.


    After Zhao Yelan finished washing up, he went downstairs and heard Li Yucheng¡¯s eager voice: ¡°Zhao¡­¡­I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time, Fu Qian, come down and eat quickly.¡±


    Unruffled, Zhao Yelan sat down and ate slowly, looking outside. The sun was about to rise again, and he searched around for a fan. It happened that Li Yucheng opened a fan and waved it around, and upon closer inspection, the big characters ¡°Number One Dandy in Beijing¡± were written on it. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.


    ¡°Do you want a fan?¡± asked Li Yucheng. ¡°It¡¯s really too hot here, let¡¯s go out and buy one later. I know a store that has excellent fans.¡±


    ¡°You go, I have other things to do.¡±


    ¡°What things?¡± Li Yucheng asked. Seeing that he didn¡¯t answer at all, he knew he was talking too much and shrugged. ¡°Okay, ba, I¡¯ll go buy it for you.¡±


    After eating, Zhao Yelan went to the market to buy some small things and strolled all the way to Mingye lane, which was a residential area. This was where the water reporter lived.


    He used the excuse of shopping nearby to inquire about the market conditions, and asked about the personnel situation as he did so. After most of the day, he had found out the basic situation of the reporter¡¯s family.


    Kuang Sheng, 39 years old, a husband with a pair of children who had their own families now and lived separately. He was a dull person, ineloquent, and had an average relationship with his neighbors. Since becoming a water reporter, he had been paid by the court, but his everyday life was still tight.


    Zhao Yelan found a teahouse to drink at and sat on the second floor, just the place to view Kuang Sheng¡¯s house.


    The courtyard was a bit dilapidated and there was not even a servant. It looked very deserted.


    He was an official appointed by the Imperial court. It was really unbelievable that an honest man who lived so poorly would blatantly lie about the disaster funds.


    But one thing was for sure ¨C this water reporter who dared to act like this after only being established for one year was probably related to the local officials. He may have a protective umbrella, or was perhaps forced to act, so Zhao Xuan had sent him to investigate the people involved.


    Aside from Beijing officials, most of the officials from other places still used people from the former Emperor¡¯s time, therefore some places harbored filth that must be cleaned out.


    ¡°Esteemed guest, your tea is here.¡± The waiter placed the tea in front of him with a smile, and couldn¡¯t help but look a few more times. Yesterday, he had heard on the street that two fellows from the capital had come.


    One was Li Yucheng, the grandson of the Cheng family. They knew him well, and he would come to Jiangnan for a while every year.


    There was also Fu Qian, who was said to be the most beautiful man in the capital.


    The waiter saw that there was no one else around this unfamiliar guest, but judging by his attire and appearance, this person should be Fu Qian without a doubt! As expected of the most beautiful man in Beijing, ah¡­¡­


    Zhao Yelan saw that the waiter was in a daze and hadn¡¯t left, so he shook the tea leaves and smiled slightly: ¡°The tea in Jiangnan is delicious. I wonder if you use spring water?¡±


    ¡°We have several kinds of water, well water, spring water, and honeydew water. Honeydew water is the dew that is taken every morning and night, and then through our special technique, this sweet and delicious water is produced. Esteemed guest, this cup of yours is honeydew water,¡± the waiter presented.


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°But the sun is so strong, can you still collect dew?¡±


    ¡°It is hard to obtain these days and we are using all our stock. It will run out soon, and the last time it rained was a month ago. I hope it will rain soon.¡± The waiter sighed.


    Counting the days, a month ago happened to be the day when the water reporter sent the precipitation results. Perhaps a lot did fall at that time, and he reported it.


    ¡°Did it rain heavily last time?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    The waiter thought about it carefully and shook his head: ¡°It was drizzling. I was running errands outside and I didn¡¯t need an umbrella.¡±


    Then it appeared to be a false report, perhaps taking into consideration the time difference. It was supposed to rain these days after the report went out. As soon as the disaster relief money arrived in Jiangnan, they would give a half-hearted justification to the Imperial court and put some of the money into their own pockets. Yet they couldn¡¯t, because there wasn¡¯t any more rain.


    He sat in the teahouse until the sun was westward, and finally saw Kuang Sheng return to the house. He couldn¡¯t see the real situation from a distance, but he noted the exhaustion evident in his figure.


    He found a secluded place and called Yu Dali out to ask: ¡°Have you found anything?¡±


    ¡°My lord, we have been guarding this house for the past two days. We didn¡¯t find any guards, and no one has come to visit,¡± Yu Dali replied.


    It was strange. No matter whether it was instigated by someone, or Kuang Sheng himself had plucked up some courage, knowing that there was no rain these days, the government would definitely come to investigate. Why did they not take any protective measures?


    ¡°Continue to have some people stand guard here.¡± After giving his order, Zhao Yelan returned to the inn.


    As soon as he walked into the lobby, he saw Yan Mingting, Zuo Ran, and the others sitting at the table eating.


    Upon seeing him, Zuo Ran subconsciously wanted to call out to him, but when he passed by the table without looking over, she remembered Yan Mingting¡¯s instructions and could only pretend that she didn¡¯t notice him.


    However, Zhao Yelan sat down at the next table over, ordered a table of good dishes, and took a few bites of each one to try them.


    Watching this, Zuo Ran finally had the same inner experience as He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong ¨C how could the disparity between people be so huge!


    Li Yucheng also came back after some time, carrying a lot of new baubles in his hands. He asked a waiter to take them to the room, leaving only a fan on the table, and was about to speak when he became aware of a pointed gaze.


    He turned his head and saw Yan Mingting staring at him while biting down hard on peanuts.


    Li Yucheng made a face at him, and graciously took up his fan to fan Zhao Yelan, deliberately showing a good scene of two brothers: ¡°I bought some calming incense for my father. He often uses this and says it works well. I¡¯ll share some with you when we go upstairs. And I specifically bought this fan for you, the pendant is made of jadeite.¡±


    Yan Mingting chewed a few more peanuts. It seemed that when he returned to Beijing, he couldn¡¯t just beat up that Fu Qian, but Li Yucheng also needed to be dealt with.


    There was a commotion at the door at this time as Magistrate Yin came to the inn in person. He looked around and went straight to Yan Mingting¡¯s table: ¡°General Yan, have you had dinner early?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Yan Mingting looked at him.


    ¡°The General came in a hurry and was busy with those bandits. Now he finally has some clues, so I thought to invite General Yan to a gathering at the mansion, which can be regarded as a way to show our welcome.¡± Magistrate Yin smiled.


    Yan Mingting and Zuo Ran looked at each other, and then Magistrate Yin looked at Zuo Ran.


    Fortunately, for the convenience of movement, Zuo Ran had been wearing men¡¯s clothing these days, so Magistrate Yin did not realize that she was the maid who had run off with his daughter.


    Zuo Ran was slightly joyful. Magistrate Yin took the initiative to invite them to the mansion. Did this mean that Yin Pinglu had been found safely?


    ¡°Oh? I wonder if Pinglu¡¯s condition has improved? We would like to have a nice meal with her too,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Ai, I¡¯m afraid that Pinglu¡¯s illness won¡¯t be cured for a while, so she is unable to have dinner with the General tonight.¡± Magistrate Yin cautiously probed, ¡°However, I will definitely convey the General¡¯s feelings to her. I never thought that the friendship between her and the General was so deep that he actually misses her all the time.¡±


    These words were so ambiguous. Zuo Ran, Yan Mingting, and Zhao Yelan next door felt awkward.


    ¡°What does this man mean, ah?¡± Li Yucheng moved closer to Zhao Yelan, whispering in his ear, ¡°Does he he want Yan Mingting to be his son in law?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t speak, but Li Yucheng received his answer in those murderous eyes and turned to sneer: ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, I didn¡¯t expect you, Yan Mingitng, to leave the capital and actually become a sweet pastry.¡±[1]


    Everyone heard this and looked over together.


    Magistrate Yin had been purely focused on Yan Mingting, so he sought out Li Yucheng¡¯s figure and said with a smile: ¡°Nephew Li has come to Huaizhou again.¡±


    Who is your nephew! That old thing was climbing the dragon and clinging to the phoenix!


    Li Yucheng scolded him bloody in his heart. He and this Magistrate still had somewhat of a relationship. Magistrate Yin was very calculating, and he especially liked to use his daughters¡¯ marriages to benefit himself, so he had climbed all the way to the position of prefectural Magistrate.


    The Cheng family originally saw that his fourth daughter was good-looking and belonged to a family of officials, and wanted to discuss a marriage for Li Yucheng. As a result, Magistrate Yin put it mildly ¨C That daughter was still young and not suitable. But in fact, it was clear that Li Yucheng did not have an official position, and his father was an official who didn¡¯t accomplish practical things, so he had no future.


    Li Yucheng asked with a false smile: ¡°Magistrate Yin, are you really not afraid that Yan Mingting, an evil star, will kill your daughter?¡±


    Magistrate Yin¡¯s face tightened, and he quickly comforted Yan Mingting: ¡°General Yan, don¡¯t listen to this nonsense. How can you be an evil star, you are clearly a good man that is hard to find in this world!¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, Magistrate Yin would never have imagined that Yan Mingting, an evil star, was born so abundantly handsome and powerful, and still had a friendship with his daughter. He was indeed the better choice.


    Li Yucheng said again: ¡°Yan Mingting is already married to Zhao Yelan. Don¡¯t you know him? Oh, you don¡¯t.¡±


    He¡¯s sitting right in front of you, you must be blind!


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to speak of Zhao Yelan¡¯s greatness. Be careful of marrying your daughter off. He wouldn¡¯t stop at just harming your daughter, but would ruin your whole family!¡± Li Yucheng said.


    Magistrate Yin paused for a moment with a look of embarrassment on his face. This was indeed a problem.


    ¡°Nephew, what are you saying? I never said that I was marrying my daughter off, guard your tongue.¡±


    You just insinuated and didn¡¯t say it clearly. Li Yucheng rolled his eyes, not bothering to look at him again.


    Magistrate Yin ignored him and warmly invited Yan Mingting several times. Yan Mingting wanted to know what kind of medicine he was selling in his gourd,[2] and happened to need to investigate the situation at the Sun Mansion, so he agreed.


    Magistrate Yin was so happy that he stretched out his hand to lead the way: ¡°Come, come, let the lieutenant generals go too.¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡± Li Yucheng was suddenly trod upon heavily, and seeing the meaningful look Zhao Yelan shot at him, he understood: ¡°Magistrate Yin, can we go too?¡±


    Magistrate Yin did not expect this fellow¡¯s face to be as big as a biscuit!


    Was it not just you who publicly criticized me? Now it¡¯s you again who wants a meal!


    Yan Mingting turned his head to look at the expressionless Zhao Yelan, and the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t stop rising.


    ¡°To be honest, I came to Jiangnan this time mainly to show my brother around to see the excitement,¡± Li Yucheng said.


    Magistrate Yin had already noted the gongzi who shared the table with him and saw that his disposition was either rich or noble, but didn¡¯t have a chance to inquire, so he took advantage of this opportunity to closely inquire: ¡°Who is this young master?¡±


    ¡°Look at true power,¡± Li Yucheng immediately handed the specially prepared fan to Zhao Yelan. ¡°Come on, Fu Qian, tell him your identity quickly and scare him to death!¡±


    Zhao Yelan opened the fan without thinking about it, fanning it in front of himself very elegantly. He was about to speak when he saw the people in front of him staring at his fan with strange, flabbergasted expressions on their faces.


    Lowering his head suspiciously, he took a look at the fan and saw the six characters ¡°Most Beautiful Man in the Capital.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed, he is indeed the most beautiful man,¡± Magistrate Yin commented sincerely, and wiped away his cold sweat. He had never seen such an ostentatious pretty boy.


    Li Yucheng was particularly clever and leaned in to whisper in Zhao Yelan¡¯s ear: ¡°How about my trick? Now he will only suspect that you have a brain problem, not an identity problem.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting had already covered his face, going wild with laughter.


    [1] A ¡°sweet pastry¡± can refer to someone who is popular or in high demand. ?


    [2] Equivalent to ¡°what he has up his sleeve.¡± ?

 CH 53

    In the end, Magistrate Yin still agreed that the two should come together as guests. Firstly, he didn¡¯t want to offend these two young masters from the capital, and secondly, he was afraid that Yan Mingting would think that he was treating others snobbishly.


    This group of people walked into the front hall, and Magistrate Yin called for food to be served.


    Yan Mingting said that he had already eaten, and would just drink some wine, so Magistrate Yin brought up several jugs of good wine.


    Everyone sat down one after another. Magistrate Yin came back to his senses and saw that Yan Mingting was sitting on the same side as ¡°the most beautiful man in the capital.¡± Li Yucheng and Yan Mingting¡¯s little companion sat on the other side, along with two lieutenants.


    He smiled in embarrassment, but seeing that everyone was undisturbed, he didn¡¯t say anything, thinking that they had just chosen seats randomly.


    Zhao Yelan had already heard Yan Mingting mention the Yin family¡¯s situation last night, so he covertly looked around and saw that there was no one else in the front hall except the servants. After Yin-furen helped greet the guests, she had taken all the female relatives back to the courtyard.


    The dishes on the table were quite satisfactory, not too extravagant, but they also took into account the tastes of the capital, providing half Beijing cuisine and half Huaizhou cuisine.


    Magistrate Yin toasted with Yan Mingting for a while before talking about serious business: ¡°I wonder if General Yan still needs manpower? Just say the word, and I will do my best to help the General catch the thieves.¡±


    ¡°There is a need, but let¡¯s wait until Pinglu¡¯s body recovers first,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Magistrate Yin¡¯s smile froze slightly, and then he laughed again: ¡°This is natural, when she recovers, I will definitely let her serve the General.¡±


    At this time, Zhao Yelan, who had been eating in silence, said abruptly: ¡°What is wrong with Miss Yin?¡±


    ¡°Joke all you want after hearing this, but my daughter ran away previously and suffered some hardships, and became ill when she came back,¡± Magistrate Yin said.


    Zuo Ran¡¯s face puffed up in anger, and she buried her head in her food without saying a word, gritting her teeth.


    ¡°I also get sick from time to time, and I happened to bring a famous doctor with me on this trip. How about asking him to look at Miss Yin?¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°There is no need to trouble you. I have already invited many doctors, and they believe that she will recover soon.¡± Magistrate Yin responded. Seeing that he had finally stopped talking, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to Yan Mingting again. ¡°General, how long will you stay in Huaizhou on this trip?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, the first thing to do is to catch those two thieves,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Magistrate Yin nodded, thinking inwardly that he only hoped his people could find Yin Pinglu as soon as possible, so that the two of them could get along well. The original marriage was canceled two days ago, and only then did he put his mind on Yan Mingting. Perhaps Yan Mingting was willing to marry Pinglu? Then his Yin family would truly prosper.


    After three rounds of drinking, Magistrate Yin continued to praise Yin Pinglu to Yan Mingting, and everyone else¡¯s ears seemed to grow calluses.


    Li Yucheng finally couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and said: ¡°Magistrate Yin, hearing you say these things, your daughter is a celestial maiden like no other in heaven or earth. I am so moved by what you said. How about marrying your daughter to me?¡±


    ¡°Nephew, don¡¯t joke.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you. If you don¡¯t like me, then my brother is fine too, ah. Fu Qian. You send someone to the capital to inquire, who doesn¡¯t know this name? His father is the Minister of Dali Temple.¡±


    Magistrate Yin was inwardly startled. He calmly looked at Zhao Yelan but saw that he didn¡¯t seem to be moved. He just indifferently played with an empty teacup, and suddenly glanced at Yan Mingting¡¯s hand with sharp eyes.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s hand suddenly paused, and he immediately put the wine cup he had just picked up back down on the table in silence.


    Magistrate Yin frowned, feeling that the way these two got along with each other was a bit strange, but after some thought, they were both well-known people in the capital, and it wasn¡¯t  surprising that they knew each other previously.


    Yan Mingting looked at the color of the sky. Realizing that Magistrate Yin only wanted to talk about unrelated matters with him, he prepared to leave.


    The others stood up one after another. Li Yucheng¡¯s sharp eyes saw that there were several footprints on Yan Mingting¡¯s shoe, and he glanced at Zhao Yelan with a suppressed smile, thinking that if they didn¡¯t go back, Yan Mingting¡¯s leg may be crushed.


    ¡°Daddy, daddy, I also want to see the great General!¡± At this moment, a little girl ran into the front hall.


    ¡°Aiya, Miss Ba, come back quickly.¡± The nanny swiftly chased after her.


    ¡°This is Pinglu¡¯s younger sibling. She is still young and a little naughty, please forgive me,¡± Magistrate Yin said awkwardly.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s leg was suddenly hugged. He looked down and saw that the little girl was only as tall as his thigh. She clutched his leg and asked with a smile: ¡°Are you a general who knows how to fight? Holding a sword, xiu hei, xiu hei, huchi huchi?¡±[1]


    Yan Mingting and Zuo Ran laughed at the same time.


    ¡°Can you teach me? I want to learn too!¡± The little girl stretched out her hands. ¡°You teach me huchi huchi, and I¡¯ll give you something nice!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yan Mingting asked with a smile.


    ¡°Tanghulu!¡± The little girl took out the tanghulu from her bosom and insisted on giving them to him.


    ¡°How can the General eat your tanghulu? Hurry up and go back to your room to sleep.¡± Magistrate Yin came over to pull her away.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, the little girl has heart.¡± Yan Mingting wrangled his expression under control and exchanged glances with Zhao Yelan, taking the tanghulu before going back to the inn with the others.


    In the middle of the night, Yan Mingting snuck into Zhao Yelan¡¯s room again along with Zuo Ran.


    He placed the tanghulu on the table: ¡°This should have been given to me by Yin Pinglu.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zuo Ran was taken aback.


    ¡°The only people who know I like tanghulu are my own people,¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°By letting the little girl give it to me, no one would be suspicious at all.¡±


    Zuo Ran didn¡¯t hesitate to tear off the candy paper and place it next to the candle. Carefully inspecting the traces on it, she finally found that each sugar-coated hawthorn contained a pattern of very thin lines.


    There were flowers, the sun, streams, rivers and mountains.


    ¡°What do these mean?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°Ask her.¡± Zhao Yelan looked at Zuo Ran.


    ¡°This is what she mentioned when she taught me to read, and the meaning of these patterns is ¨C freedom. She is free now, she escaped safely!¡± Zuo Ran trembled and wept with joy.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Yan Mingting let out a sigh of relief and sent her back to her room. Then he smiled, ¡°This girl, Yinglu, is clever. Although the tanghulu were given to me, only Zuo Ran could understand the secret code. Is it because she was afraid that I would be swayed by her father?¡±


    ¡°Why, the foul old man has spent most of the day talking to you, but you¡¯re not affected at all?¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at him.


    ¡°You joke, am I someone who can be persuaded with just a few words?¡± Yan Mingting smiled and stretched out his feet, swinging them triumphantly. ¡°It is only that somebody stepped on me twice in one night, and those who didn¡¯t know might think that a lot of vinegar had been added to the tea.¡±


    ¡°I was about to be suffocated to death by the smell of your alcohol,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting tentatively embraced him from behind, and the other person stiffened for a moment. Then he immediately turned around, and the two faced each other.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s heart beat terribly fast, especially when he saw the other party nearing his neck. Breath fell on his skin like embers, about to ignite him.


    Zhao Yelan turned his head sideways and sniffed him, his nose caressing his skin intentionally or unintentionally. Hearing the other party¡¯s heavy breathing, his lips curled up and he pushed the person away: ¡°It stinks to death.¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s hands were empty, and he looked at him with some sorrow. As soon as he took a step forward, the other poked him in the chest with his index finger, preventing him from approaching.


    ¡°Go bathe.¡±


    ¡°Hug me first.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows. ¡°Do you want me to picture you drinking or picture you taking a bath?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go bathe now, wait for me!¡± Yan Mingting turned around and slipped away to bathe. He scrubbed himself hard, and was afraid that his body would still smell, so he held his nose and picked up some incense, waving it around his body. Only then did he happily sneak back into the upstairs room.


    However, the room was pitch black, and the fellow who was supposed to flirt with him was already dead asleep!


    Yan Mingting wanted to cry but had no tears, and could only lay down on the floor to let himself cool down.


    In the darkness, the corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth silently twitched.


    The next day, Yan Mingting was called to the government office to discuss business. The officials in Quzhou had received the letter and were cooperating in the search for the escaped culprits.


    Zhao Yelan went to the teahouse again to observe Kuang Sheng¡¯s movements.


    After a while, Yu Dali came in to report the situation: ¡°There is still no one lingering around his house, but he went to the gate of the city whenever he was free to ask the guards if there was anyone from the capital.¡±


    Zhao Yelan suddenly had a guess in mind and said: ¡°I see, leave eight people here to continue guarding, and the rest will withdraw.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was walking alone on the street when he suddenly saw a large group of people progressing toward the government office. The escorts were tall and strong, holding weapons in their hands, and were transporting ten large boxes.


    It should be the team escorting the disaster relief money.


    The common people stopped to watch curiously, but were kicked back by the officers and soldiers.


    He paused, returned to the inn, picked up the still-sleeping Li Yucheng, and asked him to take him to the Cheng mansion.


    He had been to the Cheng mansion two or three times before for food and entertainment, and they didn¡¯t inquire about his identity. This was because when Li Yucheng came back this time, he also brought a letter from Li Jinyu instructing them to follow the previous person¡¯s arrangements, not ask too many questions, and not make noise.


    The Cheng family had accumulated some wealth over the years, but had always listened to Li Jinyu¡¯s warnings to never bribe other officials and to be well-behaved businessmen. Although it couldn¡¯t be said that they were as rich as a small country, they had a good reputation and the family property was enough for three generations to squander.


    The head of the Cheng family was now Li Yucheng¡¯s uncle, so he took him to the study and asked: ¡°Fu-gongzi, since you came here today, do you have something important to do?¡±


    ¡°I wonder what the relationship is between Master Cheng and Magistrate Yin?¡±


    ¡°Except for necessary contact, I rarely communicate with him.¡±


    ¡°What is necessary contact?¡±


    ¡°Such as trafficking in goods, opening up business routes, or his birthday¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°How is his relationship with other businessmen?¡±


    ¡°He used to be very close to the Wang family, but after the Wang family fell, he completely ignored them. On the contrary, they had heated fights with other officials. From the county magistrate to the governor, he has connections.¡±


    ¡°Have you paid the commercial taxes this year?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but we are counting the days, and we will hand it over soon.¡±


    ¡°Go now, there are too many merchants at the end of the month, and the government office will be too busy in a while.¡±


    The government office was very busy at this time. Magistrate Yin received the news of the arrival of the Imperial court¡¯s disaster relief money, but there was no rain these days, so it could only be stored in the government office¡¯s treasury.


    After discussing the deployment in the city with the people in the criminal chamber, Yan Mingting was about to leave, but at the door, he bumped into Li Yucheng and his uncle, who had come to pay taxes.


    He walked out the gate of the government office with his arms folded, his gaze scanning every corner of the neighborhood carefully, and finally spotted Zhao Yelan¡¯s figure in a restaurant diagonally opposite.


    The other party naturally also saw him, and while fanning himself, he raised his chin at him.


    After a while, Yan Mingting opened the door to the private room and said: ¡°You had them go to the government office?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan paid attention to the movement inside. ¡°What is Magistrate Yin¡¯s reaction?¡±


    ¡°Quite normal. It seems that there is no indication of corruption.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he has the guts to set his heart on making contacts.¡± Zhao Yelan sneered.


    The two sat and waited for half an hour before they saw the nephew and uncle come out. After Li Yucheng bid farewell to his uncle, he dashed upstairs. When he saw Yan Mingting, he was not surprised, saying: ¡°Uncle has had countless exchanges with the people in the building, and in a few words, the total amount of money put into the treasury is 38,000 taels.¡±


    The Imperial court had allocated a total of 100,000 taels, divided into two teams to Huaizhou and Zhizhou, each with 50,000 taels. This was not only to spread out the transportation risk, but also to facilitate disaster relief. Along the way, it was handled by many middlemen, and since there was no disaster, it was convenient to scrape a little off the top. But this was too little, and was too easy to arouse suspicion. The best way was to ¨C


    ¡°I heard that the escort team encountered a robbery, and the governor¡¯s troops were able to save this amount,¡± Li Yucheng said.


    ¡°En, it just so happens that the bandit incident has made the surrounding area restless, which is indeed a good opportunity.¡± Zhao Yelan began writing the memorial and handed it over to Yan Mingting, who found a few reliable people to personally deliver it to Beijing.


    After all this work, it was almost dark, and Li Yucheng went back to the Cheng residence.


    The two were eating in the restaurant when Yan Mingting suddenly remembered a very important matter: ¡°What about Xiao Gao? Why didn¡¯t you take him with you when you went out this time?¡±


    ¡°He has other things to do,¡± Zhao Yelan said mysteriously.


    It was a little cooler at night, and the two of them finished their meal and took a walk along the waterways. The oncoming wind blew across their cheeks, bringing a touch of coolness to the hot summer day.


    Yan Mingting turned his head to the side, saw the hair on both sides of his head blowing in the wind, and couldn¡¯t help but reach out to touch it.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t make a sound, but stopped suddenly. Watching the lanterns floating by the river, he remembered that today was the Hungry Ghost Festival.


    After a while, as they walked upstream, they saw many people putting out lanterns. Seeing this, Yan Mingting also went to buy two: ¡°Shall we let them go?¡±


    Zhao Yelan took one, but didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send one for my parents and younger brother,¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°What about you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes, and was about to light his when a gust of wind blew over, making the candle flicker on the verge of being extinguished.


    At this time, a pair of hands surrounded it to prevent the wind from blowing it out. The flame flickered a few times, and then stabilized again.


    ¡°Better.¡± Yan Mingting smiled at him.


    Zhao Yelan chuckled lightly.


    The two river lanterns squeezed into the big crowd together with other river lanterns of various colors. Carrying the longing and condolences for the deceased, they gradually floated downstream along the current.


    ¡°They will be able to see,¡± Yan Mingting said to himself. He turned his head and said solemnly, ¡°They will definitely see that we are doing well now and have a new family.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression moved, and he stared at him until the people behind urged them to return to the road.


    More and more people came to release the river lanterns, and the crowd began to grow. Yan Mingting glanced at his hand intentionally or otherwise, and quietly hooked his little finger under the cover of his sleeve.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t swat his hand away. Yan Mingting was beaming with joy, his face full of smiles towards the people they passed as he walked all the way to the inn next to his shoulder.


    At this time, a sedan chair passed by.


    Magistrate Yin¡¯s eyes widened. He quickly lowered the curtain, then pushed aside the curtain at the back worriedly, looking back at their secretly hooked fingers, horrified in his heart ¨C Mother, General Yan is really a cut-sleeve?!


    [1] Xiu hei (ºÙßÝ) is an onomotopoeia for applying force to something, but is also a colloquial phrase for having sex. Huchi (ºôßê) is another sound that represents heavy breathing. This little girl is making an unintentional innuendo. ?

 CH 54

    The streets were very lively that night, and every family came to the market and released river lanterns.


    The two walked against the current and were carried around by the crowd many times. Zhao Yelan was a little annoyed and walked into a nearby alley, planning to take a detour.


    Yan Mingting followed closely behind, and just as he was about to hook his hand again, he heard someone shout: ¡°Child, where is my child?! My child is missing, can anyone help, ah?¡±


    The crowd started to riot, everyone looking around for the child, but not a trace was found. The woman became even more flustered, saying that someone had stolen her child.


    Yan Mingting glanced at Zhao Yelan, who said: ¡°Go, ba.¡±


    ¡°There are many people here, you go back to the inn first. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± After Yan Mingting gave the order, he turned around and ran back.


    Zhao Yelan continued walking along the alley. However, the alleys in this canal town in Jiangnan were many and winding. After walking and walking, he reached a dead end.


    He turned around to go back, but stopped abruptly, turning his head to look at the house next to him. There was no light, but there was a muffled grunt from inside, followed by the sound of a head striking the door or window.


    When he went to listen carefully again, it was too quiet.


    He knocked on the door, then went into the courtyard and called out: ¡°Mother Yun, are you at home? I¡¯m here to bring you something.¡±


    There was a sound inside, and then a candle was lit and a man replied: ¡°Mother Yun has already fallen asleep, come back tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Yelan narrowed his eyes slightly. It really wasn¡¯t the owner¡¯s house.


    He made a gesture under the moonlight, and after a moment, Yu Dali and the others appeared quietly.


    Zhao Yelan gave them a meaningful look, and everyone stood guard around the house in an orderly manner.


    ¡°Mother Yun, why is there a man in your room? Do you have another lover? Let me see who it is.¡± Zhao Yelan stepped forward and kicked the door open.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± A black shadow appeared behind the door, strangling his neck from behind. His voice sounded hoarse, as if he hadn¡¯t had a full meal in a few days. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Mother Yun¡¯s good friend, who are you?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The person behind raised his knife and was about to make a move, but he was stopped by another person.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything, he looks like he might be somebody. Maybe this is a fat sheep.¡± A woman came out of the shadows and questioned, ¡°What are you giving Mother Yun?¡±


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°I brought some money. Mother Yun¡¯s life is too hard.¡±


    ¡°Where is the silver?¡± As the woman spoke, she started to take out the money on his body and there was a sudden pause. She looked down at her waist, where a short, sharp arrow protruded. Blood flowed from the wound, and she looked at the expressionless man before her in astonishment.


    ¡°Ah-Li!¡± The man behind hurriedly helped the woman cover her wound, and then looked at Zhao Yelan furiously. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    At this time, a wooden stick hit the man¡¯s back fiercely, and Zhao Yelan realized that there was another person in the room. It was a woman, but she was wearing men¡¯s clothes. Her face was filthy, and there was a broken rope under her feet. She should be the girl who was kidnapped by these two people.


    The man was so angry that he turned around and decided to kill the woman first. However, a large group of people poured through the surrounding doors and windows, knocked the knife out of his hands, and subdued him to the ground in two or three moves.


    Zhao Yelan lit a candle, and the room brightened up. He went up to the man and said: ¡°The arrow is poisonous. If you still want to save this woman, tell me honestly, who are you? What are you doing hiding here?¡±


    The man struggled for a long moment. Looking at the dying woman, he gritted his teeth and revealed their identities. They were the first and second masters who had escaped the bandit¡¯s den.


    The two of them were about to flee to the border of Quzhou, but then thought that the most dangerous place might be the safest place, and sneaked back. Unexpectedly, as soon as they returned here, they were discovered by a person who was also sneaking around. That person saw that something was wrong and wanted to send them to the government, and after they kidnapped her in a fit of anger, they found out that she was the Magistrate¡¯s daughter. They were discussing whether to exchange the hostage for money or just dispose of the corpse when they heard footsteps outside.


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°Who else is with you?¡±


    The man held back.


    Zhao Yelan picked up the knife and stabbed it into his leg. The man immediately screamed: ¡°Ah ¨C! I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk!¡±


    After he explained everything in detail, Yu Dali asked what should be done. Originally, Zhao Yelan wanted to silence them after getting his answers, but thinking that this was Yan Mingting¡¯s responsibility, he said: ¡°Take them back first and hand them over to Yan Mingting for disposal.¡±


    ¡°Ah-Li¡¯s poison¡­¡­¡± The man asked hesitantly.


    ¡°There is no poison.¡± Zhao Yelan waved his hand and Yu Dali took the two away, leaving only a few people to protect him.


    ¡°Yan Mingting¡­¡­do you know General Yan?¡± The woman who had been silent up to now suddenly approached and looked at him vigilantly.


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan also observed her. ¡°Are you Yin Pinglu?¡±


    ¡°You know of me?¡±


    ¡°You asked Zuo Ran to go to the General¡¯s Mansion to seek help. It would be difficult not to know of you.¡±


    Yu Pinglu was a little surprised. Seeing that he knew everything and had an extraordinary bearing, she said: ¡°You are that Zhao Yelan¡­¡­Zhao-daren?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded and glanced around: ¡°Where are the people of this family?¡±


    ¡°They should have gone out to set off river lanterns. These two thieves randomly found an open house. I had wanted to go to the inn secretly to find the General and the others, but I didn¡¯t expect to meet these two thieves on the way,¡± Yin Pinglu replied.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back together.¡±


    Yin Pinglu nodded. Noticing a little blood on his hands, she asked: ¡°Are you injured?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Wash them first, ba, it won¡¯t be good if others see.¡±


    Yin Pinglu swiftly fetched a basin of water. Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t refuse, and saw that she was going to wash the blood from the room in the meantime, likely afraid that the owners would be shocked when they returned to this scene. He asked: ¡°You were the one who made the knocking sound just now?¡±


    ¡°En, when I heard footsteps, I took desperate measures to hit the window.¡± When Yin Pinglu said this, her expression was polite and indifferent.


    She was saved tonight thanks to this man, so she answered all of his questions. However, she also knew that this man¡¯s reputation outside was not very good. She had learned at the border that General Yan had married him, but she still didn¡¯t know what their true relationship was, so she dared not let down her guard easily. Everything could be discussed after meeting General Yan and Zuo Ran.


    Fortunately, Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t intend to communicate further with her. The two exited the gate in silence, and Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression froze. He said somewhat awkwardly: ¡°You lead the way.¡±


    Yin Pinglu was taken aback, smiled inwardly, and then led the way without a change in expression: ¡°The alley back here is a bit difficult to traverse. Be careful, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Call me Fu Qian.¡±


    ¡°All right, Fu Qian.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan hadn¡¯t met such a sensible person for a long time. She never voiced a word of doubt.


    In the inn, as soon as Yan Mingting sat down after helping to find the child, he received a message from Yu Dali. After ordering the two to be sent to prison first, he rushed out of the inn anxiously, but was lucky enough to see Zhao Yelan¡¯s figure right away. Relieved, he stepped forward and asked: ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll talk when we get back,¡± Zhao Yelan said in a low voice.


    Yan Mingting watched until he entered the building before turning around to do something, but unexpectedly ran into Yin Pinglu, who wasn¡¯t looking very good. He said in a daze: ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve been here for a while,¡± Yin Pinglu said. ¡°It is only that your attention has been focused on others.¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled in embarrassment: ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯ve returned safely. I¡¯m going to the prison now, you go to Zuo Ran first. She¡¯s in the opposite room.¡±


    Yin Pinglu nodded, glanced at his back, and then looked up at a certain room on the third floor, thinking to herself that these two seemed to get along very well, and she had been worried for nothing.


    When the restaurant closed, the waiter went to the drinking table in the lobby and said: ¡°My lords, we are going to close. You should go back to rest early.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Li Yucheng waved his hand, looked at the closed door, and said in a low voice, ¡°Are you going to go back to your room? You are comfortable drinking tea, but I am about to throw up after drinking so much wine.¡±


    Zhao Yelan got up, and Li Yucheng quickly followed with a burp: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, with his martial arts, no one can hurt him, ah. He will be back soon, so you can go to sleep in peace.¡±


    Ignoring his words, Zhao Yelan went back to the room, undressed, and took a bath.


    About a quarter of an hour later, he heard the sound of a door. He subconsciously grabbed the weapon that was set to the side, and only withdrew his hand when he heard Yan Mingting¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You even left the door open for me?¡± Yan Mingting walked into the room with ease and saw the unfolded glass screen. He could vaguely make out the figure of the person inside, and paused. Sitting down at the table, he finally couldn¡¯t hold back, and looked over steadily.


    Anyway, it was so opaque. The other party would never know.


    Zhao Yelan wiped off his body and put on his inner robes. He stepped out from behind the screen, but suddenly stopped in his tracks, saying with a strange look: ¡°You peeked.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no, what nonsense are you on about? Now could I peek?¡± Yan Mingting firmly denied it.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Zhao Yelan walked over to tug him by the sleeve toward the bronze mirror. ¡°See for yourself what you look like now.¡±


    Yan Mingting only felt two streams of heat billowing out of his nose, and smiled awkwardly: ¡°It¡¯s so hot, it¡¯s easy to get overheated.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a sharp glance and picked up a handkerchief to staunch the bleeding, asking: ¡°What did the interrogators find out?¡±


    Yan Mingting raised his face and replied: ¡°Their accomplices have been recruited. This matter may be related to the officials in Quzhou. I¡¯ll have to go there in person.¡±


    ¡°When are you going?¡±


    ¡°Tonight.¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused: ¡°Why don¡¯t you go sooner?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry, my men are preparing horses and dry food.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s bleeding stopped, and he pressed the other down on the stool, picking up a new dry handkerchief to wipe his hair. He said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving some people here for you. You must pay attention to your safety these few days.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°The terrain in Quzhou is dangerous. Those bandits have not been wiped out entirely, and are taking advantage of the terrain, so don¡¯t be careless.¡±


    ¡°I know, I will take these two thieves as bait, and Zuo Ran will also go with me. She is very familiar with the terrain in Quzhou.¡±


    ¡°Will that Yin Pinglu also go with you?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t, we¡¯re going to catch bandits, and it would be inconvenient to take her with us. Aren¡¯t you checking on the situation of the officials in Huaizhou? I have spoken to her, and she is willing to stay and assist you.¡±


    ¡°She listens to you, it seems that your relationship is very close, ah,¡± Zhao Yelan said inexplicably.


    ¡°Don¡¯t slander my reputation, she is doing it to get herself out of trouble. If she can¡¯t rid herself of the Yin family completely, she won¡¯t be able to escape her fate and will be captured sooner or later, becoming a society-climbing tool in the hands of Magistrate Yin.¡±


    Zhao Yelan let out a long sigh.


    Yan Mingting spoke again: ¡°You probably won¡¯t be able to hide your identity for long. It¡¯s not like there are people like you everywhere in the capital, so be more cautious.¡±


    The two made themselves clear and Zhao Yelan¡¯s hair was almost dry. He lay down on the bed and saw that the other hadn¡¯t left. He said: ¡°Still leaving?¡±


    ¡°Why are you urging me so hard?¡± Yan Mingting sat down beside the bed unhappily. ¡°You want me to get lost so much?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Yan Mingting choked: ¡°You¡¯re so cruel!¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled and patted the seat next to him: ¡°Let¡¯s lie down.¡±


    Yan Mingting glanced at him, flattered, and his face beamed with joy. Without saying a word, he took off his outer robes and lay beside him. He didn¡¯t seem to know where to put his hands. At first they were tightly pressed to the outside of his thighs, and then they were folded across his chest.


    Catching this sight from the corner of his eye, Zhao Yelan turned sideways, propped himself up, and stared openly at his embarrassment.


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The atmosphere was very good at this time, and he felt that something should be done. Yan Mingting slowly looked at Zhao Yelan and grinned: ¡°Are you going to sleep yet?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows. His gaze lingered on his face, and he slowly opened his lips: ¡°Not sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we¡­¡­get to know each other better?¡± Yan Mingting suggested, swallowing.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him and asked in a low voice: ¡°How do we get to know each other better?¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s ears itched, and he asked what he had kept in his heart for a long time: ¡°Can you tell me about your past?¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused.


    Yan Mingting waited for a while, inexplicably feeling that the atmosphere had been ruined, and as expected, he was kicked out of bed the next moment.


    Ever since confirming their intentions, he wanted to know more about the other party. Even though they had met previously, they hadn¡¯t had much interaction, and he was a little disappointed that he hadn¡¯t been able to participate in the other¡¯s past.


    His mentality had changed unnoticeably. At first, he was unwilling to take the initiative to investigate because he feared that Zhao Yelan would be hurt, but now, Zhao Yelan had completely become his other half in his eyes. It was reasonable to want to know more about the other party¡¯s past, and even bear the pain together.


    Even though the past may be painful, it was like pus, painful when squeezed out, but more conducive to recovery, ah.


    ¡°I was wrong, I won¡¯t ask you in the future.¡± Yan Mingting got up and sat in front of the bed, and was quick to admit his mistake. He stretched out his hand aggrievedly. ¡°You hit me, ba.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sat up, stepped on his shoulder with one foot, and pinched his chin. Looking down into his eyes, he asked calmly: ¡°Is this what you meant by getting to know each other better?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want me to know,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan kicked his shoulder: ¡°You¡¯d better sleep on the floor, it¡¯s cooler.¡±


    Yan Mingting knew he was wrong and went to make the bed bitterly, but when he passed by the table, his eyes accidentally stopped on the bronze mirror.


    It was facing the person on the bed. Two lotus root arms in their blue silk sleeves rested beside the pillow, and he lazily tried to hook the blanket up with his feet, but couldn¡¯t do it for a long time.


    Yan Mingting turned around to cover him with the blanket, looking down at him silently.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan stared at him. ¡°You have a nosebleed again.¡±


    Immediately covering his nose, Yan Mingting picked up the handkerchief and wiped it: ¡°This weather is really terrible, hehehehe¡­¡­¡±


    At this time, there was a loud whistle outside as Zuo Ran signaled him.


    ¡°I have to go, you have a good rest.¡± Yan Mingting put on his clothes, took one last look at him, and softly walked out the door.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s lips curved when he heard the sound of the door closing, and he got up to lock it.


    Unexpectedly, when he was just a few steps away, the door was suddenly pushed open. Yan Mingting rushed in again in a hurry, stopping abruptly in front of him as if he hadn¡¯t expected him to be up.


    The two looked at each other. Zhao Yelan glanced at the door and was about to speak, when suddenly Yan Mingting cupped his cheeks, short of breath.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡° ? ¡±


    ¡°I will miss you.¡± After saying this, Yan Mingting kissed him forcefully on the forehead. Afraid of being beaten, he turned around and ran away after the kiss.


    Zhao Yelan was stunned for a moment. After locking the door, he touched his forehead and muttered: ¡°Blockhead.¡±

 CH 55

    In the early morning, after Zhao Yelan finished washing up, Li Yucheng came to the room to ask him to have breakfast and gave him several mischievous glances.


    ¡°What are you looking at so sneakily?¡± Zhao Yelan said mildly.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yan Mingting?¡± Li Yucheng glanced around.


    ¡°What are you looking for him for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll see something I shouldn¡¯t see again,¡± Li Yucheng said, covering his face.


    Zhao Yelan gave him a sidelong glance. When Yan Mingting left and returned last night, he didn¡¯t have time to close the door and had caught a glimpse of Li Yucheng¡¯s figure passing by. Before he had time to speak, Yan Mingting had kissed him on the forehead, and he didn¡¯t bother to care what Li Yucheng thought.


    ¡°You two¡­¡­¡± Li Yucheng organized his words and said cautiously, ¡°Are you together?¡±


    Zhao Yelan replied flatly: ¡°Thanks to the Emperor, everyone knows we are together.¡±


    ¡°Aiya, you know I¡¯m not talking about that sort of ¡®together¡¯¡­¡­¡± Li Yucheng scratched his head, held up two thumbs, and said, ¡°It¡¯s the heart-to-heart kind¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes dimmed: ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious¡­¡­¡± Li Yucheng couldn¡¯t tell what it was like. From the beginning, he felt that the relationship between the two was not simple. They might be friends or confidants, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be the kind of relationship between a husband and a wife.


    He inevitably thought of his sister, and looked at Zhao Yelan with a sense of loss: ¡°To be honest, I have actually regarded Yan Mingting as my brother-in-law these days.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes flashed as he shot him a sharp look, and he swiftly added: ¡°But I also know that he can¡¯t be my real brother-in-law, so I also treat you as my sister!¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± Zhao Yelan slapped him on the forehead and said sharply, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Li Yucheng¡¯s eyes kept falling on him during the meal, and Zhao Yelan said flatly: ¡°If you look again, I¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs.¡±


    Averting his eyes immediately, Li Yucheng turned his head and asked in a low voice: ¡°Did you kiss last night?¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused.


    ¡°I listened for a long time last night, but I didn¡¯t hear anything. Is Yan Mingting not good¡­..mm mm mm¡­¡­¡± Li Yucheng had a bun stuffed in his mouth, and when he saw Zhao Yelan get up and go upstairs, he immediately followed while eating the bun.


    The two had just walked to the second floor when they happened to meet Yin Pinglu opening her door.


    Yin Pinglu had changed into clean clothes, but was still dressed as a man. She nodded in greeting, but Li Yucheng thought she was Yan Mingting¡¯s subordinate. After telling Zhao Yelan to go to the Cheng residence, he left.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at Yin Pinglu, who had a dark complexion, and said in a whisper: ¡°Your hands are too white.¡±


    Yin Pinglu looked down and her face turned red. She turned and went into the room to continue to smear color on her hands, and then pretended to be delivering a snack as she went to Zhao Yelan¡¯s room.


    ¡°Are you really willing to help me investigate the affairs of Magistrate Yin?¡± Zhao Yelan sat at the table and got straight to the point.


    ¡°En.¡± Yin Pinglu set down the snacks and sat opposite him, neither humble nor overbearing. ¡°He has shown me no kindness. If he really did something to wrong the people and the court, I am willing to bear the infamy and send him to the execution grounds with my own hands.¡±


    ¡°But you are from the Yin family, so you will be implicated. Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yin Pinglu shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m alive now, but what is the difference from being dead? I worry all the time that I will be captured back, then married to someone I have never met before, and I will only be imprisoned in someone else¡¯s birdcage for the rest of my life. If they are happy, they will give me something to eat. If they are unhappy, they will beat and curse me. There is no self, no freedom.¡±


    Her expression and eyes were soft with the gentleness of Jiangnan women, and her tenderness was like water, but there was a firmness in her eyes that said perhaps this water was not that which lingered in Jiangnan, but the water of the Yellow River that could break through its embankments.


    Zhao Yelan examined her, then told her the details of his coming to Jiangnan.


    After hearing this, Yin Pinglu frowned and said: ¡°I don¡¯t know Kuang Sheng, as I escaped from Huaizhou a few years ago. As for my father, although he is only interested in profit, he can only think of marriages, and would never dare to do such a bold thing.¡±


    ¡°Because he is soliciting contacts everywhere, perhaps someone will use his name to do things.¡±


    Yin Pinglu nodded: ¡°For example, my third brother-in-law is a county magistrate. He doesn¡¯t have a good relationship with my third sister, and flirts with women all day long, but he is very close to my father.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about the situations of your brothers-in-law.¡±


    With the help of Yin Pinglu, a person who knew the inside story, a lot of effort was saved in enquiring about information. After one morning, Zhao Yelan had almost mastered the network of Magistrate Yin. If one didn¡¯t check carefully, they would not know that Magistrate Yin was more or less connected to all the officials in this area by virtue of his in-law relationship. And he was obviously not the only one who used this method, as many of them were close relatives. Everyone had the same network and common interests, which would automatically form a situation where officials would shield each other.


    It was no wonder that no Jiangnan officials had reported any adverse situations when they went to Beijing to report on their work every year.


    Yin Pinglu escaped from Huaizhou and her death, keeping her name anonymous since then, just because she was afraid of being noticed by people in Jiangnan. These officials were colluding and covering for each other, and it was difficult to escape from their reach.


    ¡°My lord, how do you plan to deal with it?¡± Yin Pinglu asked.


    ¡°Wait for good news from Yan Mingting.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled slightly. ¡°Let him open the first incision.¡±


    A few days later, Yan Mingting captured all the leaders of the bandit group and took advantage of the situation to find out that the Jiangnan governor colluded with the bandits to rob some of the disaster money. The news spread like wildfire, shocking the entire Jiangnan area.


    ¡°Is the news reliable?¡± Magistrate Yin asked the messenger in a panic.


    ¡°En, the governor is already on his way to the capital!¡± The servant replied. ¡°Originally, the governor had already arrested these bandits and was about to silence them. Who would have thought that Yan Mingting would suddenly bring people to take over, and deliberately interrogate them over the disaster funds, exposing it¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Foolish, ah!¡± Magistrate Yin slapped the chair heavily. This governor was his eldest son-in-law, who was at the height of his powers all these years. Only six years younger than him, he had taken the position of governor. ¡°Call the others quickly, we need to discuss a solution!¡±


    Not only the Yin Mansion, but many other officials were like ants on a hot pan, beginning to urgently discuss countermeasures.


    There was also a lot of discussion about this matter in the inn, and there were voices conversing everywhere.


    Zhao Yelan was playing chess with Yin Pinglu leisurely, while Li Yucheng scratched his head and looked at the ledger.


    Li Yucheng¡¯s trip was not entirely to accompany Zhao Yelan on business. He listened to Yan Mingting¡¯s suggestion ¨C since he was no good at writing or martial arts, he would rely on his own advantages to do business. Therefore, he came to Jiangnan to discuss business with his uncle, and Li Jinyu naturally supported him. It was rare that he was interested in doing something serious.


    ¡°I just saw a few brothers-in-law passing by downstairs, and they all went to the Yin residence,¡± Yin Pinglu whispered.


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really wonderful to use generals as chess pieces to break the game.¡± Yin Pinglu smiled faintly.


    Only Yan Mingting had such power. On the surface, he was going to wipe out the bandits, but caught the governor by surprise. Before anyone could react, he sent him to court with thunderous force, saving interrogation and investigation time in Jiangnan. Others wanted to save themselves but were at their wits end, and it was even more impossible to recruit people from the Yan family army.


    ¡°Those bandits in Quzhou should have been taken into custody by the governor long ago, only the two people in Huaizhou didn¡¯t go back to Quzhou to be arrested as planned, and we caught them first by mistake,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    At this moment, a messenger entered the inn and called: ¡°May I ask who Fu Qian is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Zhao Yelan poked his head out, and the messenger ran upstairs to hand him the letter.


    He opened it to have a look, and a wooden hairpin rolled out of it.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Li Yucheng leaned over curiously.


    Zhao Yelan pushed his head away, unfolded the letter paper, and read ¨C


    Mengting, I carved this wooden hairpin myself. I know you don¡¯t like to use such simple things, but I just miss you. Every time I missed you, I carved a little bit, and it took shape unknowingly. I¡¯ve never made one of these before, don¡¯t be disgusted. At worst, you can decorate it with gold before returning to Beijing.


    Now let¡¯s speak of business. I have already grasped the evidence of collusion between the governor and the bandits, and I will go to arrest people soon. Wish me the best.


    I really want to finish things quickly and come to see you.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mess around,¡± Yin Pinglu said abruptly.


    However, Li Yucheng had already picked up the wooden hairpin under Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes and looked it over carefully: ¡°What an ugly thing, it¡¯s worth no money at all.¡±


    Zhao Yelan kicked at him and snatched the hairpin back: ¡°Go mind your own business.¡±


    Li Yucheng rubbed his thigh and said aggrievedly: ¡°What¡¯s the matter, don¡¯t you usually only wear gold and silver? I don¡¯t believe you will still wear this garbage hairpin ¨C uh¡­¡­¡±


    Li Yucheng watched him calmly put on the hairpin, his mouth slowly opening wide: ¡°Are you possessed by a poor wretch?¡±


    ¡°Great extravagance is unacceptable,¡± Zhao Yelan taught the fool seriously.


    Li Yucheng: ¡°I think you¡¯re possessed. What you said¡­¡­does it have the slightest credibility? Get rid of your expensive outfit first!¡±


    Yin Pinglu lowered her head and smiled, then asked about business: ¡°Do you want to inquire about the situation in the Yin mansion next? But for what reason can you enter? Direct visits will be rejected, right?¡±


    ¡°The Yin family will come to pay respects.¡± Zhao Yelan pointed to Li Yucheng, who was dazed from reading the accounts, and said in a low voice, ¡°You may not know yet, but this fool¡¯s father is the Prime Minister.¡±


    Yin Pinglu was surprised: ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t have thought it.¡±


    Li Yucheng: ¡°¡­¡­Hey! Can you keep your voices down? I can hear everything!¡±


    In the evening, the Yin residence sent someone to invite Li Yucheng over. A few days ago, they were ignoring him, but today they remembered his identity as the Prime Minister¡¯s son. It would be the best way to inquire about news from the capital and ask for help.


    Li Yucheng was the guest of honor. He had quite the power and prestige, and let it be known that he would take a good brother with him. Zhao Yelan cooperated with his performance without saying a word.


    And ¡°Fu Qian¡± was actually a person invited by the Yin family. After all, he was the son of Dali Siqing, so he should be able to find out some information.


    As soon as the two entered the mansion, Magistrate Yin led a group of people to greet them. Yin Pinglu couldn¡¯t follow them on this trip, so she only gave them rough outlines of those people¡¯s characteristics.


    Zhao Yelan looked around covertly, and found that the two younger brothers and several sons-in-law of Magistrate Yin had come. The battle array was quite large, ah.


    The dining table was much richer than when Yan Mingting was hosted last time. Perhaps it had been to impress Yan Mingting with their frugality, or maybe this was to cater to the dandyish habits of these two people. In short, the food was pretty good, but the people they were eating with ruined the atmosphere.


    While eating, one must also pay attention to the mood.


    He was sitting at the same table with a large group of crooked melons and split dates,[1] which made Li Yucheng look handsome in comparison, and he really lost his appetite.


    ¡°Why does Fu-gongzi not eat? Is it not to your taste?¡± The man opposite him asked with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes, and Li Yucheng on the side replied: ¡°Oh, he¡¯s just¡­¡­homesick.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him, and Li Yucheng smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to be homesick, when does Fu-gongzi plan to return to the capital?¡± The man said, ¡°Since you came out to play, your family must be worried about you. It¡¯s only that just recently, Fu-daren may be busy and not be able to take care of you, so why not play in Huaizhou for a while?¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°He is busy every day, I am used to it.¡±


    ¡°There are so many cases in Dali Temple?¡±


    ¡°En, not only are there many cases, but they are all serious cases. Almost none who enter Dali Temple come out.¡± After Zhao Yelan finished speaking lightly, everyone present had a change in expression.


    Magistrate Yin stabilized his breathing and said with a smile: ¡°The governor¡¯s case that has been handed over to Dali Temple in the past two days?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. I¡¯m so far away from the capital. How can I know any news that none of you know?¡±


    In fact, Magistrate Yin wanted to know if he would be interrogated in Dali Temple and the Ministry of Criminal Justice, or if people would be sent to Jiangnan for a thorough investigation. However, seeing that he didn¡¯t know what he was asking, he had no choice but to turn his target to Li Yucheng again. After drinking several cups of wine with him, he patted him on the shoulder earnestly: ¡°Nephew, I¡¯m ashamed to say it, but if it weren¡¯t for my daughter¡¯s age difference, we might have become in-laws too. There is something I have to tell you. Although the governor is married to my eldest daughter, they seldom interact with one another. We didn¡¯t even know that he had done such a stupid thing, ah! You see, can you ask your father to help speak for us?¡±


    Li Yucheng glanced at Zhao Yelan, following his instructions and saying perfunctorily: ¡°It is useless for you to tell me about this. Since you have nothing to do with it, just wait until the truth is found out.¡±


    The others were taking turns to show favor and talk, when someone shouted outside: ¡°General Yan is here!¡±


    Everyone was startled, and they looked over at the gate together to see Yan Mingting stride through it. He went straight to the lobby and came to them in a hurry.


    Zhao Yelan was also a little surprised, and watched him intently.


    ¡°General, you are back so soon?¡± Magistrate Yin was taken aback, and quickly asked someone to add a stool.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, I¡¯ll just squeeze in.¡± Yan Mingting inserted a foot between Zhao Yelan and Li Yucheng and then sat down.


    Li Yucheng¡¯s body tilted and he fell to the side. Then, under everyone¡¯s mocking gazes, he stood up and made a pretense at composure: ¡°Let¡¯s add a stool, I have a big butt.¡±


    Everyone laughed, and only Magistrate Yin wore a strange look as he glanced between the two of them, becoming more and more sure that they were secret cut-sleeves!


    Fortunately, he had already sent someone to the capital to inquire about Fu Qian on the night of the Ghost Festival and would have answers soon. Then he would have a handle on Yan Mingting, and may be able to escape.


    ¡°General Yan, are you here late at night for something important?¡± Someone asked.


    ¡°I heard that you guys were having a banquet, and just came to have a quick meal since I was hungry. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind, of course we don¡¯t mind. It is our honor that the general is willing to show his face.¡±


    Because of Yan Mingting¡¯s visit, this group of people no longer dared to openly discuss the governor, but just secretly observed his expression. They found that the other party was smiling all the time, and didn¡¯t know if this was beneficial or unfavorable to them.


    Ever since Yan Mingting had caught a glimpse of the wooden hairpin he made on Zhao Yelan¡¯s head, the corners of his mouth had not lowered.


    Magistrate Yin accidentally knocked his chopsticks to the ground and he bent down to pick them up, only to find that Yan Mingting was secretly holding the hand of the person next to him under the table.


    Magistrate Yin: ¡° ! ¡±


    The case was settled, the two really were having a clandestine affair!


    It couldn¡¯t be forgotten that Yan Mingting was the one who received an Imperial decree and married Zhao Yelan!


    And who was Zhao Yelan? Even if they had never met before, he had heard about him. If Zhao Yelan knew about this, could Yan Mingting still have a good life?


    He thought for a while, and when he raised his head again, a smile finally appeared on his face.


    ¡°I want to¡­¡­hiccup, go back.¡± Li Yucheng lay on the table, obviously drunk.


    Magistrate Yin was asking someone to escort them back, but at this moment, the servant at the door suddenly rushed in: ¡°My lord! Someone is here!¡±


    Magistrate Yin rebuked: ¡°Why are you in a panic and afraid of meeting guests? Who is here?¡±


    ¡°The Imperial envoy from the capital, Zhao Yelan. Zhao-daren!¡±


    Everyone was taken aback, including Yan Mingting and Li Yucheng.


    The others walked to the gate in surprise, but the two looked at Zhao Yelan in unison.


    Zhao Yelan signaled for them not to act rashly, and the two withdrew their gazes. After a moment, Yan Mingting walked out behind him and whispered something into his ear. Zhao Yelan nodded.


    There was a sound of footsteps outside, and the hearts of the others were on edge.


    Magistrate Yin didn¡¯t know why, but he looked back and saw Yan Mingting standing behind ¡°Fu Qian,¡± whispering something and even brushing his hair back.


    He got a toothache when he saw this. He had never witnessed such a blatant affair. The wife of the main house has just arrived at the door, and you are still here flirting? I will expose you!


    [1] Crooked melons and split dates (Íá¹ÏÁÑÔæ) are ugly/repulsive people or things. ?

 CH 56

    The object of everyone¡¯s curiosity and inquiry finally appeared by the gate, followed by eight attendants. The leader was a young man who looked at the people present with a blank and indifferent expression.


    ¡°You are Zhao-daren?¡± Magistrate Yin stepped forward and asked, ¡°I wonder if Zhao-daren has a token?¡±


    The man arrogantly handed the token to him, and the group hurriedly gathered together to verify the authenticity. But that person looked at Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting covertly, with a trace of eagerness in his eyes.


    With a smile at the corners of his mouth, Yan Mingting nodded at him.


    Li Yucheng opened his mouth wide, staring at the so-called ¡°Zhao-daren.¡± Wasn¡¯t he the little servant next to Zhao Yelan?


    ¡°It really is Zhao-daren, this is the Imperial envoy token.¡± After speaking, Magistrate Yin hurriedly led the group of people to salute. ¡°We didn¡¯t know Zhao-daren was visiting today, and failed to welcome you. Please take a seat inside.¡±


    Gao Tan nodded. Walking into the lobby, he cleared his throat and said pompously: ¡°The others are excused. I only came to inform you that I was ordered to investigate this matter. You just need to cooperate with me.¡±


    ¡°Naturally, I don¡¯t know which matter Zhao-daren came to investigate? Is it related to the governor?¡± Magistrate Yin asked.


    Gao Tan waved his hand, signaling him not to ask again: ¡°You only need to follow orders, and I will make arrangements myself. It is getting late, I¡¯ll go back to the inn to rest. Where is your best inn?¡±


    ¡°General Yan is staying at that inn,¡± Magistrate Yin said.


    Only then did Gao Tan look at Yan Mingting openly, but he didn¡¯t step forward.


    Magistrate Yin observed the expressions of these two people. They were not close at all, and he could tell at a glance that their relationship was not good. But even so, how could someone as proud as Zhao-daren allow Yan Mingting to cheat behind his back?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I send my lord and the General back together?¡± Magistrate Yin¡¯s eyes darted as he led the way.


    These people also followed, and when they arrived at the inn, Magistrate Yin asked Gao Tan if he needed an extra room or if he would be residing with Yan Mingting.


    Gao Tan naturally wanted to live separately!


    Magistrate Yin immediately understood that these two people had their own separate lives, so he smiled and asked for another upper room for him, both on the third floor. He deliberately stayed and waited for the others to go back to their rooms before starting to talk to Zhao-daren.


    ¡°Zhao-daren has worked hard on his journey, rest well tonight and be energetic tomorrow,¡± Magistrate Yin said.


    Gao Tan nodded indifferently.


    ¡°General Yan has been in Jiangnan for some time, is my lord aware?¡±


    Gao Tan nodded indifferently.


    ¡°Then there is that Fu Qian-gongzi who claims to be the most beautiful man in the capital, is my lord aware?¡± Magistrate Yin hinted a bit.


    Gao Tan nodded indifferently.


    ¡°The General has a very close relationship with that Fu-gongzi, is my lord aware?¡±


    Gao Tan nodded indifferently, then shook his head vigorously: ¡°Fu Qian?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Magistrate Yin was secretly delighted, and promptly began to lament, ¡°My lord, you don¡¯t know that General Yan and this Fu Qian are actually having an affair!¡±


    ¡°An affair?¡± Gao Tan was at a loss.


    ¡°Yes, behind your back, it¡¯s true!¡±


    Gao Tan was shocked: ¡°Where is Fu Qian? I¡¯m going to beat him to death!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s next door!¡± Magistrate Yin quickly grabbed him. ¡°My lord, don¡¯t be hasty. There is no need to rush. Fu Qian is at fault, so is General Yan not at fault?¡±


    ¡°Next door?¡± Gao Tan¡¯s eyes turned, and he adopted a forbidding appearance. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°That ¨C that¡¯s fine?¡± Magistrate Yin looked at him in surprise. ¡°My lord, are you sure it¡¯s fine?¡±


    ¡°Oh, what I mean is that it¡¯s none of your business. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    Family strife should not be publicized. Magistrate Yin knew this quite well, and said with a smile: ¡°Good, if you need anything, my lord, you can come to me at any time.¡±


    In the middle of the night, the inn returned to silence.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s room was not silent at all. First a black shadow sneaked in, and then another black shadow jumped in from the roof.


    ¡°My lord, General, I¡¯m here,¡± Gao Tan whispered.


    ¡°Good boy, ah, you didn¡¯t reveal our secrets.¡± Yan Mingting smiled and patted him.


    Gao Tan scratched his head with a smile: ¡°As my lord said, as long as I keep silent and cherish words like gold, and don¡¯t show any expression, I can deceive many people. No one would dare to pretend to be an Imperial envoy at this juncture.¡±


    Moreover, Gao Tan had followed Zhao Yelan for many years, and he had long been influenced by his temperament, so no one was more suitable than him.


    ¡°What did Magistrate Yin tell you just now?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°He kept saying that although he and the governor are in-laws, he was completely unaware of his collusion with the bandits. He also said¡­¡­about the General and¡­¡­¡± Gao Tan intermittently glanced between Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°He said that Yan Mingting and Fu Qian were cheating behind your back?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Why did these words sound so awkward?


    ¡°My lord, is it true?¡± Gao Tan asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Fu Qian is me,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Yeah, I guessed right!¡± Gao Tan immediately beamed with joy. ¡°Then should I pretend to be very angry?¡±


    ¡°Remain the same as before. If you can¡¯t talk, don¡¯t talk. If you can¡¯t show your face, don¡¯t show your face.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Gao Tan left, Zhao Yelan looked at Yan Mingting and saw that there was still some dirt on his clothes, and asked him to take a bath first.


    The sound of water came from behind the screen, and Zhao Yelan asked from his seat outside: ¡°You hurried back from Quzhou?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°How many days did it take?¡±


    ¡°Two days.¡±


    According to the distance, it would take four or five days at the least, but this fellow came back so quickly. Zhao Yelan asked: ¡°What are you doing coming back so early?¡±


    ¡°You ask what you already know.¡±


    ¡°I insist on asking.¡±


    ¡°Okay, ba.¡± Yan Mingting smiled. ¡°It¡¯s because I missed you and I was afraid something would happen to you, so I wanted to see you soon. Is this answer satisfactory?¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t receive an answer, only slight footsteps as Zhao Yelan came around the screen and looked straight at him.


    Yan Mingting subconsciously covered the key parts. Then he thought, in the end, it was all covered by water and they were husband and wife, so what were they afraid of ah!


    The water vapor was so dense that Yan Mingting¡¯s face began to turn red. He pretended to be calm and said: ¡°What, do you want to take a mandarin duck bath together?¡±


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched, then he walked behind him and looked down at his back. There were no new injuries, so he breathed a sigh of relief, then walked outside the screen as if he was just there for a casual stroll.


    ¡°You¡¯re just leaving?¡± Yan Mingting poked his head out, staring desperately at the situation outside the screen. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you stay a while?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to stay for?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­¡­¡± In Yan Mingting¡¯s mind, the gorgeous scene of the other party helping him dry his body suddenly appeared. His blood surged up and his face flushed as he said, ¡°Help me dry off.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have hands?¡±


    Yan Mingting dried his body dejectedly. This person clearly came to tease him on purpose, and then didn¡¯t care to put out the fire! Damnit!


    Fine, since you are heartless, don¡¯t blame me for being unrighteous!


    After Yan Mingting got dressed, he sat down beside the bed without saying a word. Zhao Yelan was already lying down at this time, and he raised his eyelids and looked at him idly.


    The next moment, Yan Mingting grabbed his own sleeve and slowly pulled it down, exposing his shoulder.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Yan Mingting pulled down the sleeve on the other side, and finally reached down to untie his belt, licking his lips in a pretentious manner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Zhao Yelan suddenly pressed his hand down, got up, and held the bronze mirror to face him. ¡°Take a look at yourself, does it look good?¡±


    Yan Mingting took a closer look and saw that his clothes were partly undone, revealing his muscular arms, which was incongruous and not at all like the half-exposed, lively appearance he had imagined.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± How shameful.


    He pulled off his clothes awkwardly and stiffly, and silently prepared to make the bed. As soon as he took out the blanket, Zhao Yelan held his hand and led him to the bedside: ¡°Forget it, for the sake of your hard journey, you are allowed to sleep in bed tonight.¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately threw away the blanket in his hand and got into bed, for fear of being kicked out if he wasn¡¯t quick enough.


    The candles were extinguished, and the two lay side by side on the bed. Having been separated for a few days, they had many things to say, but at this time they didn¡¯t speak, and only listened quietly to each other¡¯s breathing.


    After a long time, Yan Mingting turned sideways and hugged him in his arms without any explanation. The other party struggled slightly, and seeing that he couldn¡¯t push him away, he just acceded to him.


    Yan Mingting had succeeded. In the darkness, the corners of his mouth quietly rose, and he touched that waist with his hand, letting out a ¡®hiss¡¯: ¡°Are you losing weight again?¡±


    Zhao Yelan remained silent.


    ¡°So thin.¡± Yan Mingting said so, but what he thought in his heart was that if he was too thin, would it hurt him badly? It was a physical activity, after all. ¡°This won¡¯t do, you should eat more and take care of your body. You will look better if you are fatter.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s face instantly collapsed. Who wasn¡¯t good-looking?!


    Suddenly, Yan Mingting was kicked hard on the thigh and was almost kicked off the bed. Fortunately he managed to stabilize himself, but the other party obviously didn¡¯t let him get away with it, and said coldly: ¡°Get out your bedding!¡±


    The cool wind blew, and Yan Mingting stood outside the door with his bedroll in his arms and an indescribable expression on his face. An undercover life was so miserable.


    The next day, Yin Pinglu learned that Yan Mingting had returned to Huaizhou and immediately went to him and asked: ¡°Where is Zuo Ran? Did she come back with you?¡±


    ¡°No, she returned to Beijing with the team escorting the governor. She said that she didn¡¯t want to be a person who has to sneak around. This time, she followed me to arrest people and put in a lot of effort. I plan to let her go to the capital to show her face first, and then make up for her military merits. With He Cuizhang taking care of her, there will be no danger, and the capital is much safer than here,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Yin Pinglu nodded and breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°Thank you, General.¡±


    ¡°I still need to ask, do you want to leave Huaizhou now?¡±


    Yin Pinglu shook her head: ¡°If I leave now, I can¡¯t do anything but be protected by you. If I stay here, perhaps I can help you, as long as you don¡¯t think I am a burden.¡±


    ¡°How will you help?¡±


    While they talked, a thin old man ran into the lobby and shouted: ¡°Imperial envoy! Where is the Imperial envoy? I want to see the Imperial envoy!¡±


    ¡°Who is this person?¡± Yan Mingting whispered.


    ¡°Kuang Sheng,¡± Yin Pinglu said. ¡°A few days ago, my lord took me to watch from a distance, and suspected that he was acting on his own in regard to the water report letter.¡±


    ¡°Acting on his own?¡± Yan Mingting looked at the person in the lobby with surprise. Kuang Sheng was asking the shopkeeper which room the Imperial envoy was staying in.


    The upstairs door opened. Zhao Yelan walked out slowly, and Li Yucheng and Gao Tan also came out one after another.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at Gao Tan, who immediately got into character and deliberately lowered his voice: ¡°Who is looking for me?¡±


    Kuang Sheng raised his head to look, trotted upstairs, and knelt down in front of Gao Tan. He said agitatedly: ¡°Imperial Envoy, I have something to say to you!¡±


    ¡°Come inside before speaking,¡± Zhao Yelan said, then told Li Yucheng in a low voice to take care of the other people present and not let the news spread outside.


    Then the group of people entered Gao Tan¡¯s room, and Kuang Sheng knelt in the middle, kowtowing continuously: ¡°Imperial Envoy, you must take care of this one!¡±


    ¡°Tell me what happened, in detail,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Kuang Sheng found that it was this person who spoke every time and had some doubts in his heart, but he still told his story in front of everyone: ¡°This one is a water reporter, and is responsible for observing precipitation and changes in the water volume of the Huaihe River. I added some numbers to the water report I submitted to the Imperial court last month, and this one is willing to accept the punishment, but before I die, there is one more thing that I hope my lord can take care of for this one.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This one wishes to report on the Pi County Magistrate, who preys on the people, bullies men and women, and disregards human life!¡±


    ¡°The Magistrate of Pi County?¡± Zhao Yelan looked at Yin Pinglu. If he remembered correctly, Yin Pinglu seemed to have mentioned this person. He was her third brother-in-law. The relationship between husband and wife was not harmonious, but he got along very well with Magistrate Yin.


    Yin Pinglu nodded slightly at him.


    ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°This one has a letter, which was written by my daughter herself.¡± Kuang Sheng took out a badly worn letter, and his tears overflowed.


    Zhao Yelan took the letter, and the several other people gathered around to read it together.


    This was her last letter.


    The Kuang family was originally from Pi County, and Kuang Sheng moved to Huaizhou alone because he was awarded the post of Water Reporter.


    The daughter married into an ordinary family with a clean background in the local area, and the two ran a shop, but unexpectedly, the magistrate saw the daughter¡¯s beauty and secretly sent someone to take her away, tarnishing her innocence. She already had a fetus in her womb, and she accidentally miscarried.


    After her husband learned this, he rushed to the magistrate¡¯s office with a knife, but was accused of attacking a court official and was given eighty strikes with a board, resulting in his lower body becoming disabled. He passed away within a few days.


    Her own brother was furious, and in order to ask for an explanation for his sister and brother-in-law, he reported to Magistrate Yin. But he was tricked by Magistrate Yin, and when he returned home that night, he was retaliated against, resulting in not only serious injuries, but blindness.


    The daughter thought that everything that happened was her fault, so she wrote a final letter and committed bitter suicide. At the same time, she hoped that her father would stop seeking justice for her, so as not to incur a murderous disaster. They were just commoners, and could not escape the grasp of these powerful people at all.


    This group of people looked at the weeping old man in astonishment. His back was hunched over, and his hair had already turned gray in his forties.


    Yin Pinglu¡¯s eyes reddened in empathy, and she helped the old man up, assisting him to sit down on a chair.


    For a while, only the crying of the old man could be heard in the room.


    Some time later, Zhao Yelan said slowly: ¡°You knew that the officials in this area were colluding with each other and reported their crimes to no avail, so you deliberately tampered with the water report in hopes that the Imperial court would send an envoy to investigate their corruption? This way, you could report their crimes in person to the Imperial court?¡±


    Kuang Sheng nodded: ¡°Exactly.¡±


    As a water reporter, although he received a salary from the Imperial court, this official position was very unenviable. For one thing, it was a new position and there was only one water reporter within several prefectures, so he was fighting alone. Secondly, he worked for the Imperial court but was usually restricted by the local government. This small official position seemed to be very useless, and wasn¡¯t valued by the government and the people at all.


    He thought about secretly writing his grievances directly in the letter, but the letter had to be approved by the government before it could be reported to the Imperial court.


    Thus, he prepared in advance for the opportune moment. It must rain at a time when many people traveled to the capital city, so that the Emperor could discover the falsified letter and then suspect that some officials had tampered with it.


    Fortunately, when the local government approved it, they didn¡¯t understand the difference in precipitation at all. After checking that there was nothing unusual, they had the courier send it to the capital. It also coincided with the concubine draft in the palace, and there were many ladies of officials in Jiangnan, along with their entourages, so the Emperor would definitely discover a clue.


    ¡°I arrived in Huaizhou half a month ago. Why didn¡¯t you come to me?¡± Yan Mingting asked. ¡°Did you not know I was here?¡±


    ¡°How could I not know? As soon as General Yan arrived in Huaizhou, everyone knew about it. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to look for you, but that I dared not.¡± Kuang Sheng had waited for the people from the capital every day, but he heard that Yan Mingting had arrived and immediately gone to the Magistrate¡¯s house, and then it was rumored that the general and Magistrate Yin¡¯s daughter had met at the border and would be married. He was worried that Yan Mingting would be won over by Magistrate Yin, so he didn¡¯t dare to act rashly.


    ¡°What marriage?¡± Yan Mingting was even more depressed. ¡°How dare Magistrate Yin spread rumors!¡±


    Yin Pinglu also frowned, and intuitively explained to Zhao Yelan: ¡°There is pure conduct between the General and I.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan could naturally guess Magistrate Yin¡¯s thoughts, and asked Kuang Shuang again, ¡°Do you have any other evidence besides this letter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t bring it with me.¡± Kuang Sheng didn¡¯t dare bring all the evidence, fearing that the Imperial Envoy would also be swayed, so he hid the rest.


    ¡°All right, you go back now. Be sure to return in an obvious way and let everyone know that you have been to see the Imperial Envoy.¡± After speaking, Zhao Yelan glanced at Yan Mingting.


    Yan Mingting understood. ¡°Okay, I will escort him back personally.¡±


    Seeing this, Kuang Sheng became more and more confused about who the Imperial Envoy was.


    After the two left, Zhao Yelan took the letter and handed it to Yin Pinglu: ¡°It is up to you, the daughter of the Yin family, to act.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do.¡± Yin Pinglu took the letter and turned around to go back to her room.


    Only then did Xiao Gao lean forward: ¡°My lord, it¡¯s my turn. What should I do?¡±


    ¡°You just stay in your room and eat and drink.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­okay.¡± Gao Tan also wanted to immediately guess what his lord was thinking like those others, then go to work with a swish. How smart he would look!


    ¡°Go back to your room, ba.¡±


    After Li Yucheng saw to the people in the inn, he went upstairs to find Zhao Yelan. He was the only one left in the room, and asked: ¡°Where are the others? They left?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan poured himself a cup of tea.


    Li Yucheng sat down next to him in boredom, then glanced over at him and said: ¡°Why do you look a little haggard today?¡±


    The teacup that was brought to his mouth halted at once, and Zhao Yelan looked at him in disbelief: ¡°Haggard?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah. Your face is so pale, and there are still bruises under your eyes. Is it because you¡¯re too tired these days and haven¡¯t rested well?¡± Li Yucheng asked.


    Zhao Yelan walked to the bronze mirror incredulously. The more he looked, the more he felt that he really was haggard and worn-down. No wonder Yan Mingting dared to say that he was ugly last night!


    ¡°Do you want to try this?¡± Li Yucheng took out a copper box from his sleeve. ¡°This is the Cheng family¡¯s best-selling powder cream. After applying it, the skin will be pale and smooth, and no traces of smearing can be seen at all.¡±


    ¡°Are you using women¡¯s things to mock me?¡± Zhao Yelan gave him a blank look.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re too short-sighted. It was only when I arrived in Jiangnan that I realized there are also men who wear powder and makeup. Beauty should not be divided between men and women. I thought in vain that you had the widest vision of all. You even like men, so are you afraid that others will say that you enjoy wearing powder?¡± Seeing that he was unmoved, Li Yucheng gave him a final blow, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be a little more beautiful? No one would reject a beauty, including Yan Mingting.¡±


    Zhao Yelan remained motionless.


    Realizing that his persuasion was ineffective, Li Yucheng walked to the door resentfully, but heard the other party call: ¡°Wait.¡±


    Li Yucheng was overjoyed. It seemed that his uncle had taught him well! To sell something, one must first find a suitable buyer, then make them feel anxious, so that they are willing to spend a lot of money!


    He turned around and smiled: ¡°It is ten taels of silver, but considering our relationship, I will only charge you at cost, eight taels.¡±


    Zhao Yelan threw a silver ingot over directly: ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Li Yucheng was satisfied with earning his first profits, and suddenly felt that the sky was bright. ¡°Wahaha! The next richest man in Beijing is me!¡±


    Zhao Yelan stayed in the room for a while before he heard Yan Mingting¡¯s footsteps coming back. The other party pushed open the door and said: ¡°That person has been sent home, and some more people have been sent to stand guard.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan hurriedly hid the thing in his sleeve.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yan Mingting walked in front of him curiously and stared at his face, his head getting closer and closer.


    Zhao Yelan blinked at lightning speed, turning his face away: ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Yan Mingting held his cheeks, rubbed his thumbs under his eyes for a moment, and said doubtfully: ¡°What did you get on your face? Wall dust?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan choked up. He had forgotten that the other party had excellent eyesight. He was so angry that he threw out the copper box in his sleeve, and it happened to hit Li Yucheng on the head as he was eating wontons outside.


    ¡°Ah! Who is it? Who dares to assassinate this young master!¡±

 CH 57

    Yin Pinglu took the people assigned to her and went straight to the government office.


    Those relatives of the Yin family were still staying in the Yin residence. They were sitting together in discussion about how to deal with the Imperial Envoy, when they heard a servant come to report: ¡°My lord, Sixth Young Lady is back!¡±


    ¡°Pinglu?¡± Magistrate Yin put down his teacup and stormed out. When he saw Yin Pinglu, he pointed at her in a fit of rage and cursed, ¡°You unfilial daughter, you still know to come back?!¡±


    Yin Pinglu: ¡°I came back to do business.¡±


    ¡°What business can you do? You unfilial daughter, I¡¯m going to beat you to death today! This old man has lost all face because of you!¡± Magistrate Yin stepped forward and raised his hand, but a thick bronze token appeared before his eyes. The words ¡°Imperial Envoy¡± came into view.


    ¡°Who dares to strike me?¡± Holding the token, Yin Pinglu looked at him with cold eyes, and the people behind her quickly prepared to protect her in the center.


    ¡°Why do you have this token?¡± Magistrate Yin lowered his hand and looked at her in astonishment.


    ¡°I am here to investigate the case for Zhao-daren. He is busy and cannot spare the time, so he asked me to come in his stead.¡± Yin Pinglu showed a letter. ¡°Third brother-in-law, this is Kuang Zhimei¡¯s last letter, which records all of your crimes. Do you plead guilty?¡±


    ¡°What crimes? What Kuang Zhimei? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about!¡± County Magistrate Wu shouted.


    ¡°Kuang Zhimei is the woman you raped last year. You don¡¯t seem to remember her. Is it because there are other victims?¡± Yin Pinglu said.


    ¡°How is this possible! You show me that letter!¡±


    Yin Pinglu handed the letter to him, and the county magistrate hurriedly opened it. Magistrate Yin also leaned over to take a look. After a while, both of their faces sank more and more.


    With trembling hands, County Magistrate Wu suddenly crumpled up the paper and swallowed it.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, what you just ate is a copy that I made.¡± The corners of Yin Pinglu¡¯s mouth twitched without humor, and she took out a wrinkled envelope. ¡°This one is the original.¡±


    ¡°Yin Pinglu! I never harmed you! Why do you cause trouble for me like this?!¡± County Magistrate Wu stared at her viciously, wishing to tear her apart.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t harm me, but what kind of disgusting eyes did you look at me with all the time?¡± Yin Pinglu raised her chin, took a deep breath, and said calmly, ¡°It is not me who harmed you, but yourself. You hurt good women and innocent people, and spun a cocoon around yourself.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Magistrate Yin interrupted them. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a trivial thing to convict someone with one letter? Who knows whether it has been fabricated out of thin air?¡±


    ¡°Yin-daren, don¡¯t worry, Zhao-daren has already found other evidence. You should hurry up and think about your other crimes, so you can explain them and strive for leniency.¡± After Yin Pinglu finished speaking, she turned around and led the people away.


    ¡°Yin Pinglu! You are of the Yin family¡¯s blood! If you dare to step out of that door, you will no longer be part of the Yin family!¡± Magistrate Yin shouted.


    Yin Pinglu turned her head and said word by word: ¡°I have never been happy to belong to the Yin family.¡±


    She strode out the door and looked up at the sky. The corners of her eyes were moist, but she quickly stabilized her emotions and left with her head held high under the eyes of the watching crowd.


    The purpose of her trip was not to anger this group of people, but to emancipate herself from the Yin residence. Only when she completely drew a line between her and the Yin family could she try to escape being convicted later.


    ¡°Father-in-law, what should we do now? Zhao-daren is coming to find me soon, you have to save me!¡±


    ¡°Save you? I can¡¯t even protect myself, what can I do to save you!¡± Magistrate Yin shoved him away in a rage.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t save me, there is really no way out.¡± County Magistrate Wu said, ¡°Kuang Zhimei¡¯s younger brother reported me to you, but you drove him away. They are sure to investigate you, do you think you can get away with it?¡±


    Magistrate Yin was horrified: ¡°That person¡­¡­didn¡¯t you say that person framed you!¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah, I just gave you some money and you believed my words. You drove that person away without even checking.¡± County Magistrate Wu said in a low voice, ¡°Afterwards, I found someone to take revenge on him. If you don¡¯t save me, I will say you did it yourself. Think about it carefully, the governor and I both had accidents. Do you have any other way out?¡±


    ¡°Useless thing, why did I recruit you as a son-in-law!¡± Magistrate Yin was so furious that he passed out.


    Yin Pinglu returned to the inn and sought out Zhao Yelan: ¡°My lord, it is already done.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. You should go back and have a rest first,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Zhao Yelan opened some letters on the table, which were other evidence that Yan Mingting brought back from Kuang Sheng¡¯s house. There were also signed letters from other victims. Some of these people, such as Kuang Zhimei, gave up redress because of tragic retaliation, and some of them did not want to be known by outsiders and refused to show their faces.


    In addition to these letters, there was also a list of officials whom Kuang Sheng had investigated and found had financial transactions with County Magistrate Wu.


    ¡°Eat something, ba.¡± Yan Mingting came in with some snacks. ¡°The dessert in Jiangnan is exquisite and looks really good.¡±


    The four rabbit cakes on the plate were very cute, as if they were actual rabbits.


    Yan Mingting picked on up and examined it carefully, saying with emotion, ¡°I wonder how Hongshao is doing now.¡± After speaking, he took a bite of the rabbit cake.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan asked, ¡°Want to go back?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Anyway, you¡¯re here, so it doesn¡¯t matter if I go back or not.¡± Yan Mingting picked up another rabbit cake and fed it to his mouth.


    Zhao Yelan reached out to grab it, but Yan Mingting refused to give it to him. He would have to open his mouth to eat it. He lowered his eyes and said: ¡°I can¡¯t eat it in one bite.¡±


    ¡°Then you can eat it in several bites.¡±


    Zhao Yelan imagined that scene of eating it bite by bite. This pastry was soft, glutinous, and sticky. Wouldn¡¯t it be embarrassing if it stretched?


    ¡°It¡¯s improper, I won¡¯t eat.¡± Zhao Yelan still cherished his image, especially now.


    ¡°You really won¡¯t eat?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get you something else.¡± Yan Mingting put down the rabbit cake, got up, and left the room.


    After but a moment, Yan Mingting approached the door lightly, and when he abruptly pushed it open, he caught Zhao Yelan stealing food.


    Zhao Yelan was startled, and stuffed most of the remaining rabbit cake into his mouth in a panic.


    ¡°Ha! I caught you!¡± Yan Mingting walked over, put his hands on his knees, and bent down to look at his bulging meat bun face with a smile. ¡°And you said you didn¡¯t want to eat it.¡±


    They looked at each other for a moment and Zhao Yelan was rather embarrassed. Neither eating it nor spitting it out, he could only stare at him fiercely: Get out.


    Seeing his appearance, Yan Mingting was overjoyed. He thought he was really cute, and subconsciously kissed him on the mouth.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The two froze at the same time, but their hearts were very turbulent. The soft touch stunned Yan Mingting. It was more fragrant and soft than the rabbit cake. He couldn¡¯t help licking it, and it was like fireworks had gone off in his head, making him dizzy.


    Zhao Yelan gulped, but the thing in his mouth got stuck in his throat.


    ¡°Oh my dear mother, why don¡¯t you close the door.¡± Li Yucheng passed by and covered his face in fright, only showing his eyes.


    Zhao Yelan suddenly felt unwell: ¡°Urgh¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡° ? ¡±


    ¡°What happened? Yan Mingting, why are you making someone vomit?¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan patted his chest heavily, choking. His face flushed red and he hurriedly hid behind the screen, vomiting out the rabbit cake into a brocade handkerchief. His face was unsightly.


    He stepped out from the screen and looked at Yan Mingting in a daze. For a long moment, he didn¡¯t know what to say. No matter what was said, he would lose face.


    ¡°Go, go, go, what are you doing in my room, do you have nothing to do?¡± Zhao Yelan drove the two of them out of the room, locked the door, and went to deal with the vomit just now with a headache.


    Indeed, he didn¡¯t even have time to reminisce about that shallow kiss. It was his bad luck.


    ¡°General, why do you look preoccupied?¡± When Yin Pinglu came out to eat, she found that Yan Mingting had been sitting motionless. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    Yan Mingting shook his head and looked at her helplessly: ¡°You can¡¯t help with this matter.¡±


    ¡°What made you look so worried?¡±


    I kissed my wife and he vomited. Can this be spoken? Of course not, ah!


    Even though he knew that Zhao Yelan was choking, this was their first kiss and it may have left a bad impression on the other party. He regretted it so much that he wanted to die.


    He should not have been so reckless.


    Under the premise that both of them were ready, another extremely romantic kiss would become an unforgettable memory for a lifetime.


    The question was, what should he do to have a romantic kiss without leaving any regrets?


    This was much more difficult than contemplating military tactics.


    Yan Mingting went to take care of business that evening, and when he returned to the inn, he saw a couple kissing under a willow tree by the roadside. Their heads were turning back and forth, and it was very odd.


    He walked up curiously and was spotted by the man, who cursed at him and took the other person away.


    Yan Mingting resentfully continued to walk forward, and suddenly saw smoke coming out of the inn as people in a crowd shouted. Surprised, he immediately ran over.


    Someone shouted that there was a fire, and the guests rushed out through the gate.


    Looking around urgently, Yan Mingting found no trace of Zhao Yelan. He jumped onto the roof and then down into Zhao Yelan¡¯s room, but found nothing.


    In that moment, he felt as if his body was encased in ice.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan! Zhao Yelan!¡±


    Yan Mingting searched from room to room, unable to imagine what he would do if the other party had an accident.


    Just when the search seemed fruitless, a figure suddenly ran in the wrong direction through the lobby, shouting: ¡°I¡¯m here! Come down quickly!¡±


    Yan Mingting looked down and rushed to descend the stairs in just a few steps, hugging him tightly in his arms. He said hoarsely: ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go out first.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s voice was a little rough from the smoke.


    When Yan Mingting took him out, Li Yucheng and Yin Pinglu were there to meet them, and they all retreated several tens of meters away.


    ¡°Are you all okay?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re okay, the three of us went to drink tea upstairs on the opposite side of the street, and it didn¡¯t take long to notice smoke coming out of the inn. While we were watching, we saw you, General, rushing inside. You were running so fast that you didn¡¯t even hear my lord calling out to you.¡± Yin Pinglu explained the situation just now and was afraid to even think about it. If he had really caught fire, what could they do?


    Hearing this, Yan Mingting covertly squeezed Zhao Yelan¡¯s palm: ¡°The next time something like this happens, don¡¯t rush in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not really on fire anyway,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting studied the smoky inn and felt that something was wrong. He had never seen the source of the fire. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a smoke bomb.¡± Zhao Yelan coughed and said, ¡°In order to disperse all the people inside, they used hidden agents.¡±


    Yan Mingting glanced at the subordinates who went to help rescue the inn, and then at the rest: ¡°The target is Xiao Gao?¡±


    ¡°En, the dog has jumped the wall,[1] and they made up their minds to act,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    When all was said and done, it had been a year since the case of the woman¡¯s rape, and the only evidence was those letters since the victims who were still alive did not want to testify in public. Even if County Magistrate Wu and others were arrested and went through the interrogation process, it would be time-consuming and labor-intensive. In addition, the officials in this area were in collusion, and if something went wrong, it would be easy for them to escape.


    However, to plot against the life of a court official who was acting under Imperial decree was naturally different. When the time came, the combined punishment of several crimes would definitely eradicate this group of moths.


    ¡°I had Xiao Gao over there pretend to let two people tail him. You go and check the situation, he fled along the alley,¡± Zhao Yelan ordered.


    Yan Mingting nodded, and wanted to have the others protect Zhao Yelan, but the remaining two were thin and weak, and it was difficult for them to even protect themselves. He could only go to the inn and gather his subordinates to protect Zhao Yelan and the others before setting out to search for Gao Tan.


    When he arrived, Xiao Gao was fighting with the assassins in a blind alley. Yan Mingting joined in, and within a short while, they knocked the two people to the ground.


    At this time, Xiao Gao crouched down and grasped the man¡¯s jaw, breaking it with a crack. Then he cut the tendons in his hands and feet, and went to the other person to do the same.


    Yan Mingting was astonished.


    ¡°My lord said that I should cut off all the ways for them to kill themselves first, so that they can suffer and be able to confess quickly during interrogation.¡±


    Not long after, Zhao Yelan received news that the assassins had all been captured alive and were being sent to the government office.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see a good show.¡± Zhao Yelan opened his fan, waved it twice, and then glanced down at the writing on it.


    He had never had the time to buy a new fan, and the weather was especially hot, so he could only carry it with him. Apart from being irritating, it still had some practical use.


    Li Yucheng also opened his new fan and walked swaggeringly, looking very grandiose.


    Yin Pinglu looked at their two fans. One was ¡°The Most Beautiful Man In the Capital¡± and one was ¡°The Number One Dandy In the Capital.¡±


    She was silent for a moment, then slowed down her pace wordlessly so that she was not walking side-by-side with them. Lowering her head, she pretended not to see the mocking eyes of the passers-by around her.


    ¡°I think a lot of people have gone in the direction of the government office to watch the excitement. It should be that Yan Mingting and the others have already arrived,¡± Li Yucheng said.


    Zhao Yelan stopped abruptly in his tracks.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡± After Li Yucheng asked this, the other went over to the small loch next to him.


    Li Yucheng followed him without knowing why, and seeing him stare at the water, he asked: ¡°What are you looking for? What¡¯s in this loch?¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his head to the left, then to the right.


    Li Yucheng observed for a long while, then realized in surprise: ¡°You can¡¯t be looking at your face, right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him and asked straightforwardly: ¡°I just ran into smoke, is there anything on my face?¡±


    Li Yucheng: ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be, it¡¯s still good-looking.¡±


    Only then was Zhao Yelan satisfied, and his expression immediately became shrewd and cold: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Li Yucheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    [1] The idiom is ¡°a cornered dog will jump over the wall,¡± which means someone has been driven to desperate measures. ?

 CH 58

    The government office was brightly lit and noisy, which alerted people all around, and they all ran to the gate to watch the excitement.


    Magistrate Yin donned his official uniform and ran to the lobby in a panic. Seeing the wounded assassins lying on the ground, his legs were so weak with fright that they went limp. Pretending to be calm, he looked at Yan Mingting, who was standing in the hall: ¡°General Yan, who are these?


    ¡°Magistrate Yin, don¡¯t play stupid now,¡± Yan Mingting said sternly.


    ¡°This official doesn¡¯t understand what General Yan means.¡±


    ¡°Of course you understand. We¡¯ll just wait here for the Imperial Envoy to handle the case.¡± Yan Mingting sat down on the chair next to him and watched him intently, as if staring at prey.


    Magistrate Yin dripped with cold sweat and looked down at the assassin on the ground, still alive and moaning in pain. He had a feeling that something was wrong, and his palms began to sweat.


    Clearly, Yan Mingting and ¡°Zhao Yelan¡¯s¡± relationship wasn¡¯t good, so why did he rush to save the other in time?


    ¡°Lord Imperial Envoy, you¡­¡­¡± Magistrate Yin walked to the other side with heavy steps, looked at the silent Gao Tan, and made a pretense of concern, ¡°Why is there blood all over your body? Who did it? Was it these people? I¡¯ll put them in prison now!¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    There was a sudden clear voice at the door. Magistrate Yin looked over and saw the two young masters from the capital walking in with Yin Pinglu.


    Yan Mingting immediately rose to meet them, and began to converse with their leader.


    Magistrate Yin clenched his fists. When matters reached such a point, either the fish would die or the net would split. To temporarily distract the Imperial Envoy, he raised his voice: ¡°Zhao-daren, I want to expose to you the fact that General Yan had an affair with someone!¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent and collectively looked at him.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, there is something you don¡¯t know. During your absence in Huaizhou, General Yan and this Fu-gongzi expressed affection to each other, colluding in secret. This official saw it with his own eyes! Even at this moment, my lord, you were almost killed, but the General¡¯s primary concern is that gongzi! I¡¯m really looking out for you, my lord!¡± Magistrate Yin¡¯s words were sincere and his tone was animated, as if he really felt sorry for Zhao-daren.


    But after he finished speaking, the person in front of him just looked at him indifferently, then took a step to the side, and another step¡­¡­


    Magistrate Yin watched helplessly as he moved step by step to stand behind the young master, and then handed over the token of the Imperial Envoy to him.


    Magistrate Yin¡¯s eyes went wide and blank.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡± Zhao Yelan took the token, avoided the duo lying on the ground, and walked to the table at the front of the lobby to sit upright and still. ¡°Will you honestly confess your crimes now?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Magistrate Yin came to a belated realization and pointed at him with a trembling finger, his legs weakening. ¡°You are¡­¡­you are Zhao Yelan?!¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a cold look and hit the gavel: ¡°Bring Kuang Sheng to the hall.¡±


    Kuang Sheng was escorted in by several soldiers. When he entered the lobby, he was a little surprised to see the person sitting in the main seat, but soon calmed down. Ever since he discovered that the group of people obeyed this person¡¯s orders, he had guessed that he was of high status. He had not, however, expected that he was the real Imperial Envoy.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, I want to sue the prefectural magistrate for raping civilian women and colluding with higher authorities!¡± After Kuang Sheng finished speaking loudly, County Magistrate Wu was brought up by Yu Dali.


    ¡°My lord, this person sent people to Kuang Sheng¡¯s house in a futile attempt to silence him, but we captured them alive. The assassins all confessed,¡± Yu Dali said.


    ¡°The criminal has been caught in the act. If you don¡¯t want to be punished, County Magistrate Wu, then obediently sign your confession.¡±


    County Magistrate Wu¡¯s hair was scattered, and he was unbearably humiliated. Glancing at Magistrate Yin, he signed his name.


    ¡°Now, who is the person who sent others to murder a court official?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°It was me,¡± County Magistrate Wu choked out.


    ¡°Magistrate Yin is your father-in-law, and he has accepted a lot of bribes from you. Why must you take the blame for him at this time? Do you know that this crime can destroy your family? Is he worth your entire family¡¯s lives? Even if you don¡¯t take your wife into consideration, are you willing to lose your child¡¯s life and cause your Wu family to have no descendents?¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    These words really hit County Magistrate Wu¡¯s weak point. His biggest fear was having no heir. The veins on his forehead throbbed, and he turned to look at Magistrate Yin.


    Magistrate Yin knew that the matter was over. His knees softened, and he knelt down on the ground: ¡°My lord, please forgive me, this official was just confused for a moment!¡±


    ¡°You were confused? You were afraid that the Imperial Envoy would find evidence of collusion and bribery between you and other officials. You were just afraid. In addition, you thought that Yan Mingting and I did not have a good relationship, so you planned to murder me and then spread word of Yan Mingting¡¯s affair in order to divert attention and cause confusion,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Magistrate Yin knelt on the ground, his hands continuing to tremble.


    ¡°Now write down the list of all the officials you secretly bribed, and I can fight for a lighter sentence for you.¡± Zhao Yelan handed him the brush and paper. Seeing that he was still unwilling to move, he smiled slightly. ¡°These assassins lying here haven¡¯t died yet, but they are living a life worse than death. Write quickly while you are still able to do so, lest you be punished later worse than them.¡±


    He looked back at the two assassins whose hands and feet were still bleeding, and then couldn¡¯t bear to look anymore. He turned back around and quickly signed.


    After more than half an hour, Zhao Yelan finally got an indictment, including the list of embezzlers: ¡°Send these two people to Dali Temple immediately.¡±


    ¡°My lord, didn¡¯t you say that you would lighten the punishment?!¡± Magistrate Yin stared at him in shock.


    ¡°I have lightened it, ah, did I touch you?¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°The investigation of this case will of course be left to the people from the Ministry of Justice and Dali Temple. If you want someone to intercede, ask them.¡±


    Magistrate Yin slumped to the ground and was lifted up. When passing through the door, he turned to look at Yin Pinglu.


    ¡°I will take good care of my younger siblings,¡± Yin Pinglu said.


    ¡°Pei!¡± Magistrate Yin spat at her. ¡°You traitorous leech! How did I bring a daughter like you into this world!?¡±


    Yin Pinglu froze in place, staring at him in disbelief.


    Yan Mingting was about to step forward, but Zhao Yelan got there first and slapped the man hard: ¡°You don¡¯t know the heights of the sky and the depths of the earth,[1] you old thing. What you have today is purely your own doing.¡±


    ¡°Precisely!¡± Li Yucheng had been unhappy with this old man for a long time, so he went up and kicked him several times to vent his anger.


    Xiao Gao also took advantage of the opportunity and punched him a few times.


    ¡°Take him out.¡± Zhao Yelan waved his hand.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yan Mingting looked at Yin Pinglu, and she shook her head, quickly wiping her fingertips over the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I don¡¯t feel any guilt at all now. Do whatever you want, the two of you don¡¯t have to worry about my reputation.¡±


    The Imperial Envoy had the right to try this case locally, and went through so much trouble, probably so that she would not be implicated in it.


    ¡°Sending it to the capital for trial is not just to save face for you, but to make a big show of it so that officials in other places can be more apprehensive and well-behaved.¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°Moreover, there are too many people involved in this, and it is most appropriate to hand it over to the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple.¡± In order to prevent the Imperial court from suspecting him again.


    On the second day, Zhao Yelan interrogated Magistrate Yin and County Magistrate Wu overnight, and the news of a lot of related personnel was spread through the streets and alleys, causing a sensation in the entire Jiangnan area.


    Officials from several surrounding prefectures were also involved, and everyone was in danger of being thoroughly investigated.


    The common people were all delighted, discussing this major event over dinner and tea. Some felt that it was unthinkable, and there were also those who felt that they deserved death.


    In addition, many people knew that the so-called ¡°most beautiful man in the capital¡± had turned out to be Zhao-daren, and while praising his conduct of punishing corrupt officials, they also praised his good looks.


    When Zhao Yelan went out to buy stuffed steamed buns in the morning, he was surrounded by people. Some asked how he would deal with the officials, and some bold women spoke out and declared that they wanted to marry him.


    Yan Mingting started to get sour from a long distance away, and pulled him out of the crowd. Holding his hand, he said: ¡°The matter of the officials will be handled by the court, and a new magistrate will arrive soon, so see to your own business and don¡¯t even think about my wife! We have been married, the kind with three matchmakers, six ceremonies, and an eight-carrier sedan chair!¡±


    Everyone was amused by him, and laughed while praising the General for also being very handsome. The two were really a good match!


    ¡°Girl, what did you just say?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°I said that General Yan and Zhao-daren are really a good match!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t quite hear that.¡±


    ¡°Both General Yan and Zhao-daren are great heroes. General Yan helped us catch the bandits, and Zhao-daren caught corrupt officials for us. You are the perfect match!¡±


    Yan Mingting and everyone else laughed together.


    Zhao Yelan glanced helplessly at the proud Yan Mingting.


    ¡°Be careful that the Imperial Censor doesn¡¯t accuse you of the crime of inciting the masses.¡± Back at the inn, Zhao Yelan put down the paper bag in his hand, which contained a few big steamed buns fresh out of the oven.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give him a good beating. Not thinking about the common people, and hanging onto the words and deeds of officials all day long, he¡¯s really idle.¡± Yan Mingting sat down beside him heavily.


    ¡°Again with your vulgar language.¡± Zhao Yelan laughed.


    Yan Mingting laughed too, saying with emotion: ¡°In my opinion, when comparing Jiangnan to the capital, it¡¯s like heaven and earth. The people here are really sensible.¡±


    There were many officials in the capital, and many different parties and interests. Common people without a keen sense of judgment would follow others¡¯ opinions when they heard about turmoil in the court.


    Yan Mingting still remembered the time when he had just returned to court. He heard gossip about Zhao Yelan outside all day and didn¡¯t care much at first, but after getting along with Zhao Yelan for a length of time, it was inevitable that he would be fed up with these voices.


    In Jiangnan, these peoples¡¯ first impression of Zhao Yelan was that he was cruel and merciless, but since they were far apart in distance, they didn¡¯t care how cruel he was. Now in their hearts, it was Zhao-daren who was a decisive and resolute person who had captured corrupt officials for the sake of the common people. He was a good official who did practical things for them!


    Yan Mingting stood up suddenly, called a few people, and ordered: ¡°You spread what the common people said today in the capital, preferably in other places as well.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry: ¡°Their mouths can¡¯t be blocked, so why care about others¡¯ opinions?¡±


    ¡°I care, I don¡¯t want to hear them say bad things about you.¡± Yan Mingting sat back down in a huff.


    Zhao Yelan looked sideways with a slight smile in his eyes. He slowly approached his cheek, pinched his earlobe lightly, and whispered: ¡°Then will you listen to my words?¡±


    Yan Mingting had already frozen completely when the other party got close. Now his face was even redder, and he turned his head, wanting to kiss his lips.


    But the other party took a light step back and pressed his index finger against his lips.


    ¡°Not right now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Yan Mingting stared blankly.


    Because I just ate a steamed bun filled with chives, and the taste is strong.


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows and didn¡¯t give the real reason, but got back to business as usual: ¡°I received an urgent letter from the Imperial court saying that the trial of the governor¡¯s collusion with officials and bandits has been completed, and he has been detained in prison, waiting to be dealt with. The new governor is about to take office.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Yan Mingting listened seriously, but his heart itched unbearably when he looked at him. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°In addition to County Magistrate Wu, there are several other important officials on their way to the capital. Those other small officials will stay in Jiangnan for investigation. You send people to guard the rest of the people on the list, and wait for the new governor to deal with them in turn. Someone who has just arrived in office must be eager to make some political achievements. This is a great opportunity. I won¡¯t participate, so we can set off for the capital as soon as that person arrives.¡±


    ¡°Going back so soon? Don¡¯t you want to relax for a few more days?¡±


    ¡°The new governor will arrive in a few days, that¡¯s enough time for us to have some fun.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Yan Mingting looked at him with burning eyes. ¡°Is there anything we should do?¡±


    ¡°En, I haven¡¯t bought any Jiangnan silk yet.¡± Zhao Yelan took his purse and prepared to go downstairs. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Jiangnan silk is exceptional, so I will go and take a good look.¡±


    Next door, Li Yucheng heard movement and ran out excitedly: ¡°Are you going to look at silk? I can accompany you, ah, I¡¯ll take you to the best silk shop!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Zhao Yelan readily agreed.


    Yan Mingting looked at the backs of those briskly departing figures and silently covered his face.


    ¡°General, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Yin Pinglu came out to the sight of his melancholy face, then saw the two figures going downstairs. The sound of their discussion about clothing could be heard from here, so she could guess what they were going to do.


    ¡°Tell me¡­¡­is it the clothes or the man that is most important?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°This¡­.. If the General is jealous, he can follow suit.¡± Yin Pinglu smiled and said, ¡°Nothing is more important than being happy, so why make Zhao-daren choose? How about making him a little happier?¡±


    Yan Mingting thought for a moment and suddenly realized: ¡°You¡¯re right. Come on, you come too.¡±


    ¡°What am I going to do?¡±


    ¡°You divert the attention of that brat Li Yucheng and chat with him for a bit so that he doesn¡¯t follow Zhao Yelan around the whole time.¡±


    Yin Pinglu smiled and followed.


    The group of people arrived at a silk shop with a large storefront, and Li Yucheng yelled: ¡°Shopkeeper, take out your best silk, these masters have plenty of silver!¡±


    Someone soon took out several materials for them to choose from. Zhao Yelan touched the material. It was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wings, soft and comfortable, and was indeed a good product. As soon as he took out his purse, Yan Mingting pressed it back down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay the bill.¡± Yan Mingting was full of pride.


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows, picked out one of the beautiful brocade handkerchiefs, and looked at him with a half-smile: ¡°I want this handkerchief too.¡±


    ¡°Buy fifty of them!¡±


    ¡°This garment is pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Buy!¡±


    ¡°This color is unique.¡±


    ¡°Buy, buy, buy!¡±


    The shopkeeper was completely overjoyed, and hurried to pack up the goods.


    ¡°The total is one hundred and fifty-eight taels.¡±


    Yan Mingting took out his purse and tossed it over. The shopkeeper happily counted the money, but said awkwardly: ¡°Gongzi, this¡­¡­is not enough.¡±


    The corners of Yan Mingting¡¯s mouth twitched, and his voice immediately weakened: ¡°How much is it?¡±


    ¡°Forty-three taels.¡±


    Yan Mingting usually didn¡¯t carry much money when he went out. This was really embarrassing. He looked down at the accessories on his body, and just when he touched the jade pendant on his waist, his hand was held down by Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°We won¡¯t pay with this,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t such a thing good?¡± Yan Mingting whispered to him. ¡°My piece of jade is just an ornament and doesn¡¯t have much use. Just give it to him.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to give it.¡± Zhao Yelan called, ¡°Li Yucheng, pay the bill.¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately became unhappy: ¡°Why let him pay?¡±


    ¡°Because this is his uncle¡¯s silk shop, and he still owes me more than nine thousand taels of gold. Isn¡¯t letting him pay such a small amount just a fraction of that?¡± Zhao Yelan looked back at Li Yucheng. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Li Yucheng grinned: ¡°Sure enough, I can¡¯t hide it from you, ah. Not only will I give you all these things, but I also want to give you a piece of clothing as long as you promise to wear it for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Only one?¡± Zhao Yelan asked him.


    Li Yucheng came to his senses and said, ¡°Yan Mingting and Miss Yin can have one too!¡±


    In the end, the four of them changed into new clothes in the store, and almost everyone turned their heads to look at them as they walked down the street.


    Zhao Yelan finally wore a new fan, and when someone asked where they had bought their clothes, Li Yucheng immediately replied: ¡°The Cheng family silk shop!¡±


    Within half a day, everything in the Cheng family silk shop was wiped out.


    After dinner, Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan went for a stroll together. This time, there were finally no other people around.


    ¡°There are masks.¡± Zhao Yelan felt that this was novel. The masks sold here were all in the shape of animals. He took a few glances, picked up the dog-face mask in front of him, and placed it on Yan Mingting¡¯s face.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting put his hand on the mask and was about to remove it, but then saw Zhao Yelan laughing. As if he couldn¡¯t stop, he laughed louder and louder, his eyes curved into half moons. He laughed without any scruples, without melancholy, and without concealment.


    Yan Mingting was infected by his laughter, and also couldn¡¯t help but laugh: ¡°Is it so funny?¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled and nodded, almost unable to stand up straight, and grabbed his arm to borrow his strength. He said: ¡°Take out the money.¡±


    Yan Mingting paid for two, then picked up a cat-face mask and quickly put it on his face, laughing loudly: ¡°So good-looking!¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled and asked: ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You and your cat face, of course.¡± Yan Mingting ran away after speaking.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s good-looking!¡± Zhao Yelan automatically chased after him. ¡°You and your dog face are the ones that look good!¡±


    The streets were bustling and full of light, and many people saw two tall men wearing ridiculous masks chasing each other and happily quarreling.


    A child was standing on the side of the road licking tanghulu. Seeing this, he said in a babyish voice: ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t play these things anymore. Why are those two still playing, ah? They add up to half a hundred years old, they are so childish.¡±


    [1] To not know the ¡°heights of the sky and the depths of the earth¡± is to be arrogant and conceited. ?

 CH 59

    The Imperial court had been very busy these days. First, the governor of Jiangnan was escorted back to Beijing. After a few days, even the magistrate of Huaizhou and several other important officials were also detained.


    The Emperor was furious, and ordered the three judicial divisions to interrogate them. It was necessary to uncover those officials in Jiangnan who were in collusion with each other. This was also to set an example for others. After he ascended the throne, he wanted to root out those people left behind by the late emperor, but his focus had always been on Beijing. The Jiangnan area had always been docile and peaceful. Unexpectedly, relying on the distance between them, even the governor dared to ignore the laws and discipline of the Imperial court. There was no telling what sort of decay lay below.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Kuang Sheng¡¯s report that caught his attention, he would have been deceived by these people for a long time. However, although Kuang Sheng was successful in this endeavor, he could not escape the crime of falsely reporting the disaster situation, which had caused the Imperial court to allocate 100,000 taels in vain. It was difficult to transport it back in a short amount of time, resulting in a shortage in the national treasury. After discussions among all parties, the final decision was to remove Kuang Sheng from his position as water reporter, and he would not be allowed to hold an official position for life.


    Kuang Sheng was already very satisfied with the results. He knew that Zhao-daren had rewritten his grievances for him in the report, so he was able to safely avoid the calamity of going to prison.


    The same went for Yin Pinglu. Because she exposed the Yin family and helped Zhao Yelan greatly in his investigation, this separated her from the Yin family without implicating innocent people. Yin Pinglu sent her younger siblings to her grandmother¡¯s house.


    However, there were suddenly many vacancies in Jiangnan, and there were endless disputes in court over who should fill them.


    Zhao Xuan had been busy for several days, and from time to time, he summoned officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Officials to discuss the matter. After finally settling things, he breathed a sigh of relief at last. Realizing that he had forgotten to eat lunch, he went to Sun Muyun¡¯s residence.


    Since the events in Jiangnan, he hadn¡¯t seen Sun Muyun again. He was both busy and worried that the Sun family was also one of those rotten seeds.


    But these days, Sun Muyun didn¡¯t take the initiative to find him. He occasionally ran into her in the Imperial garden, where the other party would play carelessly with the court ladies and eunuchs, not appearing to be worried about her father. Then he received a letter from Zhao Yelan. According to the investigation, the prefectural magistrate was not involved in the affair. On the contrary, there was a county magistrate and the Wu magistrate who had been friends for many years and colluded with each other.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± As soon as Zhao Xuan entered, he saw Sun Muyun spinning in circles.


    ¡°Answering the Emperor, I am trying on new clothes.¡± Sun Muyun smiled and said, ¡°Jinxuan¡¯s clothes are really good, but they are not as good as Jiangnan¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Jinxuan? Such a familiar name.¡±


    ¡°Of course it sounds familiar. Zhao-daren basically buys all his fabrics and ready-made clothes there. Wearing them out is a living advertisement, but it¡¯s a pity that the common people cannot afford them at all.¡±


    Earlier, Sun Muyun had specifically inquired about which clothes were the best in the capital.


    Zhao Xuan smiled. Counting the days, Zhao Yelan had been away for more than a month. He said in a daze: ¡°I wonder how he is doing in Jiangnan now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your Majesty, Zhao-daren will be very happy, and might not even want to leave. Who let us have so much stunning scenery, delicious food, and beauties in Jiangnan¡­¡­oh, didn¡¯t the General go too? Those beauties are not worth mentioning in front of the General. After all, the General is quite handsome!¡±


    Zhao Xuan paused: ¡°Today, instead of praising me, you are praising others?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty is already praised enough, the most beautiful thing in this palace is His Majesty,¡± Sun Muyun said.


    ¡°What about outside the palace?¡±


    ¡°This concubine says that His Majesty is not allowed to be angry.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be angry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Zhao-daren and General Yan! They look so good together! Your Majesty is so discerning to bestow marriage upon them! They are so well-matched, ah! Seeing two beautiful men standing together at the same time is so comfortable!¡±


    Zhao Yelan scoffed coldly and left in a fit of pique.


    ¡°It was agreed that you wouldn¡¯t be angry, cheapskate.¡± Sun Muyun sighed and shook her head, then looked out the window. ¡°I wonder if Dad has read my letter.¡±


    At that time, Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting were guests in the Sun residence.


    Yan Mingting had originally wanted to have someone deliver Sun Muyun¡¯s token, but Zhao Yelan wanted to go to Zhizhou to deal with the matter of the colluding county magistrate, so Yan Mingting followed along.


    Magistrate Sun had just dealt with those people according to the law. When he heard that the Imperial Envoy had come to Zhizhou in person, he explained everything that had happened in detail.


    After listening, Zhao Yelan nodded without any objections: ¡°Bothering Sun-daren to bring up the new county magistrate as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yan Mingting handed Sun Muyun¡¯s token to him, and only then did Magistrate Sun know that his daughter had a close relationship with these two big figures. While he was pleased with her, he couldn¡¯t help being a little worried that his daughter would be bullied if she didn¡¯t have any family or backers in Beijing. Thus, he was even more polite to them, and entertained them with good wine and good food.


    After dinner, Magistrate Sun prepared a room for them, but Zhao Yelan proposed that they go out for a walk.


    Although Zhizhou and Huaizhou were adjacent counties, the atmosphere here seemed to be more unconstrained. More than a hundred years ago, there once appeared a beautiful woman here who vigorously pursued a man and became a laughingstock. But shockingly, within a few years of getting married, that man conquered a whole country and named it Xuan. It was precisely because of the founding Empress Mingzhu that most of the women here were enthusiastic and unconstrained. When they spied a man they liked, they would take the initiative to express their hearts.


    The two of them had only walked tens of meters when they were accosted by many young women one after another, and even Xiao Gao behind them couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°My lord, this sachet smells so good, you take it,¡± Xiao Gao said.


    ¡°This was given to you by others. If you accept it, you have to marry them,¡± Zhao Yelan teased.


    ¡°Ah! I don¡¯t want a wife! I¡¯m going to pay her back now!¡± Xiao Gao turned and ran back to find the woman.


    Not long after, the street ahead became full of people, and the road was completely blocked. Everyone was very excited, eagerly looking at the people upstairs and shouting non-stop.


    Zhao Yelan looked up to see a graceful beauty standing in the restaurant, about to throw a ball of hydrangeas to choose a husband.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a hydrangea thrower yet,¡± Yan Mingting laughed.


    They simply stopped to watch the excitement.


    The girl standing upstairs looked down below and suddenly smiled. She was attracted by a man in brocade clothes standing in the southeast direction, and could tell the difference from the people around him at a glance.


    Zhao Yelan never thought that being so far away from the restaurant and only looking from a distance, the hydrangea ball would be accurately thrown into his hands.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan instinctively tossed the ball to Yan Mingting: ¡°Throw it back.¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately threw it back as if it was burning his hand.


    There was laughter and jeering all around.


    The girl didn¡¯t expect the hydrangeas to be returned to her hands. Seeing that the person who knew martial arts was also very handsome, she threw it to that person this time.


    Yan Mingting quickly hugged Zhao Yelan¡¯s waist and turned his body to the side to avoid the hydrangea ball. It hit Xiao Gao¡¯s chest, and he caught the ball without thinking. Looking at everyone suspiciously, he handed the ball to Zhao Yelan: ¡°My lord, this ball looks good, you can have it.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s complexion changed, and he swiftly handed it over to Yan Mingting: ¡°Quick!¡±


    Yan Mingting slapped the hydrangeas back into the girl¡¯s hands.


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Are you just playing around?!


    The girl suddenly became playful and felt that she must hit them. She did her best to throw it over, but saw that they were nowhere to be found.


    Yan Mingting embraced Zhao Yelan and jumped up onto a nearby roof, Xiao Gao following close behind. Finally, they stopped on a tall building and sat on the roof to watch the moon.


    Zhao Yelan waved his fan, then lowered his head to straighten out the corners of his clothes. When he looked up again, he found that Yan Mingting was staring at the sachet dangling at his waist.


    ¡°There is something that I¡¯ve always been curious about, and I wonder if I can get an answer from you.¡± Yan Mingting pinched his sachet.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You know I sneeze every time I smell that sweetgrass sachet. Then do you know what other things are in it?¡± Yan Mingting asked tentatively.


    He had left the capital with haste and hadn¡¯t received an answer from Yao Muze yet, but looking at the person before him now, he was really curious about what was going on.


    ¡°Did someone try to harm you by secretly adding something to your sachet without you knowing?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan remained silent.


    ¡°When we return, we will know what was added to it, and we can follow the clues to find out who is trying to murder you,¡± Yan Mingting said coldly.


    ¡°No need to find out.¡± Zhao Yelan raised his chin slightly, his face as white as tonight¡¯s waning moon, lonely and desolate. He looked sideways at the other party. ¡°I added it myself.¡±


    Yan Mingting was taken aback.


    Zhao Yelan said slowly: ¡°It¡¯s a powder from the Western Regions. It smells similar to sweetgrass. If worn for a long time, it will cause¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Coughing, headaches, weakness in the limbs?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no fool.¡± The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°Only you have such a dog¡¯s nose. No one else has ever suspected this.¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know what expression to make, and said in distress: ¡°You did it to yourself? Why did you want to do such a thing?¡±


    ¡°To survive in this world,¡± Zhao Yelan said calmly, pointing to the right side of his chest. ¡°I once blocked an arrow for Zhao Xuan. In the ice and snow, the cold entered my body, and it took a long time to salvage my life. I feel uncomfortable when the weather is cold, but I can, in fact, survive it. In the next few years, I will gradually get better. But I don¡¯t want him to think I¡¯m really healed. I want to make him feel guilty, so that when he sees my incurable body, he will think of my life-saving grace to him¡­¡­Isn¡¯t it ridiculous?¡±


    Yan Mingting moved his lips without sound, took a deep breath, and then hugged him tightly: ¡°You shouldn¡¯t torture your body either, ah.¡±


    ¡°What else could I do? At that time, I had neither a prominent family background nor a lot of money. I was alone, and my only bet was his conscience.¡±


    ¡°I should have known, I should have taken you away when we first met,¡± Yan Mingting said in a muffled voice.


    Zhao Yelan smiled silently: ¡°But in that case, I couldn¡¯t avenge my parents. You wanted to fight for the people, but I only had my own private hatred in my heart, so I definitely would have run away.¡±


    Yan Mingting: ¡°Then is your parents¡¯ revenge finished?¡±


    ¡°The man you saw last time in the brothel was the last enemy,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Therefore, now is the best time for us to meet. You have finished the war and I have finished my revenge. There is no other burden.¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded, then spoke again after a moment: ¡°But I am still a little unhappy.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why are you hurting for him? You grew up with him, do you like him, ah¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan pushed him away, looking into his eyes with a smile as he said: ¡°He was the prince, I had to rely on him in order to complete my revenge plan. When one falls in disgrace, the whole family is doomed. If he was gone, I would naturally not be spared by those people. Rather than being captured alive and tortured, I would rather go out straightforwardly. Moreover, the Gold Collar Guard had already appeared at that time, and I was certain that I would be saved, so I went to block that arrow for him.¡±


    ¡°You are not allowed to do this in the future!¡± Yan Mingting still felt a little angry after thinking about it. ¡°You now have a prominent family background, a lot of wealth, and even more power¡­¡­Ah, husband, no one will dare to bully you, not even Zhao Xuan. You are not allowed to get hurt for him in the future.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows. There was a smile at the tips of his eyes. ¡°Are you drinking vinegar?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m drinking vinegar,¡± Yan Mingting said bluntly.


    Zhao Yelan was stunned for a moment, then gave a light laugh and poked him on the head: ¡°Did you grow up drinking vinegar?¡±


    Yan Mingting scoffed, turned his head, and said: ¡°Xiao Gao, go buy some wine.¡±


    Xiao Gao immediately flipped off the roof, and Zhao Yelan cast him a sideways glance: ¡°Could it be that you are a wine maniac? Or do you want to drink away your worries?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, I just wanted to drive Xiao Gao away.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For us to whisper sweet nothings to each other, how embarrassing would it be for him to see?¡±


    ¡°When will we be whispering¡­¡­¡± Before Zhao Yelan could finish speaking, the other party leaned over and kissed him on the lips.


    ¡°What about a kiss?¡± Yan Mingting blushed first.


    Zhao Yelan blinked. Their eyes met and they gazed at each other. Just when he was about to reach out to the other party, he heard Xiao Gao call: ¡°I¡¯m back, I brought lotus wine!¡±


    The two were startled, and simultaneously turned to look.


    ¡°I¡¯ve troubled you.¡± Yan Mingting took it in an awkward manner. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and buy a bag of peanuts to go with the wine.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao Gao disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Yan Mingting cleared his throat, tugged at his sleeve, and said: ¡°Shall we continue¡­¡­?¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned back as if nothing had happened. The two looked at each other¡¯s lips and moved forward slowly ¡ª


    ¡°General, I¡¯m back from buying peanuts!¡± Xiao Gao suddenly appeared. Crouching between them, he looked left and right. ¡°You are so close, what are you playing?¡±


    Yan Mingting was annoyed, ah!


    ¡°Why did you come back so soon?¡± Yan Mingting asked, grinding his teeth.


    ¡°There¡¯s an inn downstairs, so the purchase was quick,¡± Xiao Gao said.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± He¡¯d made a mistake. He should have told him to buy tanghulu in the capital.


    Yan Mingting was thinking of a method to keep him far away when suddenly, someone grasped his jaw. He turned his head, and a pair of warm lips covered his own. It was as if a fire had been ignited, and his whole body burned. His cheeks were even hotter.


    Xiao Gao¡¯s eyes widened. He fell backwards and rolled off the roof with the alcohol. The wine was spilled, and the aroma of lotus flower mixed with alcohol wafted out.


    ¡°Good, this time he won¡¯t come up.¡± Zhao Yelan grabbed Yan Mingting¡¯s collar, and his upper body leaned toward him unconsciously. Yan Mingting braced against the ridge of the roof with one hand and tightly encircled Zhao Yelan¡¯s waist with the other arm. He entwined the tip of his tongue, traced the contours of his lips, the scent of the other in every breath.


    No matter how good the scenery and food of Jiangnan was, it was far inferior to the taste of this moment, which surpassed everything else in the world.


    The moon shone brightly over a vast sea of people. They had met again at the best time, and in this life, they would be inseparable.

 CH 60

    The Sun residence prepared a high-quality wing room with all facilities included. Upon opening the door, one could smell the faint scent of flowers, and there were several pots of orchids in the room.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan entered the room, he was embraced from behind, and Yan Mingting nuzzled his neck and kissed it delicately. There were people from the Sun residence outside. Zhao Yelan pushed him, but didn¡¯t propel him away. He simply turned around, raised his head, and claimed the other¡¯s lips.


    After a while, Yan Mingting picked him up, walked to the table by the window, and set him down.


    Zhao Yelan put his hands on the table, gasping for breath, and asked: ¡°Magistrate Sun prepared one room?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise?¡± Yan Mingting gripped the edge of the table and kissed his cheek, then his neck. ¡°We are husband and wife, of course we¡¯ll share the same room. Magistrate Sun is a man who knows how to do things.¡±


    Zhao Yelan chuckled, feeling a bit ticklish. He raised his chin unconsciously, and his Adam¡¯s apple was gently caressed. He groaned, and the other party held him in his arms again, rubbing his hands over his back.


    A thought occurred to him, and he quivered. Opening his eyes suddenly, he accidentally knocked over the flower pot next to him in a fluster.


    With a bang, porcelain fragments and soil shattered to the ground, the orchids all mixed in.


    ¡°General Yan, Zhao-daren, are you all right?¡± The worried voices of the Sun mansion¡¯s residence sounded outside the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± After speaking, Yan Mingting suppressed the agitation in his heart and grabbed his hand to check it. ¡°It¡¯s not hurt?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhao Yelan shook his head and stood up to open the door, ordering, ¡°I accidentally knocked over a flower pot, please come and clean it up.¡±


    Two servants rushed to clear it away, and asked if they needed some refreshments. Zhao Yelan said: ¡°We do.¡±


    ¡°These ones will go to the kitchen and bring them here. Do my lords want to enjoy them here or in the pavilion?¡±


    ¡°The pavilion.¡±


    The servant asked someone to bring them to the pavilion to wait, then turned and went to the kitchen.


    Yan Mingting eagerly followed him to the pavilion. He guessed that the other had been frightened by his actions just now, and blamed himself for being too impatient. This sort of thing didn¡¯t happen overnight. The other party might not be ready for it yet, and it was already very good to be able to kiss.


    He became happy again at this thought, and said: ¡°The Sun mansion¡¯s landscaping is very nice.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah, I didn¡¯t take a good look around during the day, but it looks really good now.¡±


    The two sat down in the pavilion in the middle of the lake. The small lake below was surrounded by rockery and other pavilions and decks, and the style of the garden was more graceful and refined than in the capital.


    Sitting there at night, enjoying the cool breeze while eating cakes and drinking good wine, was truly a great blessing.


    ¡°This is much better than those strong wines. It tastes sweet and it¡¯s not easy to get drunk.¡± Yan Mingting poured two cups.


    ¡°Yes, this wine is the most popular lotus brew in the area, and it is best to drink it in this season. I heard that Miss¡­¡­oh, Concubine Xian, said in her letter that she wanted to drink this lotus wine. There are also many foreigners who come to our Zhizhou to buy it.¡± The servant spared no effort in espousing the merits of this brew.


    ¡°Is it really that good?¡± Zhao Yelan was moved when he heard this, and dismissed all the servants. Then he picked up the wine cup and was about to taste it, when Yan Mingting stopped him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your body incapable of tolerating alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Who said such a thing?¡±


    ¡°You, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned a deaf ear and only said: ¡°I just won¡¯t get drunk, didn¡¯t you say it was difficult to get drunk off this wine? I¡¯ll only take a sip.¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t say anything more. It was okay if he just had a sip¡­¡­right?


    ¡°This is your third cup,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°It tastes really good, and it seems that it¡¯s really not intoxicating.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled, toyed with the wine cup, and put it down. ¡°All right, I won¡¯t drink any more.¡±


    No more than three cups of wine was his rule. Otherwise¡­¡­it would be embarrassing.


    Yan Mingting drank the wine on his own, but kept feeling like the taste was lacking, so he took a closer look and saw that Zhao Yelan¡¯s face was flushed. He said with a smile: ¡°It turns out your face is like this when you drink, ah. Don¡¯t you feel hot?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s hot.¡± Zhao Yelan accelerated the speed of his fan.


    ¡°Would you like to have a couple more? Maybe it can drive out the cold in you? Then you won¡¯t be afraid of catching a chill when winter comes,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan ignored this, waiting to see what else he would come up with.


    Yan Mingting raised his head and drank a few gulps, then picked up the jug and his sword and jumped onto the rockery opposite, dancing with his sword under the moonlight.


    This attracted a lot of people to stop and watch from a distance. Zhao Yelan heard the praises of others and raised his chin with honor, proudly picking up another jug of wine. He poured himself a cup, then stared at the figure that was as light as a swallow but as strong as bamboo, and unknowingly drank most of the pot of wine.


    Yan Mingting raised his head and happily drained the last drops of wine. He put away his sword and returned to the pavilion to find that the other party had drunk a lot.


    Zhao Yelan cast him a sideways glance, picked up a handkerchief to wipe away the wine left on his neck, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Yan Mingting took his hand and led him back to the room.


    After taking a bath, Zhao Yelan fell onto the bed, a little dizzy. He propped himself up with his arms to sit, feeling weak: ¡°Give me water.¡±


    Yan Mingting poured him a cup of water and looked at his blushing face, like peach blossoms in full bloom. He wanted to say something beautiful, but when he saw his frown, he couldn¡¯t help worrying: ¡°Are you drunk? Or are you feeling cold? Do I need to call a doctor?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m only a little drunk.¡± Zhao Yelan hurriedly grabbed his wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t call the doctor.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yan Mingting poured him another cup of water before lying down. Seeing him retreating vigilantly to the wall, he quickly explained in a low voice: ¡°Magistrate Sun didn¡¯t put spare bedding in the room. I didn¡¯t climb up intentionally.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him, his vision a little blurred, then reached out and touched his face, flushing as he warned him: ¡°When I¡¯m drunk¡­¡­I will be a little strange. You had best go and find an inn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so late, and the inns close early. If I left you alone like this, how could I rest assured?¡± Yan Mingting said, ¡°Besides, what kind of strange things could you come up with?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shook his head and closed his eyes to ease the dizziness. He didn¡¯t know if he would exhibit any strange behavior. After all, he hadn¡¯t been drunk for many years, let alone showed his drunk face in front of outsiders.


    He had been self-restrained since he was a child, and even when facing his parents, he never acted too intimately. But at the end of a certain year, he drank a large bowl of wine by mistake and actually crawled into the arms of his parents in the middle of the night to act like a baby, hugging them without letting go. He asked his parents why they were always so strict with him, and even whined in an aggrieved manner.


    The torment caused his parents to be unable to sleep all night, and they teased him for a while afterwards. Later, they coaxed him with wine from time to time, wanting to make him clingy.


    How could he fall for this again?


    But that was many years ago, and he wasn¡¯t sure what would happen now¡­..


    Yan Mingting saw that his eyes were closed and that he hadn¡¯t responded for a long time. He must have fallen asleep. It was a little funny, and he observed his face patiently and meticulously by candlelight.


    This was his first time seeing him blush, and although it was because of drunkenness, it was a scene of its own. He raised his hand, and his fingertips slowly moved down the bridge of his nose to land on his lips. He smiled, then spread his five fingers, measuring the length and width, thinking to himself that this face was actually smaller than his hand.


    At this time, Zhao Yelan groaned softly.


    He subconsciously withdrew his hand and leaned closer to listen, but the other party remained silent once more. Lowering his eyes, he stared at the mole under the other¡¯s eye for a moment and reached out a hand to touch it, then quickly withdrew his hand as if afraid of being discovered, smiling to himself.


    Yan Mingting lay down again and his eyes fell on that fair neck. He became distracted again and approached him quietly, sniffing the fragrance of his body. The scent of lotus wine still lingered, which was a bit addictive.


    In fact, this wine still had a bit of stamina. When he first tasted it, he only felt that it was sweet and delicious, but after that, the alcohol began to pick up. He only seemed to be okay because of his bulk.


    Just as he was contemplating, there was pressure around his waist as Zhao Yelan turned sideways and hugged him.


    Yan Mingting froze all over and looked at the other party in surprise. He saw that his eyes were closed and guessed that he was still not sober.


    Not long after the other party hugged him, he seemed to feel hot and began to tug at his clothes. Yan Mingting watched helplessly as he exposed his fair shoulders and chest, and then fell dead asleep again.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting raised his eyes to stare at the mosquito net, forcibly diverting his attention to avoid getting agitated.


    A short while later, Zhao Yelan changed his hugging position again, grabbing his arm and throwing a leg over his own. At this time, he opened his eyes.


    Eye to eye, Zhao Yelan looked at him motionlessly. After a long time, Yan Mingting spoke weakly: ¡°Do you still know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Yan Mingting.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Mingting heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Why are you so fierce to me?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°You say such a thing with no conscience, when have I ever been fierce to you?¡± Yan Mingting cried out for injustice.


    ¡°Then why did you bully me?¡±


    ¡°At what time?¡±


    ¡°You took a chicken, and mocked me as a sick chicken.¡±


    Yan Mingting had to think for a long time before he remembered the scene when they had first met. Also, when he had just returned to Beijing, he sent a chicken to the Zhao residence, not knowing that his moment of kindness back then had been misunderstood by the other party as mockery. No wonder he was in a foul temper when he first walked in the door.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t mocking you, I just wanted to let you replenish your body, you¡¯re too thin,¡± Yan Mingting patiently explained.


    ¡°You still say I¡¯m ugly,¡± Zhao Yelan said expressionlessly.


    ¡°When did I say you were ugly?!¡±


    ¡°Last time, and now. When you say fatness is the only way to look good, isn¡¯t it just beating around the bush and calling me ugly?¡±


    ¡°Save me, you really know how to talk nonsense with your eyes wide open! You go out and see, is there anyone in the world who is better looking than you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression turned dark for a moment, then sunny, and then he stared at him blankly and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Yan Mingting waved his hand in front of him. Seeing that his expression and reaction were a bit sluggish, he knew that he was truly drunk. Could this be revealing something hidden in his heart? He thought about it, and asked while the iron was hot: ¡°Then do you like Yan Mingting?¡±


    ¡°Yan Mingting?¡±


    ¡°En, Yan Mingting.¡±


    Zhao Yelan blinked slowly. Suddenly there was a trace of sadness in his eyes, and he reached out to hug him, nuzzling against his neck: ¡°Yan Mingting.¡±


    Yan Mingting put his arms around the other¡¯s back and said with a smile: ¡°Alright, alright, I know the answer.¡±


    ¡°Hug me.¡±


    Yan Mingting was exceedingly satisfied and hugged him tightly, thinking that after this guy was drunk, he became so forward and clingy, revealing his heart without any scheming. He couldn¡¯t let anyone else see him like this.


    Of course, it would be great if he could see it hundreds or thousands of times.


    Just as he was planning their next time drinking, the other party kicked him away and fanned himself with his hands.


    Yan Mingting went to get a fan for him, but as soon as Zhao Yelan was cool, he wanted to hug him to sleep, so he acted as a blanket again and was held in Zhao Yelan¡¯s arms. Just when he hugged back, the other party trembled and said: ¡°Don¡¯t touch my back.¡±


    When Yan Mingting took back his hand, Zhao Yelan said again: ¡°Hug me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± So difficult to serve. Yan Mingting interlocked his fingers at last and coaxed, ¡°Okay, look how good it is to hold you like this.¡±


    In this way, Yan Mingting was tormented repeatedly between hugging him and being kicked away, which drove up the fire in him until he couldn¡¯t bring it down. After midnight, it was finally not so hot, and Zhao Yelan peacefully fell asleep while holding him. But Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t sleep, the fire growing stronger and stronger.


    Early the next morning, Zhao Yelan heard the voices of servants outside. Opening his eyes sleepily, he sat up and rubbed his temples. It took him a long while to regain his senses, and when he got out of bed and looked around, Yan Mingting was no longer in the room.


    He opened the door, and Xiao Gao came in to change his clothes and tie up his hair. He was quiet for a long time before asking, ¡°Where is Yan Mingting?¡±


    ¡°The General got up early in the morning and took a cold bath. Now he has been practicing with his sword for an hour.¡± Xiao Gao said worshipfully, ¡°As expected of the General, he doesn¡¯t forget his morning exercises even at this time!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan rubbed his temples again.


    After his hair was finished, some of Sun mansion¡¯s servant girls came to the door to ask for instructions: ¡°Zhao-daren, breakfast is ready. General Yan has already gone in advance, will you be all right?¡±


    ¡°Lead the way.¡± Zhao Yelan silently followed them all the way to the front hall for breakfast.


    As soon as he walked to the door, he met Yan Mingting, who was sitting at the table. The other party was conversing with Magistrate Sun, but his eyes kept landing on him, looking at him leisurely.


    He walked over without a change in expression, exchanged a few words with Magistrate Sun, and sat down to eat.


    Yan Mingting secretly observed for a long while, and found that his expression was normal, as if he didn¡¯t remember what happened last night at all.


    After the meal, Magistrate Yin wanted to invite them to stroll around the neighborhood, but Zhao Yelan proposed to take their leave.


    Zhizhou still had Magistrate Sun in command, but Huaizhou had no leader. Their affairs here had been taken care of, so there was no reason to delay.


    Magistrate Sun saw that there was no hope of persuading them to stay, so he went to arrange a carriage.


    Yan Mingting approached Zhao Yelan from behind and whispered: ¡°Are you sober?¡±


    ¡°I drank too much last night and got a little dizzy, so I fell asleep. I didn¡¯t do anything strange, did I?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yan Mingting looked at his innocent face, raised his eyebrows, and said with a smile: ¡°No.¡±


    The two got in the carriage, and Magistrate Sun and his wife came to see them off in person. Madam Sun took out a bundle and asked eagerly: ¡°I don¡¯t know if the two lords can help bring something back for Muyun. They are all local specialties, and we prepared some for the two of you as well. If you don¡¯t mind, please accept it.¡±


    The two agreed after seeing their sincere parental love.


    ¡°Wait, there are still a few jars of lotus wine here.¡± Magistrate Sun quickly moved another seven jars of wine to the carriage and said with a smile, ¡°I heard that the two of you had a lot of fun drinking lotus wine last night, so the other five jars were prepared specially for you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression froze. He was about to refuse, but Yan Mingting took the initiative to accept it with a smile.


    After waving them goodbye, Yan Mingting put down the curtain, turned to look at the silent Zhao Yelan, and nudged his shoulder with a smile, saying: ¡°Come on, stop pretending, you actually remember it all, right?¡±


    ¡°Remember what?¡± Zhao Yelan insisted.


    ¡°Remember what happened when you got drunk last night.¡± Yan Mingting kneaded his neck and shoulders with purpose. ¡°So sore, you really tormented me all night.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan turned his face away stiffly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Fine, you heartless man, turn your face and be callous.¡± Yan Mingting pretended to be wronged and began to complain, ¡°When you called out for hugs last night, you weren¡¯t so heartless.¡±


    ¡°You shut up!¡± Zhao Yelan turned his head to glare at him.


    However, Yan Mingting intended to continue talking, and when it came to his appearance last night, he couldn¡¯t stop.


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t bear to recall it anymore, so he gave him a profound look: ¡°Why did you take a cold bath so early in the morning? Come on, tell me why?¡±


    Yan Mingting choked suddenly: ¡°¡­¡­That is, because of the wine.¡±

 CH 61

    Zhizhou was a day and a half away from Huaizhou. After sitting in the carriage for half a day, Zhao Yelan opened the curtain in a dispirited mood and saw that there were a few people outside, and farmlands all around. Some people were sitting on the ridges of the fields, looking up at the sun.


    Zhao Yelan also raised his head to take a look, and his eyes were dazzled by the scorching light. Ducking back into the carriage, he quickly waved his fan: ¡°It¡¯s too hot here. Is there still ice?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± Yan Mingting took his fan and waved it harder. ¡°Bear with it, we will soon be in the forest and it will be cooler under the shade of the trees.¡±


    Zhao Yelan feared the cold more than the heat. He turned to glance at the sweat on Yan Mingting¡¯s face. It was almost dripping, so he moved the fan a little towards him, saying: ¡°Fan yourself.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan simply took off his outer robe.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes flickered, and he similarly removed his outer robe.


    ¡°My lord, there is still an hour before the post station. There is a town, should we stop and get something to eat first?¡± Xiao Gao opened the curtain and saw the two men taking off their clothes. His face went red and he hurriedly backed away.


    ¡°Go and buy something, we won¡¯t go out.¡± Zhao Yelan ordered, ¡°If there are fans, buy a few more.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After a incense stick of time, Xiao Gao returned, handed over the things in his arms, and said awkwardly: ¡°I could only buy these.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took a look. There were a few stuffed steamed buns and a rice cake. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°En, many inns are closed,¡± Xiao Gao said. ¡°I went to fetch water, but those people wouldn¡¯t let us fill the water bags, so there might not be enough.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at Yan Mingting at once, and they both donned their outer layers in unison, their expressions a bit heavy.


    Yan Mingting hopped out of the carriage first. Xiao Gao was about to get the stool for Zhao Yelan, but found that his lord had already been carried down by Yan Mingting. He opened his mouth slightly, then put down the stool and followed silently.


    Only a few scattered shops on the street were still open, and after finding one that sold food, Zhao Yelan asked: ¡°Shopkeeper, could you please fill our water? We¡¯ll be on our way.¡±


    ¡°Water, ah? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give it to you, we all need water now. Look at these pancakes, do you want some?¡± the shopkeeper asked.


    Zhao Yelan glanced back at the street. There were few pedestrians, and waves of heat could still be seen in the air.


    Zhao Yelan first bought some pancakes, and then asked: ¡°Where did everyone in town go?¡±


    ¡°To get water.¡± The shopkeeper pointed to a small mountain in the distance. ¡°There is a mountain spring there. Everyone has gone to fetch water now, and our family also went, so it¡¯s just me watching the shop alone. After selling this last bit, I¡¯m going to hurry over there too.¡±


    ¡°There is a shortage of water here?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°Yes, ah, there has been a drought for almost two months, and the crops are almost dried up,¡± the shopkeeper said helplessly.


    The carriage started moving again. Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression was not good as he continued to watch the movement outside. When they passed the mountain, he saw the spring.


    People were crowded together with wooden buckets in their hands. Even the children were holding basins or ladles, scrambling to grab the spring water, but there wasn¡¯t enough. The people behind were anxious from the wait, so they began to snatch from others, and a fight was about to break out amongst the commotion.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Yan Mingting shouted loudly.


    Everyone was stunned by his voice, and when they looked at the officers and soldiers behind them, they subconsciously fell silent.


    Yan Mingting instructed them to line up one by one, then took the scoop from the little girl next to him and began to distribute three scoops of water to everyone, who then went back to line up again after receiving a round.


    Zhao Yelan pulled the child over and asked: ¡°Do you come here to fetch water every day?¡±


    The little girl nodded and said aggrievedly: ¡°It¡¯s been more than ten days that we¡¯ve been coming here. At first, it was only our family. Later, when everyone saw us coming, they also followed.¡±


    ¡°Does your family grow crops?¡±


    ¡°We plant there.¡± The little girl pointed to the rice fields in the distance.


    ¡°Can you take me to see it?¡±


    The little girl looked back anxiously at her mother, so Zhao Yelan called her mother over to go to the field together.


    The field was planted with rice, but the originally wet land was dried up at this time, and the countless cracks in the ground were shocking.


    Zhao Yelan crouched down to look at the rice. The leaves were yellow and the grains were as small as sesame seeds, close to withering.


    The eyes of the girl¡¯s mother reddened, and she wiped her tears with her sleeve: ¡°The family was just waiting for this year¡¯s harvest, and it looked like it could be harvested soon. But with the drought happening now, how can we live, ah?


    Infected by her emotions, the little girl standing to the side also began to cry.


    Zhao Yelan gave them some pancakes. At this time, food was far more reliable than money, and he distributed the rest to other people. On the way, he inquired about the situation with these people, only to find that not only this place was experiencing a summer drought, but other small towns nearby were all in the same situation.


    The situation had not been obvious before, and the officials couldn¡¯t be bothered to manage the affairs of these remote places. They were busy dealing with the Imperial Envoy¡¯s investigation, so these people were neglected.


    After everyone received the water and gradually dispersed, Zhao Yelan said: ¡°We must return to Huaizhou immediately.¡±


    All these places belonged to Huaizhou, and now the area was leaderless. It would take a few days until the new magistrate arrived, but the disaster was imminent.


    As they traveled without stopping, Zhao Yelan seemed to have forgotten about the heat, and discussed options with Yan Mingting late into the night. It was not until then that he closed his eyes and rested for a while.


    When dawn touched the sky, he heard lively voices outside and woke in Yan Mingting¡¯s arms. He was taken aback for a moment: ¡°I didn¡¯t fall asleep like this last night, did I?¡±


    ¡°Would falling asleep on the table be as comfortable as my chest?¡± Yan Mingting teased.


    ¡°Shameless.¡± After this buffoonery, Zhao Yelan felt a little more relaxed. He opened the curtain and saw that they had already arrived in Huaizhou City.


    The carriage went straight to the government office. After sitting in the carriage for a day and a night, his legs and feet were a little weak. Yan Mingting helped him out, and after taking a few steps, Zhao Yelan almost fell onto him.


    ¡°Such a wanton young master, you even take the initiative to throw yourself into my arms,¡± Yan Mingting teased.


    Zhao Yelan slanted a glance at him, opened his fan, and took a moment to recover before striding toward the government office.


    The head official had been overseeing the town for the past two days, and seeing him back was like seeing a relative: ¡°Zhao-daren, you¡¯ve returned. Kuang Sheng and Miss Yin have come here urgently several times.¡±


    ¡°Are they looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan guessed what was going on and said, ¡°Go and bring them here.¡±


    Taking advantage of this time, Yan Mingting quickly took time to wash up, and then directly brought Kuang Sheng, Yin Pinglu, and Li Yucheng to the dining table.


    Zhao Yelan was already eating, and they exchanged glances.


    ¡°Have you eaten? If not, let¡¯s sit down together to save time,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    The three of them looked at each other, and the thicker-skinned Li Yucheng immediately sat down, followed by Yin Pinglu.


    Kuang Sheng scratched his head, then sat down hesitantly. He took two mouthfuls of stuffed steamed bun and said cautiously: ¡°My lord, although I am no longer a water reporter, I still have something to report.¡±


    ¡°Are you speaking of the drought in the surrounding area?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°My lord knows?¡± Kuang Sheng was surprised for a moment, and nodded. ¡°There are many lakes here in Huaizhou, and the Huaihe River passes by, so it¡¯s not as obvious as in other places. But it has not rained for two months, and a few days ago I got worried, so I went around the neighborhood and found that several small counties south of us have been dry.¡±


    ¡°We just returned from there,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°I fear that more than just these places have been affected. Later, you must take people around to sum up the number.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too. I¡¯m very familiar with the area around here,¡± Yin Pinglu said.


    ¡°Can you?¡± Zhao Yelan looked at her. ¡°This summer drought is no joke. It will be very tiring.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, my lord, don¡¯t worry about me. I am also someone who ran across the desert border,¡± Yin Pinglu said calmly.


    ¡°All right.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled and handed her his Imperial Envoy token, then asked Yan Mingting to send a small group of people to follow her. ¡°Then you go and find out if the officials in the nearby drought-affected lands have received reports from people and ignored them. If this is the case, frighten them into dealing with the relevant matters quickly. After the disaster situation is resolved, we will deal with their negligence.¡±


    Yin Pinglu suddenly felt that the token was a bit hot: ¡°My lord, you¡¯re asking me to investigate other officials? Wouldn¡¯t this be inappropriate?¡±


    ¡°What is the problem? You¡¯re just running errands for me. I¡¯m not familiar with the places here and don¡¯t trust many people. Besides, you have a good head on your shoulders.¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°Go ahead and do it. I will take care of it if something goes wrong.¡±


    ¡°Go, ba,¡± Yan Mingting also agreed.


    Yin Pinglu looked at everyone and solemnly put away the token: ¡°Okay, the mission must be completed.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°You must pay attention to your own safety. You can only do more things for me if you¡¯re alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Yin Pinglu and Kuang Sheng immediately went out to start their work, full of pride. Li Yucheng was the only one left, and looked at the two of them eagerly: ¡°Now what¡­¡­is there work for me to do as well?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Li Yucheng thought about it. He was the suave, handsome son of the Prime Minister, so he couldn¡¯t lose to an old man and a weak woman, right? He grit his teeth: ¡°Just do it, tell me, where do you want to send me?¡±


    ¡°You just need to stay in Huaizhou.¡±


    ¡°So simple?¡± Li Yucheng was speechless.


    Yan Mingting pursed his lips and smiled: ¡°This is not simple at all, you must think it through.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about it? Just leave it to me.¡± Li Yucheng patted his chest, then paused and asked, ¡°What is the main reason for me staying in Huaizhou?¡±


    ¡°The main reason is for you to convince your uncle and other big merchants to be mentally prepared to help the victims,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Li Yucheng directly fell off the stool: ¡°They are businessmen, and the most important thing to them is profit. Isn¡¯t this just bleeding them dry? How can I justify it?¡±


    ¡°The fields in Jiangnan are the granary of the realm. If the fields cannot grow rice, it will be difficult for them to survive.¡± Zhao Yelan rubbed his brow. ¡°This is just the beginning, and we won¡¯t touch them until necessary. I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. If you can make this group of people willing to open their storehouses or sell rice at a low price, you won¡¯t have to pay back the remaining nine thousand taels of gold you owe me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, ba.¡± Li Yucheng sighed, lying on the table like a dead fish. ¡°I have to think about what I¡¯ll say¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan had already gotten up to leave the dinner table, and Li Yucheng tried to persuade them to stay: ¡°Hey, where are you going? Can¡¯t you help me figure out how to convince them?¡±


    Zhao Yelan went to write a sealed letter to the Imperial court, and ordered someone to send it out quickly. Then he went to the government office to check on the money in the treasury. The only bit of luck was that the disaster funds had arrived, and could temporarily relieve the pressure.


    When the head official heard that he planned to distribute the disaster funds, he advised: ¡°My lord, can we wait another two days? When the new magistrate arrives, it would be good to have him decide these matters, otherwise you¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan knew what he was thinking. Now that no one had reported a disaster, and without the approval of the court, he would be distributing the money without authorization. When the time came, he could pat his ass and leave. He was not a master who was easy to deal with, and was not suitable for taking over this mess.


    ¡°Even when the new magistrate arrives, he still has to spend some time to understand the situation and become accustomed to the affairs of the government office. Isn¡¯t this time wasted in vain? Don¡¯t worry, I will not leave until the matter is resolved. If something happens, I will take responsibility and won¡¯t implicate you,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡­¡± The official smiled awkwardly, and then expressed his sincerity and willingness to cooperate in all ways.


    Zhao Yelan walked out of the storeroom and turned to look at Yan Mingting: ¡°Have someone deliver a letter to Magistrate Sun, asking him to quickly inspect the situation around Zhizhou. His government also received half of the disaster money.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, someone was just sent.¡± Yan Mingting waited for a moment, and seeing that he didn¡¯t intend to speak, he smiled and said proactively, ¡°Tell me, Zhao-daren, what kind of mission are you going to assign to me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him and hesitated to speak.


    ¡°Even Li Yucheng was assigned a mission, so it is impossible for me not to receive one.¡± Yan Mingting said arrogantly, ¡°What¡¯s more, I¡¯m more useful than all of them, right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan sighed. Sometimes he thought he was slow-witted, and held it against him, but other times there was a sort of tacit understanding, which he cherished very much.


    ¡°I worry that the Imperial court will doubt the truth of the disaster and quarrel amongst themselves, and it may take a lot of time to discuss the amount of supplies to be sent. I also fear that officials from various places along the way will make plans for the supplies and disaster funds, so a trusted person is needed to supervise.¡±


    ¡°It is enough to hear this. Of course only I can go,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    ¡°Only you can do it.¡± After all, he was a general, and anyone would have to be obedient before him and not dare to mess around at such a critical time.


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°You go north to the capital, and every time you pass by a place, show them my letter just in case. Have them prepare countermeasures and disaster relief supplies early. If you encounter the Imperial court¡¯s disaster relief team on the way, follow them back and be sure to strictly guard the supplies so that they do not pass through the hands of other officials. If the team is taking the water route, you should check the water level of the canal on the way. If the worst case occurs and the Imperial team has not yet set off, you hand over this letter to the Emperor and have the supplies shipped in two batches. Travel fast, and bring a group of skilled soldiers to send the first batch over as soon as possible.¡±


    Zhao Yelan handed him the letter, which described the current situation in detail and included a dry rice plant as proof, so that the situation was clear at a glance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Yan Mingting took the letter and solemnly put it in his sleeve.


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help being anxious: ¡°It¡¯s just that the journey is long and hard, and you may encounter all kinds of difficult officials¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You underestimate me?¡± Yan Mingting dismissed his worries in one sentence.


    ¡°Then go quickly,¡± Zhao Yelan said expressionlessly.


    Yan Mingting laughed loudly and went to order a lieutenant to prepare the rations and troops, but when he turned around, he found that Zhao Yelan was still standing nearby, sulking.


    He stepped forward and touched the other person¡¯s head, taking advantage of the situation to embrace him, and saying: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Actually, if you stay here alone, you should be careful about your safety. When I return, if one hair on your head is damaged, I will beat you.¡±


    ¡°You dare.¡±


    ¡°I dare not.¡± Yan Mingting smiled helplessly, and then asked him with a sigh, ¡°By the way, do you know the name of that little girl yesterday?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shook his head. He didn¡¯t have time to ask the little girl¡¯s name as he went around to ask about the rice fields.


    ¡°Her name is Mengting.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his head in surprise.


    ¡°There are tens of thousands of Mengtings waiting for our Mengting to rescue them.¡± Yan Mingting lowered his head and kissed his forehead. ¡°Today¡¯s Mengting is unlike any other. I am very honored to have Zhao Mengting.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked moved, and sent him to the gate. He watched him jump onto a horse and lead his team. With the sound of the horse¡¯s hooves, he gradually drifted away from him.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡­wait!¡± Zhao Yelan suddenly chased after him.


    The people on the street looked over curiously. Yan Mingting heard his voice and immediately pulled on the reins, turning around to ride forward a few steps.


    Zhao Yelan panted as he looked up at the man on the horse, and said, ¡°I have one more thing to say.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan beckoned.


    Yan Mingting bent down, and was about to put his ear close to him, when Zhao Yelan suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips.


    There were sudden exclamations all around, and even the soldiers with dignified faces couldn¡¯t help but look over one after another.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s face turned faintly red, but he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the other.


    Zhao Yelan bit his lip lightly: ¡°Come back early.¡±

 CH 62

    Zhao Yelan was so busy these days that he hardly touched the ground. First, he put up notices reminding the common people to save water, store it properly, and stop waste. He also told them not to panic, and not to drive away refugees entering the city, but to guide them to shelter.


    The charity house hadn¡¯t been used for many years, so Zhao Yelan took the officers and soldiers from the government office to clean it up. Water was specially pulled from a mountain spring to be stored away, and many people were sent to investigate the water source.


    Zhao Yelan sent Xiao Gao out again: ¡°Kuang Sheng has slow legs, so he could only check the nearby area, but further away, someone still needs to investigate the situation. Go to Quzhou and Longzhou to have a look. If you find a disastrous situation, report it to the local government immediately. While you¡¯re there, tell them not to reject refugees, but to settle them properly.¡±


    A day later, Kuang Sheng returned with the nearest survey team. His complexion was dark, and his legs were still shaking when he sat down with a miserable expression: ¡°The situation is not optimistic. The crops in the nearby area are all dry, and there are no people in the remote villages and towns. I don¡¯t know where they went.¡±


    ¡°They will definitely move to a source of water.¡± Zhao Yelan found a detailed map of Huaizhou. ¡°Tell me, how many are there?¡±


    ¡°Thirteen of the fourteen counties in Huaizhou are drought-stricken,¡± Kuang Sheng said. ¡°The only one left is almost dry.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned. The only remaining place would probably be flooded with refugees from the surrounding area, which may give rise to disputes.


    It was obviously unrealistic for all of these refugees to squeeze into Huaizhou. For one, it would be too crowded, and the distance was also too long.


    Fortunately, Yan Mingting left enough manpower for him.


    ¡°We must set up disaster relief sites as soon as possible.¡±


    Yin Pinglu also rushed back exhaustedly at this moment. As soon as she entered the room, she poured half a pot of water and reported: ¡°People in two counties have reported about the crops, but they were not taken seriously. I have already reprimanded those two county magistrates, and they expressed their willingness to face their crimes and make meritorious service by donating all of their belongings to cooperate with the disaster relief. The other counties promised to cooperate with my lord.¡±


    ¡°You have worked hard.¡± Zhao Yelan unfolded the map. ¡°You are more familiar with Huaizou. Let¡¯s see where it is most appropriate to set up disaster relief sites.¡±


    Kuang Sheng divided five districts according to the distribution of rivers. On this basis, Yin Pinglu detailed the population and finally identified six disaster relief sites.


    Zhao Yelan took half of the disaster funds and sent people to transport steamed buns and water to the six places respectively. He further expanded the scope to ensure that refugees could smoothly reach other places for refuge.


    At night, many refugees suddenly poured in from outside the city. Zhao Yelan stood on the city wall and said: ¡°Take these people to the charity house first and enter them into the register. Be sure not to miss any of them.¡±


    The people in Huaizhou were quite obedient at first, but after seeing the refugees squeeze inside the next few days, they also started to become agitated. The living resources that once belonged to them were now taken away by these people. Who knew if the next drought would include Huaizhou? Then how would they save themselves?


    ¡°My lord, it¡¯s not good, somebody threw something into the living quarters!¡±


    Zhao Yelan had just returned from outside, and before he could catch his breath, he rushed to the charity house without stopping.


    The sounds of commotion could be heard from a long distance away. The area was full of people, most of whom had come to watch the excitement, but this invisibly fueled the flames of the perpetrators.


    It was originally a matter of a thrown egg, and the people around applauded it, but it gradually turned into throwing stones. The people inside also began to shout insults, and the two sides almost came to blows. The officers and soldiers guarding the door could barely control the scene.


    ¡°All of you, stop!¡± Zhao Yelan shouted. The soldiers behind him rushed in, and the people on both sides separated, but the cursing didn¡¯t stop.


    Just as Zhao Yelan walked to the door, a stone flew over and hit him on the forehead. Blood flowed down his eyebrows, contrasting against his pale face.


    ¡°My lord! Are you okay?¡± Yin Pinglu took a panicked step forward and hurriedly sent someone to find the doctor.


    The crowd fell silent in an instant.


    Zhao Yelan held his forehead, looked at the blood on his fingers, and sneered at once: ¡°Very good, you are rather capable. First excluding foreigners, and then attacking court officials. You want to meet the king of hell earlier, is that right?¡±


    The crowd was speechless, and after a long while, someone from the masses replied: ¡°Zhao-daren, we didn¡¯t mean to hit you.¡±


    ¡°Then stoning them was also unintentional?¡± Zhao Yelan said sternly, ¡°Whoever made the first move, come out!¡±


    Everyone was silent.


    ¡°Covering for each other, ba? Come, arrest them all!¡±


    The crowd looked left and right in a panic, and at last someone stood forward: ¡°A real man must bear the consequences of his own actions. I did it! Kill me or cut my flesh, it¡¯s up to you!¡±


    ¡°Someone so big and strong thinks he can commit a crime.¡± Zhao Yelan covered his forehead with a handkerchief and stepped forward to look him up and down.


    ¡°My lord, don¡¯t kill him, ah. His wife passed away, and there are only a few children left in the family. How can the children live like this, ah,¡± someone said.


    ¡°Yes, ah, he was just impulsive. My lord, just let him go, we will never cause trouble again in the future.¡±


    Everyone said one sentence after another, helping to beg for mercy.


    ¡°Did I say I was going to kill him?¡± Although Zhao Yelan was furious, when it was a matter of life and death, it was easy to have extreme emotions. People should not be executed lightly, so as not to arouse the negative emotions of the masses. He asked, ¡°Would you like to join the Self-Defense Force?¡±


    The man was taken aback: ¡°What is the Self-Defense Force?¡±


    Just as Zhao Yelan was about to speak, he was struck by a headache and was unable to speak while pressing the wound. Yin Pinglu stepped forward and said for him: ¡°In the past two days, Zhao-daren has been looking for ways to help everyone, and found a relatively remote water source. But the distance is a bit long, and it takes a day¡¯s journey to go back and forth, so it is necessary to call up some manpower to carry the water. But it is not free labor, the government will pay these people double.¡±


    ¡°Is there really such a good thing?¡± When the people around heard this, they all cheered up. This was a great opportunity to make money.


    Yin Pinglu: ¡°Yes, those who want to go must come and register with me. Those who are strong and able to endure hardships and hard work will be given the priority.¡±


    Yin Pinglu was soon surrounded by the crowd.


    The purpose of the Self-Defense Force was actually to evacuate the population pressure in the city by sending the young and middle-aged people to the outside under the guise of transporting water. If all went well, they could really bring back some much-needed water.


    Zhao Yelan was escorted back to the government office first. The doctor had already arrived, and while being bandaged, he looked at Gao Tan who had just rushed back: ¡°There is no obvious drought in Longzhou or Quzhou?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are close to the Yellow River, and the crops have not been affected,¡± Xiao Gao reported.


    Zhao Yelan breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°The evacuation of the refugees can begin.¡±


    But there was still one problem ¨C the money was running out. The disaster relief funds originally sent to Huaizhou only amounted to 38,000 taels. Adding the silver stored in the warehouse, the total was about 40,000 taels.


    These days, the supplies at the six disaster relief sites, including the charity house, were almost exhausted. Now that they had added an additional expenditure for the Self-Defense Force, the money could barely last until the next day.


    The height of the city lake had been reduced by half. The elegant boats on the lake in the past had been replaced by buckets, and all of the teahouses had been closed. The streets were so hot that everyone mostly stayed at home without going out, and only emerged at night to feel the wind.


    And in the charity house, there were even more negative feelings, as if the group was waiting for death.


    The disastrous situation was terrible, but the loss of spirit was also terrible. Therefore, Zhao Yelan wanted to cheer this group of people up.


    Most of the people who went to join the Self-Defense Force were natives of Huaizhou, and those refugees could only try not to bother them.


    Zhao Yelan made another announcement to the people in the charity house. The next meals would only be semi-finished products, and those who were willing to help cook would receive double the wages. The embroidery workshop was not yet closed, so those who were handy could apply to join, and those without skills would be given a certain amount of subsidies if they were willing to learn.


    At this time, many women and children found work. The charity house had steamed buns to eat, a floor to sleep on, and they could go to the embroidery shop to learn crafts and earn some money. The negative emotions dissipated substantially. The shelter was no longer crowded with people, and the relationship between the refugees and the locals eased by a lot.


    It was just a pity for Zhao Yelan¡¯s wallet. All the money was taken from his private treasury.


    He looked at the last banknote on his body with a broken heart.


    Originally, all of that shining silver was for leisure and indulgence after leaving the Xuan Dynasty, and now this good thing was scattered across thousands of families.


    All this because of Yan Mingting¡¯s sentence, ¡°There are tens of thousands of Mengtings waiting for our Mengting to rescue them.¡± Was it worth it?


    He smiled to himself.


    At this time, a little girl¡¯s voice sounded at the door: ¡°Zhao-daren, Zhao-daren!¡±


    Going out curiously, he saw the guards at the door blocking the girl who wanted to rush in. It was the girl named Mengting. ¡°Let her in,¡± he said.


    Mengting was dressed in rags, but her face was bright. She ran up to him, touched the loose hair on her face, and asked: ¡°Zhao-daren, have you eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, what is it?¡± Zhao Yelan knelt down to look at her. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I was just passing by and thought that you seemed to live here.¡± Mengting took out a steamed bun from her bosom, held it in front of him, and said with a smile, ¡°My mother made this at the charity house. I want to give it to you to eat.¡±


    The steamed bun carried on the little girl¡¯s body had been smothered, and the skin was stained by the little girls¡¯ fingerprints. Zhao Yelan accepted it and took a bite, saying: ¡°Delicious. Your mother¡¯s cooking skills are good, but why did you want to give it to me?¡±


    ¡°Because you gave us steamed buns last time! We ate your steamed buns along the way, so we didn¡¯t starve to death.¡± Mengting¡¯s skin was a little tanned, but her teeth were exceptionally white and her smile was bright. ¡°And my mother said you are a very good person, so I didn¡¯t want you to be hungry.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows in surprise: ¡°I am a good person?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, everyone says so, they say you¡¯re better than the original Yin¡­¡­Yin whatever. My lord is much better. If it weren¡¯t for you, the rest of us would have starved to death. I¡¯ll go to work with my mother in the embroidery workshop later. I think embroidery is much more fun than growing crops. When I learn this in the future, I will sew you an outfit, okay?¡±


    Zhao Yelan took another bite of the steamed bun and his eyebrows curved: ¡°Okay, ah.¡±


    Mengting paused for a moment, then suddenly said: ¡°Then when I grow up, can I marry you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback for a moment, and then laughed out loud: ¡°This isn¡¯t possible.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan thought for a moment. Regardless of whether the other party understood or not, he said, ¡°I¡¯m already married.¡±


    ¡°Ah, what a pity!¡± Mengting pouted.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth curled up, and he divided the steamed bun into halves, returning the untouched half to her: ¡°I¡¯m full, this is for you. Eat a little more so that you can grow up quickly. I¡¯m waiting for your new clothes.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Mengting took it and opened her mouth to take a big bite, and when she looked at him, she smiled again with squinting eyes.


    Zhao Yelan sent her to the gate of the government office: ¡°Go and find your mother.¡±


    ¡°En, goodbye, Zhao-daren!¡±


    Zhao Yelan stood at the door and watched her leave. People passing by all around would automatically call: ¡°Zhao-daren.¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, have you eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, will the Self-Defense Force come back? Nothing will happen to my stinky man, will it?¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren seems to have lost weight, would you like to come to my house for a meal?¡±


    The weather was hot. Zhao Yelan wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling his chest grow inexplicably warmer. Smiling, he looked at these people coming and going and thought: It¡¯s worth it.


    Inexplicably, he missed Yan Mingting very much.


    He wanted to talk with him about the current situation, chat about everything that had happened these days, tell him everything in detail.


    In the afternoon, Li Yucheng brought good news that his uncle was willing to provide five thousand taels for disaster relief.


    ¡°Only your uncle? What about the other merchants?¡±


    ¡°Just convincing my uncle has already exhausted all of my skills. I really can¡¯t say anything to the others. After all, those people see me as a wastrel and don¡¯t listen to my advice at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go meet with them for a while.¡± Zhao Yelan told him to gather all of them in the chamber of commerce.


    The merchants sat in the hall and could guess with their toes what was going on. One of them couldn¡¯t help being a little indignant: ¡°These officials usually look down on us businessmen the most. Asking them to do anything is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, they send us straight to the bottom and then come to bleed us dry when something happens. I¡¯ve had enough of this nonsense!¡±


    The others were also stirred up and decided to present a united front. They would not be persuaded even in the face of death.


    It was difficult for Cheng Ying to speak with them. After all, his brother-in-law was the Prime Minister, and he had already agreed to donate five thousand taels.


    After a while, Zhao Yelan answered and had to make some perfunctory remarks:


    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you at last. You are all well-known Confucian businessmen in Jiangnan and seeing you today, you really deserve your reputation.¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, there is no need for these polite words. Just tell us what you want from us,¡± the speaker coldly scoffed.


    ¡°All right, I will just say it straight. I hope the chamber of commerce can donate a little silver or supplies.¡±


    ¡°We refuse.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°I haven¡¯t mentioned the conditions yet.¡±


    ¡°What conditions could you have?¡± The speaker asked disdainfully.


    ¡°Everyone here is involved in many industries, and there must be embroidery workshops among them. The weaving skills in Jiangnan need not be spoken of, but it is a pity that everything is sent directly to the palace. The people in the capital can only hear of it, but never see or wear it. And the silk from the Western Regions is also unique. After business contacts were made, the common people have also come to love buying cloth from the Western Regions. On the other hand, your Jiangnan goods can only be circulated in Jiangnan and the south, which is really a pity,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Li Yucheng echoed: ¡°That¡¯s right, think about it, how many dignitaries are there in the capital? If you sell them in Beijing, you can earn a lot.¡±


    These words hit the weak point of this group of businessmen, and the leader said: ¡°We also want to sell in the capital, but in order to save the face of the royal family, the Imperial court only allows us to sell to the palace, and not to the common people at all, ah.¡±


    This was an old rule left by the former Emperor. In order to show the superior status of the harem ladies, clothing from Jiangnan was only allowed to be sent to the palace. After Zhao Xuan ascended the throne, there were not many concubines in the palace and this omission was not noticed at all.


    ¡°Sooner or later, the whole country will know about the drought. If you all unite as one and show your kindness by helping the common people through these difficulties, I can also intercede with the Emperor on your behalf and allow you to distribute your goods in the northern market.¡±


    ¡°Just by opening your mouth, the Emperor will agree?¡±


    ¡°If the Emperor agrees, you can make a lot of profit in the future. After all, these goods were originally for the Imperial concubines, and if they are on the market, people will rush to buy them. If the Emperor does not agree, your situation will remain the same and you will not experience a loss. The donated money can be considered to be paying for your own lives. When the people are evacuated, you will be sent away first. Can you just sit back and relax? It¡¯s better to earn a good reputation now, and have better standing and business opportunities in the future.¡±


    Everyone exchanged glances, slightly tempted, and didn¡¯t resist as fiercely as they did in the beginning.


    Zhao Yelan gave Li Yucheng a meaningful look, and Li Yucheng immediately said: ¡°To tell you the truth, I came to Jiangnan this time to learn from you, and I plan to start a small business after returning to the capital. Why don¡¯t you cooperate with me, and I will send someone to Jiangnan to transport your goods, such as tea, porcelain, cloth, rice, medicinal materials and such. You won¡¯t have to worry about losses on the road, or about slow sales. You can give me a thirty percent higher price, and the only requirement is that for three years, you can¡¯t find someone else in the capital to work with.¡±


    ¡°Thirty percent higher? Then how do you plan to sell it?¡±


    ¡°I have my own ways,¡± Li Yucheng said. ¡°After all, none of you know the capital better than me. If it sells well, I will order more. Even if it is unsalable, I will never trouble you.¡±


    Just when everyone was weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Yelan took out the roster and said: ¡°The Cheng family donated 4,000 taels. When I return to Beijing, I will be the first to report your kindness to the Emperor. At that time, the Emperor will allow silk to be distributed in the market, and you will be the only one allowed to do so.¡±


    How could a family do it alone!?


    This really stabbed everyone in the lungs. They would rather hurt themselves to damage the enemy, and never wanted one to come out on top. In an instant, everyone expressed their willingness to donate four thousand taels.


    Cheng Ying¡¯s eyes moved, settling on Zhao Yelan, and he suddenly understood why Zhao Yelan only said that he had donated four thousand and said: ¡°Then I will give five thousand.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sent him a gratified look, but the others were anxious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay five thousand and five!¡±


    ¡°Six thousand from me!¡±


    In the end, the leader was heartless: ¡°I¡¯ll pay eight thousand.¡±


    The others: ¡°¡­¡­.¡± You traitor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also pay eight thousand!¡±


    ¡°Count me in!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go eight thousand and eight!¡±


    ¡°Hiss ¡ª¡±


    Seeing that the speculation was getting higher and higher, Zhao Yelan smiled slightly: ¡°Let¡¯s do this, ba. For the sake of fairness, let¡¯s unify at eight thousand taels, and then I will give an account of your loyalty to the Emperor and strive for your best interests.¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, please don¡¯t slip up, ah, everything depends on you.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. I wouldn¡¯t dare say this if I wasn¡¯t sure. Everyone go back early, I will send people to collect the silver after dark and inform the common people of your donations,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Everyone was really hurting, yet at the same time saying words of gratitude.


    Cheng Ying stayed when they all departed in the end, sighing to Li Yucheng: ¡°I agreed to five thousand, but in the blink of an eye, three thousand more was taken away.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, calm down.¡± Li Yucheng squeezed his shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will return it to you when I earn it back.¡±


    ¡°You? Do you think it¡¯s so easy to make money?¡±


    Li Yucheng gave a secretive smile: ¡°Don¡¯t forget, they have already signed an agreement with me, and all the goods in the capital will be handed over to me for distribution. As soon as the Emperor agrees to Zhao Yelan¡¯s conditions, the silk will be sold by me first, and a steady stream of money will come rushing in.¡±


    ¡°But will this group of people agree?¡±


    ¡°I can give them a small profit, but not too much. Anyway, I can already make a lot of money for them, and it is a profitable business. If they want more, there is no way, and we have a contract to prove it. And we only set it up for three years, so if they want to go to the capital to do business by themselves, that¡¯s no problem, ah.¡± Li Yucheng chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s just that Jiangnan silk will no longer be a rare commodity at that time.¡±


    Cheng Ying came to a sudden realization: ¡°Boy, you are really a schemer, ah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little clever. The real schemer is someone else.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡­¡± Cheng Ying asked in a low voice, ¡°Zhao-daren?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all his idea, I¡¯m at most the second shopkeeper. We will be working together in the future,¡± Li Yucheng said proudly. ¡°But to be the second shopkeeper, I feel that I am very rich, and there will be many better days in the future.¡±


    As a merchant, Cheng Ying couldn¡¯t help but admire Zhao Yelan¡¯s business acumen, and he suddenly realized another thing: ¡°If the market in the capital is really opened up, then the demand will increase, and the original embroiderers may not be enough¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°So now he pays out of his own pocket to let these troubled women and children go to the embroidery workshop to learn skills, which not only alleviates the current predicament, but also prepares for future business.¡± Li Yucheng gave a sincere thumbs up. ¡°Check out this foresight¡­¡­¡±


    Dumbfounded, Cheng Ying patted him heavily on the shoulder: ¡°Uncle has nothing to teach you. You¡¯d better go with Zhao-daren, and there will be many better days in the future.¡±


    In the evening, the doctor came to treat Zhao Yelan¡¯s wound. It had scabbed over and there was no need to wrap it with gauze.


    Zhao Yelan counted the 80,000 taels of relief money raised and then called Yin Pinglu, Kuang Sheng, and the head official to discuss the route to evacuate the refugees to Quzhou and Longzhou, as well as how to keep enough dry food and water on the way.


    The handful of people sat around and discussed for a while, and Xiao Gao suddenly ran in excitedly: ¡°My lord, my lord! The General is back!¡±


    Everyone was stunned for a moment, then raised their heads and looked toward the door.


    ¡°There are a lot of people here, escorting the disaster money and supplies from the court!¡± Xiao Gao said enthusiastically.


    Everyone got up in surprise to greet them. Zhao Yelan¡¯s footsteps were hurried, and he didn¡¯t even have time to put down the brush in his hand. When he was approaching the gate, he thought of something and suddenly turned around and ran back into the back courtyard.


    While everyone was wondering, Yan Mingting took a few steps into the gate and inspected the circle of people. After dealing with everyone¡¯s greetings, he asked: ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°My lord seems to have gone back to his room.¡±


    Yan Mingting asked the head official to go outside and pick up the team, as well as the new magistrate of Pi county, and then walked quickly to the back courtyard.


    Yin Pinglu saw that her help was not needed outside, and worriedly followed to check on the situation.


    As soon as she arrived in the courtyard, she unexpectedly saw Yan Mingting knocking on the door: ¡°I¡¯m back, why won¡¯t you come out to see me? Mengting, Mengting! I¡¯ll count to three, and if you don¡¯t come out, I¡¯ll smash the door, ah.¡±


    ¡°If you dare to smash the door, I will smash you,¡± said the person inside.


    ¡°Then you come out, ah. Why don¡¯t you want to see me? Have you broken your promise? Are you seeing another man?


    His words became more outrageous the more he said. Yin Pinglu stepped forward and pulled Yan Mingting back, telling the truth in one sentence: ¡°My lord is disfigured and doesn¡¯t want you to see him.¡±

 CH 63

    After Zhao Yelan returned to his room, he quickly changed his clothes and sniffed his body for any smells.


    He had been so busy these days that he had no time to groom himself at all, let alone have the luxury of taking a bath. He could only wet a handkerchief with water and wipe himself repeatedly all day, but he felt that he still stank during this time, so he wore two sachets at once.


    Then he looked at the wound in the bronze mirror. A scab had formed and it itched a bit. It would take a few days to fully recover.


    He inadvertently licked his lower lip in annoyance, finding that it was a little dry and his complexion was a little tanned.


    For a time, he was in a mad rush and didn¡¯t know where to tidy up.


    As soon as he picked up the handkerchief and was about to wash his face, the door of the room was pushed open with a ¡°pa,¡± and Yan Mingting broke in.


    He looked toward the door at once and took a deep breath, pretending to be calm: ¡°I haven¡¯t allowed you in yet.¡±


    Yan Mingting had already come before him as soon as he spoke, holding his face in one hand to inspect the injury on his forehead: ¡°How did it happen?¡±


    Zhao Yelan averted his face in embarrassment and turned around: ¡°I was accidentally hit by someone.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me to take good care of yourself?¡± Yan Mingting asked, following behind him.


    Zhao Yelan kept his composure and quickened his steps: ¡°The incident happened suddenly.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you hiding? What else is wrong?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Yin Pinglu stood at the door, watched the two people circle the table three times, then smiled helplessly and closed the door for them. As soon as she walked to the front hall, she caught a glimpse of a figure rushing through the door.


    ¡°Pinglu! I¡¯m here to find you!¡±


    Yin Pinglu raised her head and saw a smiling person standing under the sun. Her face was unknowingly taken over by a smile, and when she raised her foot to step outside, Zuo Ran acted faster and ran towards her and into her arms.


    . . . . . .


    The two people in the room finally stopped when Yan Mingting grabbed Zhao Yelan and said: ¡°No more, I¡¯m going to faint.¡±


    It¡¯s better for you to be dizzy, Zhao Yelan thought.


    Yan Mingting lowered his head to study the injury. Zhao Yelan subconsciously raised his hand to cover it, but Yan Mingting grabbed it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch the wound, be careful of infection and inflammation. It¡¯s scabbed over, just bear with it and it will heal,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him a few times, and seeing that he didn¡¯t think the wound was ugly, he was secretly relieved.


    ¡°Are there any other injuries?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°There really aren¡¯t.¡± Zhao Yelan even turned around to show him that he was safe and sound.


    Unexpectedly, Yan Mingting grasped his shoulders, lowered his head, and kissed his lips: ¡°I¡¯m checking to see if you injured your mouth.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or get angry, but still acquiesced to his childish behavior, and the two kissed silently.


    Absence making the heart grow fonder was no lie. Zhao Yelan could feel that his kiss was unequivocal this time, and his hands also caressed his back firmly. He wanted to speak but couldn¡¯t, just humming twice. Yan Mingting became more enthusiastic, picking him up and setting him on the table.


    Zhao Yelan was free to take a breath, and he looked down. From this angle, he could clearly see the infatuation in Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes. He cupped the other¡¯s cheek with the corners of his mouth curved, and lowered his head for a kiss.


    The sun was shining outside as the two of them embraced each other inside the room. Zhao Yelan felt that his body was getting hot and sweaty, and sweating meant it would stink. He pushed the other person away and asked about business as if nothing had happened: ¡°Have all the relief supplies come down?¡±


    ¡°En, the Imperial court squeezed out another 50,000 taels, as well as some everyday supplies, and local officials along the way also raised some silver.¡± Yan Mingting raised his hand with a smile and wiped away the traces of wetness around his mouth. ¡°I met with the team when I was about to arrive at the capital. On the way, I sent a letter by pigeon to Zuo Ran to bring the original group of people and take the water route so that the journey would be faster.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded.


    ¡°The new magistrate and the magistrate of Pi county are also here. They¡¯re just outside, do you want to meet them?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan had just taken two steps when he suddenly stopped and turned around.


    Yan Mingting was almost trampled on. Seeing him take the initiative to throw himself into his arms, he couldn¡¯t help wrapping him up in an embrace: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t checked on you yet.¡± Zhao Yelan gripped his chin, looked right and left, and stroked his cheek again.


    After being exposed to the sun for several days on the road, his skin had not turned into charcoal and was only a little red, but¡­¡­


    ¡°Where did the red mark on your neck come from?¡± Zhao Yelan asked with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°What red mark?¡± Yan Mingting rubbed his neck. ¡°Oh, there were a lot of mosquitos at night. I¡¯ve been bitten in several places and there are also some on the back. If you don¡¯t believe me, look.¡±


    He turned away, revealing the marks on the back of his neck.


    Zhao Yelan touched them and they were still swollen, so he believed they were mosquito bites. He walked out without a change of expression: ¡°Let¡¯s go out and have a look.¡±


    Two men, one old and one young, stood in the hall, listening to the head official¡¯s introduction to the affairs of the government office.


    Zhao Yelan went out to find that they were old acquaintances.


    The elder was a bachelor of the Imperial Academy, who had come to take up the post of magistrate. They were both fourth-rank positions, so it could not be considered a promotion. It was only that his ancestral home was in Jiangnan, and he hoped to return to his roots when he became old, so he accepted this position.


    And the younger person was Wang Guisheng, who was favored for his agreement with the Emperor¡¯s political views. His upright temperament was just right for Jiangnan, so he was sent to Pi County to serve as the county magistrate.


    ¡°Zhao-daren.¡± Wang Guisheng was the first to notice Zhao Yelan¡¯s figure, and saluted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite.¡± Zhao Yelan stepped forward and led the two of them to the back office to discuss the drought.


    ¡°The General communicated the situation to us on the way here. If you have any orders, just mention them.¡± Wang Guisheng did not expect that he would face such a big problem when he first took office.


    ¡°You came at a good time. After you receive the official seal in the government office, you will take your people to Pi County and take away the three hundred people in the charity house as well. I¡¯ve already planned the route. Try not to leave anyone behind, and I will arrange for the people who deliver dry food and water to meet with you.¡±


    ¡°What about after arriving in Pi County?¡±


    ¡°Then you arrange for the officers of Pi County to send these people to Quzhou. I have tallied the money, and you will pay the officers more money at that time. Then go to the disaster relief point in the next county to inform the person in charge, and move a little to the north to meet these people.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Zhao Yelan informed him of the current situation in Pi County, and Wang Guisheng nodded. After the discussion, he went to get the seal without stopping on the way, and then followed him to the charity house to lead the people.


    When the people in the shelter saw Zhao Yelan coming, they all rushed up, calling Zhao-daren enthusiastically and expectantly.


    Wang Guisheng was pushed aside when he wasn¡¯t paying attention, while Zhao Yelan was well-protected by Yan Mingting.


    ¡°Calm down and listen to me. We¡¯re taking 300 people from here and sending them to Quzhou, who wants to go?¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Everyone gradually quieted down, and no one spoke for a while because they were reluctant to leave. They had found work here, and still had food and shelter. They would not starve to death for a while. Who knew if they would face death once they left this place?


    ¡°There is no drought in Quzhou and Longzhou, but there is no certainty here in Huaizhou. If we continue to suffer, the last drop of water may be drained here, and then we will have to wait for death. It is a better choice to leave while the water source is still barely maintained. Don¡¯t worry, someone will bring you food and water on the road, they won¡¯t leave you alone.¡± After Zhao Yelan finished speaking, he looked around and pulled Wang Guisheng aside, saying, ¡°This is the newly appointed magistrate of Pi County. He will leave with everyone, so can you rest assured?¡±


    Wang Guisheng said: ¡°Right, we will not abandon you. The most important thing right now is to move to other places. The surrounding areas are already dry, and sooner or later, gathering here will lead to nothing.¡±


    Those people were moved, and someone asked: ¡°Zhao-daren, can  you guarantee that we will not die of hunger or thirst on the way?¡±


    ¡°As long as you hurry on your way obediently and don¡¯t delay other people¡¯s schedules, someone will deliver the food on time,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Then I will listen to Zhao-daren. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go too.¡±


    ¡°I happen to have relatives in Quzhou, so I¡¯ll join them.¡±


    While counting the number of people, Wang Guisheng picked up the registration book. Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting passed by him at this time, and he caught a glimpse of the two holding hands from the corner of his eye.


    He froze for a moment and scratched his hand unconsciously, looking back at them in surprise.


    The two held hands all the way to the government office. Zhao Yelan let go, and Yan Mingting paused: ¡°Why did you let go?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s palms were sweaty. ¡°Stop pretending to be wronged here.¡±


    Yan Mingting instantly failed, and followed with a smile.


    Under the instruction of the head official, the new magistrate had already learned about the government office¡¯s affairs. As soon as he breathed a sigh of relief, he was dragged off by Zhao Yelan to talk about the current situation. The immediate priority was to evacuate the people in the charity house to other places.


    He had sent money to disaster relief sites, and sent people to places without drought to prepare food and water, ready to go meet the refugees at any time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged the manpower, money, and supplies. You should keep an eye on these things and not make any mistakes,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°You handed these to me so suddenly. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I must go to Zhizhou, the situation there is not optimistic. Huaizhou is under control for the time being and you are here to watch over the town, so I will go to Zhizhou myself.¡± Zhao Yelan said calmly, ¡°Yan Mingting will leave some manpower for you, and we will take the rest to Zhizhou. You can use the disaster funds allocated by the Imperial court in Huaizhou, and the money I collected from the merchants will be taken to Zhizhou.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was not worried that he would embezzle in this season. This person was cautious in his actions and would not act boldly upon first taking office.


    After an early meal, the group set off in the evening since it was cooler at night.


    Sitting in the carriage were Zhao Yelan and Yin Pinglu, while Yan Mingting and Zuo Ran guarded several large boxes of silver outside.


    Zhao Yelan and Yin Pinglu discussed their plans after arriving in Zhizhou for a while, and then lifted the curtain to assess the drought situation in the place they passed by.


    After a while, Zhao Yelan took another look.


    A short time later, he raised the curtain again.


    After repeating this several times, he noticed Yin Pinglu¡¯s expression of restrained laughter, and explained awkwardly: ¡°I¡¯m just looking at the situation of this field.¡±


    ¡°En, we haven¡¯t passed this field yet, and my lord has already looked at it seven or eight times.¡± Yin Pinglu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are you spying on the General?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was mute, neither admitting nor denying it. After a while, he couldn¡¯t help but lift the curtain with his hand. Upon realizing it, he put his hand down and touched his nose with embarrassment, pretending that nothing had happened.


    Yin Pinglu lowered her head.


    Zhao Yelan clearly saw the corners of her mouth rising manically.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Yin Pinglu coughed to clear her throat, and said: ¡°Zuo Ran told me that the General always wanted to write to you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused and looked at her suspiciously.


    ¡°But he was on his way at that time and was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t receive the letter, so he wrote it and threw it into the river. He urged the boatman to go faster every day, wishing he could paddle it himself.¡± Yin Pinglu laughed.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth rose slightly.


    ¡°The General also told Zuo Ran that my lord, you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I what?¡±


    ¡°You kissed him in public.¡± Yin Pinglu covered her face. ¡°He often brags about it to the lieutenants.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    Zhao Yelan lifted the curtain and stared straight at Yan Mingting, who was a few meters behind. The other party felt his gaze and rode to the side of the carriage to ask: ¡°Do you want a drink?¡± As he spoke, he handed the water bag to him.


    Zhao Yelan took a small sip, not much, and returned it, saying: ¡°Come over here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes darted as he thought of something, and looked back at the team behind. Many people here had witnessed the scene where Zhao Yelan kissed him in full view, and they all watched curiously.


    Yan Mingting leaned over distractedly and asked with a smile: ¡°Do you want to kiss me again?¡±


    Zhao Yelan stretched out his hand and pinched his face hard.


    Yan Mingting pretended to have been kissed, and returned to the team with extreme pride.


    In the middle of the night, everyone rested in place for a while. Zhao Yelan held a fire paper to check the conditions of the nearby fields.


    Yan Mingting went around with him, and when they returned, they leaned against a nearby tree to rest. Feeling a little thirsty, he took out a pot of lotus wine from the carriage and drank it.


    ¡°Is there no water?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bit more, I¡¯ll leave it to you. Fortunately, there were still several jars of wine given by Magistrate Sun in the carriage.¡± After speaking, Yan Mingting took another big gulp of wine.


    Zhao Yelan took a few glances at him, and his gaze fell on his wine-soaked lips. He suddenly went over to lick them, and seemed to taste lotus.


    Yan Mingting stared at him, dumbstruck, then took a few sips and looked at him expectantly.


    Zhao Yelan chuckled, but just raised his head to gaze at the starry sky. It seemed that tomorrow would be sunny again.


    Seeing that he was not taking the initiative anymore, Yan Mingting simply grasped the other¡¯s head, moved forward, and accurately planted his lips.


    After a moment, Zhao Yelan tasted the lotus brew, and the aroma of wine diffused between the lips and teeth of the two.


    There was only one last sip left in the jar. Yan Mingting asked him if he wanted to drink. His mouth was parched, so he simply finished the drink from Yan Mingting¡¯s hand.


    When they set out again, Yin Pinglu left the carriage. Now that it was late at night, it was inconvenient for her to ride in the same carriage as Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right for you to ride a horse?¡± Yan Mingting confirmed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ba, I used to be on horseback for days and nights when I was traveling.¡± Yin Pinglu smiled and walked to Zuo Ran, who stretched out a hand. She skillfully mounted the horse and sat in front of her.


    Seeing this, Zhao Yelan secretly despised his own skills.


    While the team was still moving forward, Yan Mingting rode his horse to follow beside the carriage.


    Not long after, Zhao Yelan felt a little hot. These two sips of wine should not make him drunk, but perhaps due to the weather or eating very little, he had already started to feel a little inebriated. He opened the curtain and called quickly: ¡°I¡¯m dizzy.¡±


    Yan Mingting came to the side and looked at his flushed face. He immediately realized the cause, and got into the carriage regardless of the eyes of others.


    ¡°Are you drunk?¡±


    ¡°Hot¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan reclined weakly in the carriage and tried to untie his belt, but his outer layer got stuck and he couldn¡¯t take it off no matter what.


    Yan Minting had no choice but to help him take off his outer garment. Zhao Yelan tugged at his collar and then felt better, closing his eyes drowsily.


    Yan Mingting was afraid he would be uncomfortable, so he fanned him with his fan. The other party was quiet for a while, as if he had fallen asleep.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, Yan Mingting continued to fan him until the wheels hit a stone, jolting the carriage. Zhao Yelan opened his eyes in a daze and then stared at him intently.


    Yan Mingting immediately shivered, and suddenly realized that he might be about to act abnormally again.


    Sure enough, he saw the other party open his arms in the next moment and speak one word in a clear voice: ¡°Hug.¡±


    What else could Yan Minting do, of course he would hug him, ah!


    As soon as he sat next to him, the other party hugged him and began to count his crimes: ¡°Why would you rather throw the letter into the river than send it to me?¡±


    Yan Mingting guessed that it was Zuo Ran who informed Yin Pinglu, and then Yin Pinglu turned around and told Zhao Yelan. He explained: ¡°I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t receive it, and feared that it would delay your business.¡±


    ¡°You are my business.¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s eyelashes fluttered and he looked sideways at him, the corners of his mouth crazily raised: ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Zhao Yelan blinked his eyes, but refused to say any more. He just found a comfortable angle again, but finally found that sitting like this was not conducive to hugging at all, so he turned around and sat directly on his lap.


    Yan Mingting hugged him tighter to prevent him from falling down.


    Zhao Yelan thought he was trying to touch his back, and said: ¡°Don¡¯t touch.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t touch, I won¡¯t touch.¡±


    ¡°Not allowed to look either.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t look, won¡¯t look.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t believe it. He picked up the belt next to him and covered his eyes.


    Yan Mingting raised his head and smiled at him: ¡°So worried about me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked down at him, held his face in both hands, and narrowed his eyes slightly: ¡°Tell me, what was written in the letter?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Say it, do you want me to punish you?¡±


    Yan Mingting felt that his neck was being strangled, and gave a quiet laugh, saying: ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you. The letter said ¡ª I miss you, so very much.¡±


    Zhao Yelan released his grip, his fingertips lingering on his cheeks and caressing them gently. Then he put his arms around the back of his neck, lowered his head, and kissed his lips: ¡°I missed you too.¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s sight was blocked, but the other four senses became more sensitive.


    Slight panting and moist sounds kept ringing in his ears, and he became more and more enthralled with the other party¡¯s slight fragrance. He couldn¡¯t help but entangle his tongue, plundering the air that belonged to him, and unconsciously fumbled with his hands.


    With a ¡°pa,¡± Zhao Yelan slapped his hand away: ¡°I told you not to touch my back!¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Yan Mingting assured him that he wouldn¡¯t do it again, and continued to kiss him.


    A moment later, Yan Mingting was slapped again: ¡°It won¡¯t be repeated! Believe me!¡±

 CH 64

    The sun had not yet risen in the early morning, but the temperature already showed an upward trend.


    The carriage jolted again and Zhao Yelan yawned. Before opening his eyes, he heard Yan Mingting say in his ear: ¡°Go back to sleep, ba.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhao Yelan changed to a more comfortable position. Wrapping his arms around his neck, he placed his head on his shoulder. He was about to fall asleep when he suddenly froze for a moment, opening his eyes to stare at Yan Mingting. Then he lowered his head to take a look.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s face abruptly turned red, and he smiled in embarrassment: ¡°Not sleeping anymore?¡±


    ¡°How can I sleep?¡± Zhao Yelan got off his lap and sat aside. After a moment, he turned his head to the side again, looking down at the bulge in his clothes.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yan Mingting silently tried to cover it with his clothes, but it was useless, and instead of shrinking back, he became more energetic.


    He couldn¡¯t be blamed for this, ah.


    He was at a young age, the weather was so hot, and there was a beautiful person on top of him all night. It was not easy for him to obey the rules, not to mention that Zhao Yelan was staring at him now. To shrink back, he would have to be a ghost.


    ¡°Looking, looking, you¡¯re still looking.¡± Yan Mingting cast him a reproachful look. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for starting the fire. You¡¯ll torture others when you¡¯re drunk and then act as if nothing happened to you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows upon hearing these words: ¡°You¡¯re blaming me?¡±


    Yan Mingting gave a light snort and turned his head to stop looking at him and calm himself down. Otherwise, how could he go out to meet people like this?


    Suddenly, a shadow fell in front of him, and Zhao Yelan sat on his lap again, reaching out a hand: ¡°It seems that I have to teach you a lesson.¡±


    His hand was a little cold, and when he held it, the scalding temperature finally received a little comfort. Yan Mingting¡¯s breath stopped, and he looked at him incredulously. He noticed that the other party was also momentarily stunned, and asked: ¡°What is it?¡±


    As expected, the General was really well-endowed.


    Zhao Yelan only had this thought in his mind, and soon after taught him a lesson with somewhat rusty skills.


    In fact, Zhao Yelan seldom did this by himself, especially in recent years. The initial novelty had passed, his mind as calm as still water, and he was unable to arouse any interest. However, watching Yan Mingting¡¯s expression at this time, his face was full of emotion, but he had to restrain his desire and his voice so as not to be heard. This sense of control made him very happy.


    Yan Mingting raised his head with his eyes half shut and glimpsed his triumphant smile, then pressed his head down to kiss him.


    After a long time, Zhao Yelan pushed him away and rubbed his wrist with some dissatisfaction: ¡°It¡¯s sore, do it yourself.¡±


    How could that work?


    ¡°Soon, soon, I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± With a hoarse voice, Yan Mingting took his hand and covered it again.


    At last, Zhao Yelan took several handkerchiefs to wipe his hands.


    Yan Mingting tidied up and put on his outer garments. He got off the carriage energetically, but his legs were shaking a bit.


    The soldiers looked at him with complicated expressions.


    Yan Mingting was embarrassed for a moment, and thought to himself that he had been hugged all night, how could his legs not be soft? He rode straight on his horse and gave the order to speed up so as to reach Zhizhou before noon.


    The sharp-eyed Zuo Ran chased after Yan Mingting on horseback and said: ¡°General, your neck is red.¡±


    Yan Mingting touched his neck subconsciously and said: ¡°Mosquito bites.¡±


    ¡°I know you have mosquito bites, but aren¡¯t they on the left?¡± Zuo Ran said, ¡°There are clearly teeth marks on the right side, and they look quite deep.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yan Mingting suddenly remembered the scene where Zhao Yelan went wild in the middle of the night and bit his neck several times.


    ¡°Ranran, you saw wrong, it¡¯s only mosquito bites.¡±


    After Yin Pinglu finished talking with Zhao Yelan, she took a box of ointment from her pocket and tossed it to him: ¡°Here, General.¡±


    After speeding up, the team finally reached the Sun mansion by lunch. Once the subordinates were settled in, they followed Magistrate Sun to the mansion for a meal.


    Yin Pinglu had met Magistrate Sun when she was young, and had also met Sun Muyun a few times. They were little sisters who had a good relationship, but rarely saw each other due to the distance.


    When Magistrate Yin saw her, he sighed with regret for the impermanence of the world. Yin Pinglu, however, didn¡¯t care much, and asked about Sun Muyun¡¯s situation.


    While the two reminisced about the past, Zhao Yelan looked at Yan Mingting¡¯s red and white neck and asked: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your neck?¡±


    Yan Mingting asked in a low voice: ¡°Isn¡¯t this your good work?¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned and reached out to wipe his neck. There was a layer of grease on his fingertips, and when he looked again, it immediately became clear.


    Most likely Yan Mingting had used grease to cover the teeth marks, but the weather was too hot and the grease had begun to mottle.


    Zhao Yelan knew he was in the wrong, so he silently lowered his head to eat.


    At this time, Magistrate Sun moved a few more pots of lotus wine to the table: ¡°Come, it has been a long journey. My lord and the General should drink some wine to quench their thirst.¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately laughed out loud to the puzzlement of the others, who looked at him doubtfully.


    ¡°I won¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Zhao Yelan now had a psychological shadow regarding the lotus wine. ¡°I still have to do business in the afternoon, so drinking would cause a delay in work.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t drink well, let me do it. I won¡¯t cause a delay in work.¡± Yan Mingting took the wine with a smile and drank with the others.


    After the meal, everyone gathered in the study and Magistrate Sun brought up the current situation: ¡°Thanks to Zhao-daren¡¯s letter a few days ago, I made preparations early and discovered that a total of eight counties were affected by the disaster in the Zhizhou area. The refugees were all housed in one place. Now in the next county over, there is a lake that is barely surviving and will soon be drained. If it doesn¡¯t rain again, I fear that it will not be able to last more than a few days, and our disaster money has already been exhausted.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought you the silver,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°That truly solves our urgent need.¡± Magistrate Sun let out a long sigh of relief.


    ¡°We hardly met anyone on our way, and the fields were dry, so we should not evacuate anyone in this direction. We can evacuate in three directions, east, north, and south,¡± Zhao Yelan said, pointing on the map.


    ¡°All right, but the manpower¡­¡­¡± Magistrate Sun wondered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought that for you too,¡± Zhao Yelan pointed to Yan Mingting.


    Yan Mingting nodded and went out to form six teams, three to move refugees and three to transport food.


    Zhao Yelan had tried to connect several disaster relief sites in Huaizhou together, so that a lot of labor could be saved.


    ¡°What water sources are there in the city?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    After Magistrate Sun finished his detailed explanation, Yin Pinglu suddenly frowned and pointed to a mountain at the boundary line, saying: ¡°There is also a fresh spring here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit far from here, how do you know?¡± Magistrate Sun asked.


    ¡°When I came to Zhizhou as a guest in my youth, Muyun secretly took me there to play. But the location was somewhat difficult to find, and it is unknown if there is still water,¡¯ Yin Pinglu said.


    ¡°Can you still remember the exact location?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yin Pinglu recalled for a moment: ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you take some people to check.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Zuo Ran volunteered.


    After the two left, Zhao Yelan proposed to take a look around the city again, and went to the streets alone with Yan Mingting.


    Compared to when he came here before, there were no people on the streets. The shops were all closed, and the sun was scorching.


    Yan Mingting held an umbrella over the two of their heads. Zhao Yelan glanced around, and stood atop the city gate in the end, overlooking the dry scenery. He said: ¡°I¡¯ve never looked forward to a rainy day so much.¡±


    ¡°Why do you hate rainy days?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°Because when it rains¡­¡­people can die.¡± Zhao Yelan gazed up at the cloudless sunny sky. ¡°But if it doesn¡¯t rain, people will still die.¡±


    ¡°It will rain,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°Tell me, are those rain rituals useful?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably for peace of mind. If there is no other way, people will want to pray to the heavens.¡± Yan Mingting turned to look at him. ¡°Do you want to pray to the heavens?¡±


    What Zhao Yelan hated most was talk about the principles of heaven and the like. He looked away and turned to descend the tower: ¡°Fuck the heavens, I only have faith in man-made things.¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled.


    ¡°There are many lakes in Huaizhou and Zhizhou, but they are too small to maintain during a drought. I was thinking, would it be possible to dig ditches in the future and find a way to circulate water from the Huaihe River?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yan Mingting agreed with his proposal, but said: ¡°The scope of this project is too large. It will look like a waste of time and money, and the results may not be satisfactory. Most likely, the Imperial court will not agree with your suggestion.¡±


    ¡°But if protective measures aren¡¯t taken, waiting for the next time, and the next, isn¡¯t such a situation still just waiting to die?¡±


    ¡°Then have you thought about what to say to the court?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes sharpened: ¡°After the disaster has subsided and the losses have been recovered, I will be this villain.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll support you,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan gave him a sideways glance: ¡°I may be accused by thousands of people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you scold them back.¡±


    Zhao Yelan laughed out loud.


    When approaching the Sun Mansion, Zhao Yelan suddenly became dizzy. He wanted to speak but had no strength to do so, just grabbing Yan Mingting¡¯s sleeve as he fell uncontrollably to the ground.


    Yan Mingting caught him and called him a few times, but seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, he quickly carried him back to Sun Mansion and hurried to find a doctor. After diagnosis and treatment, it was confirmed to be heat stroke.


    Running around outside for several days, coupled with exposure to the sun, had eventually caused him to fall ill.


    Yan Mingting was a little vexed. He had only thought about his fear of the cold, but ignored the current situation and followed him outside for a long time.


    Zhao Yelan was given some medicine, and woke up several times in a daze with a wet handkerchief on his forehead and someone continuously fanning him at his side.


    Later, when he was half asleep and half awake, he heard many people coming to visit, but they were all dismissed by Yan Mingting and only Magistrate Sun was left behind.


    Magistrate Sun had come to inquire about the deployment plan. Zhao Yelan really wanted to get up and explain it to him face-to-face, but he had no strength at all and couldn¡¯t even open his eyes. Then he heard Yan Mingting explain the plan to him in detail, and without any mistakes, so he fell asleep with peace of mind.


    At night, he heard Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu rushing in again: ¡°My lord, my lord, I¡¯ve found the source of water! Although it isn¡¯t much, it¡¯s enough for us to drink for the time being!¡±


    ¡°Shhh.¡± Yan Mingting motioned for them to keep their voices down. He had them take turns resting while the other led his men to carry water.


    Listening to their conversation, Zhao Yelan gradually settled down. Before falling asleep, a sentence popped up in his mind ¨C why be afraid, if the sky falls, there is a tall man there to hold it up.


    It was already noon when he awoke again, and he opened his eyes weakly, rolling them around.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Yan Mingting looked at him, overjoyed.


    ¡°En¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan noticed his bloodshot eyes and the fan in his hand, and guessed that he hadn¡¯t slept all night.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something first?¡± Without waiting for him to nod, Yan Mingting hurried to the kitchen and brought back a bowl of porridge. Then he helped him sit up and fed him the porridge himself. ¡°Porridge is a rarity now, so you can¡¯t be disgusted.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took a few weak sips and heard footsteps outside. It was Magistrate Sun, who had come to report the progress of the refugee evacuation.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, it¡¯s wonderful that you¡¯re awake,¡± Magistrate Sun said happily.


    ¡°All right, just tell me what¡¯s happened in the past few days.¡± While feeding the porridge, Yan Mingting discussed important matters with Magistrate Sun before having him leave, and then found that Zhao Yelan had been staring at him.


    ¡°What? Is there something wrong with my delegation?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan shook his head, and a smile gradually appeared on his pale face.


    After he finished the bowl of porridge, Yan Mingting helped him lay down again so that he could continue to rest.


    ¡°You come and lie down too.¡± Zhao Yelan patted the space next to him.


    Yan Mingting was afraid that he would be hot, so he just lay on his side, trying to prevent physical contact.


    Zhao Yelan gazed at him quietly. Even though he felt ill, his heart was extraordinarily peaceful. Was this the feeling of being able to rely on someone? He didn¡¯t need to worry about anything, nor rack his brains to consider the dangers to be faced. He just needed to lie down peacefully to recuperate, open his mouth to be fed, and hold out his hands to be dressed. Such a day could actually happen to him?


    When a person became accustomed to living alone, he would get used to doing everything by himself, and it was even harder to believe that anyone would love him.


    However, Yan Mingting was the exception.


    Yan Mingting was intelligent and sensitive when it came to important matters. He would be foolish when facing himself, but was actually someone who could be relied upon with confidence. More importantly, he could feel the depth of Yan Mingting¡¯s love that he had never expressed in words.


    The more difficult it was to say, the heavier it became.


    On this point, they had a tacit understanding.


    ¡°I had a dream last night,¡± Zhao Yelan said softly.


    ¡°What dream?¡± Yan Mingting unconsciously lowered his voice, and helped brush away the dark hair that fell on his cheeks.


    ¡°I dreamt about our wedding night in the bridal chamber.¡±


    In the dream, he had completely dispelled his hostility toward Yan Mingting. The two of them drank the wine in a friendly manner, chatting about their respective experiences in the frontier and the capital over the years. Even before dawn, he obediently followed Yan Mingting to do horse stance.


    He hated horse stance because he thought it was unsightly and troublesome, and more importantly, he didn¡¯t want to maintain his health at the time. It was just superfluous.


    But in the dream last night, he subconsciously wanted to live a good life, because he was not alone in his current world.


    He wanted to live a little bit longer, so that he could grow old with Yan Mingting.


    ¡°Wedding night in the bridal chamber?¡± Yan Mingting echoed, the corners of his mouth rising.


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan was about to tell him that when they returned to the capital, he would exercise his body well, do horse stance with him, and learn how to ride a horse and shoot a bow.


    But in the next moment, he heard Yan Mingting ask with an uncontrollably joyful expression on his face: ¡°On the wedding night in your dream, did I succeed?¡±


    The corner of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    T/N: Psst, it¡¯s my birthday. Have a chapter.

 CH 65

    Two days later, Zhao Yelan finally recovered. There was no one else in the room. He put on his clothes and had just walked out the door when he heard Yan Mingting say to Zuo Ran: ¡°Take the prescription from the doctor and boil two pots. Make it available to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zuo Ran raised her head and called, ¡°Zhao-daren, why are you up?¡±


    Yan Mingting turned around with a wave of his hand, and Zuo Ran hurried off to get to work. He walked to the door and asked in a soft voice: ¡°How do you feel, is there any discomfort?¡±


    Zhao Yelan shook his head and asked: ¡°What kind of medicine are you brewing? Is anyone else sick?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just medicine to reduce the heat. They¡¯re running around outside every day, so it¡¯s just in case,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°I was negligent.¡± Zhao Yelan had simply thought that these soldiers were well-trained and physically strong, so he just let them go to work.


    ¡°Your biggest oversight is yourself.¡± Yan Mingting helped him sit down, and then asked the doctor to make a diagnosis. After confirming that there was no major problem, he was relieved.


    Zhao Yelan asked about the current progress, and Yan Mingting replied: ¡°Rest assured, ba, the refugees from Zhizhou have been evacuated according to your previous method. If there is no accident, they should now be almost to the disaster relief point, and then they will be able to go on to other lands smoothly.¡±


    Zhao Yelan pondered: ¡°Where are the people from the city? Have they all been evacuated too?¡±


    ¡°Some people don¡¯t want to leave and have been temporarily placed in charity houses.¡±


    ¡°How long can the water source that Yin Pinglu found last?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s only that the water is getting less and less, and many people are going to fetch water every day.¡±


    ¡°Let the residents who don¡¯t want to leave fetch water themselves, otherwise they will wait at home for someone to come to their door,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Ask your people to pick up water and send it to the disaster relief point to minimize casualties during the journey.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    At noon, everyone ate pancakes and white rice porridge. Magistrate Sun said that some people in the city were already preparing to leave for other places, because if they went to fetch water by themselves, the round-trip distance was not short. It was better to leave with the others, so that at least there were people from the government who could guarantee them a sip of water.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, there is nothing else to do here, you fellows should evacuate quickly,¡± Magistrate Sun said.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going?¡±


    ¡°There are still some people in the city who are unwilling to leave, and I cannot abandon them,¡± Magistrate Sun said. ¡°Many thanks to everyone who came to help these days, otherwise I would not have been able to properly handle so many refugees with such ease. Especially Zhao-daren, who fell ill. It is a blessing for the people to have a good official like you, ah.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I¡¯m just doing my best.¡± Zhao Yelan thought he wasn¡¯t as good as all that. He had just happened to encounter a disastrous situation and couldn¡¯t bear to see so many lives disappear before his eyes, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved.


    Moreover, compared to him, Magistrate Sun was the real local official, and at this juncture he was still unwilling to give up the remaining people and wanted to live or die with them.


    Zhao Yelan admired his perseverance, but he also knew that a gentleman did not stand under a dangerous wall, and after minimizing the damage, he should leave with his own people.


    ¡°We will take the official route. Come to us if you need anything.¡± After Zhao Yelan ate half of his sesame seed-coated cakes, he picked up the porridge and drank most of the bowl in one go.


    At this time, Yan Mingting silently moved his porridge in front of him.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°Drink it yourself.¡±


    ¡°I can drink wine later,¡± Yan Mingting insisted.


    Zhao Yelan had no choice but to drink another bowl. However, when everyone went back to pack their luggage, he saw Zuo Ran staring straight ahead while holding an empty jar. There was not a drop of wine dripping from it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you change the jar?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°No, we ran out of wine yesterday.¡± Zuo Ran sighed. ¡°Magistrate Yin took out everything he had in stock at home, but there are too many soldiers and not enough for everyone to drink.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback: ¡°Not even a single jar?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked into the room. Yan Mingting looked back at him while packing his bags: ¡°Drink the medicine first, ba. There¡¯s some more for the road, so as not to suffer from heatstroke again.¡±


    Taking a few glances at him, Zhao Yelan drank the medicine in one go and grimaced.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you uncomfortable?¡± Yan Mingting asked, stepping forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little bitter.¡±


    ¡°It is? You never said it was bitter before, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan stared at his chapped lips and raised his head to kiss them. He licked them thoroughly, and asked after his lips were moist: ¡°Is it bitter or not?¡±


    ¡°Where is it bitter?¡± Yan Mingting smiled. ¡°It¡¯s obviously sweeter than tanghulu.¡±


    For the convenience of travel, no carriage was used this time, and everyone rode lightly on horseback. After bidding farewell to Magistrate Sun, everyone began to move directly north.


    Zhao Yelan originally wanted to ride a horse by himself, but Yan Mingting was worried, fearing that he couldn¡¯t bear it alone, so he insisted on dragging him onto his horse.


    After more than half an hour, Yan Mingting stopped abruptly and took off his outer layer. The others couldn¡¯t bear the heat either, so they followed his lead and took off their outer layers. For the sake of the two women, they did not go shirtless.


    Seeing this, Yin Pinglu whispered a few words to Zuo Ran, who nodded and turned around to say: ¡°General, the two of us are going to the front to take the lead. You just follow behind.¡±


    After speaking, they hurried to the front of the crowd. Everyone saw and didn¡¯t wait any longer, taking off their tops to go shirtless.


    Zhao Yelan looked around at all those muscular arms and inevitably became a little jealous.


    ¡°Does it look good?¡± Yan Mingting asked cooly behind him.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good-looking,¡± Zhao Yelan said sincerely.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Yan Mingting was angry, but couldn¡¯t ask everyone to put on their clothes when it was hot to the point of death, so he could only remove his inner layer irritably.


    Zhao Yelan glanced back, then faced forward as if nothing had happened, a suspicious blush appearing at the base of his ears.


    In the evening, everyone enjoyed the shade at the base of a mountain and ate dry rations.


    Zhao Yelan found a secluded place and stood under the shade of a tree, eating sesame seed cakes. After a while, Yan Mingting came over and handed him a water bag: ¡°Drink some water first.¡±


    Zhao Yelan grabbed it and took a sip, then turned his back to continue eating without looking at him.


    Yan Mingting was puzzled, and was about to speak, but he heard someone calling him and had no choice but to go over there first to see the situation.


    Hearing the sound of his footsteps fading away, Zhao Yelan turned his head, and his eyes fell on the other¡¯s back. The muscles of his arms and waist contained a wild strength without losing any aesthetic beauty. The shoulders were wide, the waist narrow, and the legs long. He had a good figure.


    He had also seen Yan Mingting soaking in the bathtub, but at that time he was only concerned with checking whether he was injured, and did not have so  many colorful thoughts. But seeing him stand out amongst a group of shirtless men, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little proud.


    Look, among so many tall and mighty men, only the best-looking one was worthy of him.


    ¡°My lord, what are you looking at?¡± Zuo Ran suddenly appeared beside him, following his line of sight. ¡°Are you looking at the General?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback, and sent her a sharp look: ¡°Are you always so silent when you walk?¡±


    ¡°I am, ah, it¡¯s just that you were too focused,¡± Zuo Ran said innocently.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to continue this topic, and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Getting another sesame seed cake.¡± Zuo Ran smiled and ran to Yan Mingting¡¯s side. Whatever she said made Yan Mingting suddenly look over with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan quickly looked up at the sky, still holding half a piece of sesame seed cake in his hand.


    Zuo Ran got the cake and ran a few steps forward to find Yin Pinglu.


    After Yan Mingting finished talking with the others, he returned to Zhao Yelan and asked with a smile: ¡°What were you looking at just now?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking at anything.¡± Zhao Yelan took a few steps backward and leaned his back against the tree, then stopped and bowed his head to eat the cake.


    Yan Mingting took two steps forward, tilted his head to observe his expression, and suddenly laughed: ¡°Did you peek at me?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± Zhao Yelan glared at him.


    ¡°If you want to see it, just look at it directly instead of being sneaky.¡± Yan Mingting raised his arms and deliberately demonstrated the power of a man.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­Be careful of mosquitos biting you to death.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡±


    Not long after, Yan Mingting said with a mournful face: ¡°Oh no, look at my back, have I been bitten?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    There was a big puffy bite on his back.


    Zhao Yelan found some mosquito repellant in the forest and rubbed it on his back for a while, then asked: ¡°Does it still itch?¡±


    How could it not itch? His heart itched badly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself, ba.¡± Yan Mingting gave a long sigh and looked at him sadly, pointing out, ¡°It¡¯s still so hot today, it¡¯s easy to get too excited.¡±


    Zhao Yelan choked, and stuffed the last bite of sesame seed cake that he couldn¡¯t finish into the other¡¯s mouth.


    Yan Mingting was very moved and said in his heart, he left the last bite for me, he loves me so much.


    They continued to move forward in the evening, but their speed had dropped and the horses walked forward slowly. Zhao Yelan gazed up at the night sky. It was full of stars, very beautiful, but he couldn¡¯t be happy.


    ¡°Looks like tomorrow will be sunny,¡± Zhao Yelan sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°Sometimes the sky isn¡¯t accurate, what if it rains?¡±


    Zhao Yelan reluctantly gave a faint smile: ¡°I hope so, ba.¡±


    Seeing that he was not in high spirits, Yan Mingting said: ¡°Everything has its pros and cons. Although tomorrow will be sunny, that does not hinder the beauty of the night sky now, ah. It is rare to see so many stars in the capital, so seize the opportunity to see more of them.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave a light laugh, but then seriously looked at the stars. Some were big, some were small, some sparkled and shined, and some connected to form patterns. Zhao used the stars to form pictures, pointing dozens of them out to Yan Mingting. He asked: ¡°What do you think that one looks like?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s gaze kept falling on his profile, and the corners of his lips curled up unconsciously. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Hongshao.¡± Zhao Yelan laughed out loud, echoed by Yan Mingting.


    The others didn¡¯t know what had happened, hearing inexplicable laughter on the road.


    The night was getting dark, and Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyelids were a bit heavy. Yan Mingting pulled him back to lean into his arms and said: ¡°Take a nap, ba.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded and leaned against his chest to prepare for sleep, but not long after he closed his eyes, he felt something pressing against his back.


    He opened his eyes abruptly with a reddening face, and said without looking back: ¡°Calm down.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Yan Mingting lowered his head slightly, moved close to his cheek, and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said, you had better calm down a little,¡± Zhao Yelan said in a low voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Yan Mingting was puzzled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? We¡¯re on the road now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re on the road¡­¡­so what?¡±


    Seeing that he had made it clear that he would pretend to be innocent, Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to argue with him any longer. He closed his eyes again, but couldn¡¯t get to sleep at all. The horse bumped up and down as he lay against the other¡¯s chest, and his ears were filled with the sound of the other¡¯s heavy breathing as his face turned redder and redder.


    What¡¯s more, his back was being poked uncomfortably the whole time, and it was difficult to ignore.


    ¡°Go to the front, I have something to say to you,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know his reasoning, but he hurried to the front at full speed, and then they walked into a remote grove nearby.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± As soon as Yan Mingting spoke, the other turned around and reached out to touch his body.


    Yan Mingting was taken aback: ¡° ? ¡± He wanted to be so wild?


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression was more complicated. He was sullen at first, then gradually lost, lowering his head unsurely to look. Then he noticed the saber at his waist, and reached out to touch the tip of the scabbard.


    Hell. He had been careless.


    The expression on Zhao Yelan¡¯s face was about to crack, especially when he realized that he had directly grabbed it after his casually irritated words just now.


    ¡°That is¡­¡­I seem to have made a mistake just now, in fact, the thing is this¡­..¡± He wanted to continue to explain, but was taken captive by Yan Mingting into the depths of the forest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you so proactive in stirring up a fire, and also on the road! Hurry and take responsibility for me!¡± Yan Mingting said.

 CH 66

    The team traveled at night and rested during the day. After walking like this for three days, the dry rations and water had almost been exhausted. The people and horses had been very active during this time and had lost a lot of strength, gritting their teeth to continue forward.


    Zhao Yelan looked at the map and said: ¡°We¡¯ll be in Pi County soon, and there will be someone there to meet us. Everyone, take heart.¡±


    ¡°When we return to the capital, the Emperor will be sure to reward us all generously,¡± Yan Mingting said to boost morale.


    Everyone gazed exhaustedly at the endless road. Yin Pinglu was holding onto the reins with her last breath, and Zhao Yelan even moreso. Of the entire team, the two of them with the least physical fitness had reached their limits.


    Yan Mingting looked down and saw that he was faint and muddle-headed, having obviously only slept for a while when they rested. He said worriedly, ¡°Mengting, let¡¯s talk about something.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Zhao Yelan asked weakly.


    ¡°Tell me about your childhood. I want to know, what were you like when you were young?¡±


    ¡°When I was young?¡± Zhao Yelan looked up at the sun that was close to setting in the distance. The sun at dusk was like a salted egg yolk, reminding him of a time in his youth when he sat in the courtyard and watched the sunset.


    ¡°My father usually liked to recite and compose poems. One time he was reading under a magnificent sunset near dusk. My mother said, ¡®the sunset is beautiful, like porridge with egg yolks, let¡¯s eat salted egg yolks tonight.¡¯¡±


    Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t help laughing: ¡°Then do you like salted egg yolks?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°So I had to recite one policy theory and ten poems to change to a different kind of food.¡±


    ¡°What food did you end up switching to?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Salted duck eggs.¡±


    Yan Mingting laughed out loud: ¡°That is considered a change?¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped, there were only salted duck eggs left at home. I ate the egg whites and they ate the yolks. They also joked that I wouldn¡¯t eat good food.¡±


    ¡°You are able to eat a lot of good things now.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Yelan gazed far into the distance. ¡°I want to taste all the delicious things in the world, and wear all the beautiful clothes.¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded his head.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Zhao Yelan had nearly lost the strength to speak, and just wanted to hear him go on.


    ¡°Me, ah, I was a naughty child, and often secretly ran out of the capital. My mother couldn¡¯t control me, and tossed me into the military camp in a fit of anger. Then I regretted it. How nice the capital was, ah, why go to the frontier and suffer? I cried and threw a fit, ah, but my father was indifferent.¡±


    Zhao Yelan had thought he was born with a love for family and country. Hearing this put a smile in his eyes. It turned out that when he was a child, he didn¡¯t know the meaning of life and death, or the principles of the world.


    ¡°How did you throw a fit?¡± Zhao Yelan asked curiously.


    ¡°I just rolled around and made a scene. Sometimes my father would summon his subordinates to the big tent to witness how I jumped up and down, it was so humiliating,¡± Yan Mingting sighed.


    Zhao Yelan smiled slightly: ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you give up and run away?¡±


    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t escape at all, so I practiced hard with them and waited for the day when I could defeat my father and all of them with my own hands, and then return to the capital proudly,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°And after? Why did you stay on the frontier?¡±


    ¡°My father had a subordinate who looked big and brawny. Every time I tried to escape, he was responsible for catching me, and I couldn¡¯t beat him in a fight. I suffered a lot of losses because of him. Then one time, my father was on the front lines when the rear battalion was ambushed, and several poisoned arrows were shot at me. I was unharmed because that big fellow stood in the way behind me. Not only him, but several people who usually guarded me strictly rushed over to protect me.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t feel that his mind was muddled or drowsy at all, and subconsciously held onto one of his hands.


    ¡°I was sitting in front of his tomb, ah, and I thought, was it because I had a good birth? Born in the General¡¯s Mansion, everyone regarded me as a second father to respect and shield, but what could I do for them?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how important the three words ¡°Yan Mingting¡± are in the hearts of the common people?¡±


    Yan Mingting lowered his eyes to gaze at his side profile. His eyelashes were like crow¡¯s feathers, fanning his heart again and again. He smiled and asked: ¡°Then what is in your heart?¡±


    Zhao Yelan remained silent.


    Yan Mingting stopped asking questions and focused on watching the road. Then, he heard Zhao Yelan¡¯s hoarse but determined voice: ¡°In the past, I only had my parents in my heart. From now on, I will only have you alone. What do you think?¡±


    Yan Mingting suddenly felt that death would be worth it. His heart was a burning ball of fire, so hot that it seemed to explode, the flames spreading to all his vital organs.


    ¡°Mengting.¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Mengting.¡±


    ¡°En?¡± Zhao Yelan turned around hesitantly, and was greeted by a stormy kiss.


    He inwardly rejoiced that they were some distance from the line behind them. Perhaps no one had noticed their movements. There was a sudden pain on his lip as Yan Mingting seemed to intend to punish him for being inattentive. This urgent bite made Zhao Yelan bite back vindictively, affection mixed with desire to tear him to the bone.


    Without the restraint of its handler, the horse walked casually off to the side, and no one remarked upon them leaving the team. Zhao Yelan feared falling, so he reflexively hugged the other¡¯s waist. His neck felt sore after leaning back for a while, but just as he tried to back out, the other party leaned down and pecked kisses all the way.


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud: ¡°Do you know what you look like right now?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Yan Mingting looked into his eyes. ¡°A poor man who has a piece of fatty meat but can¡¯t eat it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan glared at him. ¡°Who is fatty meat?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡­no meat?¡±


    ¡°You can shut up, ba.¡±


    While speaking, a drop of water fell on Zhao Yelan¡¯s face. Yan Mingting reached out a hand to wipe it off and was suddenly taken aback, looking at him blankly.


    The two of them looked up at the same time and couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on at all. Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help stretching out his hand, and several moments later, a few more drops of water landed on it.


    ¡°Is it¡­..raining?¡± Zhao Yelan looked at him incredulously and put a hand on his face. ¡°Is it rain?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I also got it on my head,¡± Yan Mingting said happily.


    The others seemed to have noticed it too, and stopped one after another, looking up and around until the rain stained their faces. Then they began to shout wildly one after another.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining! Amazing, it¡¯s raining!¡±


    Everyone got off their horses. Some hugged each other and screamed for joy, some wept on the spot, and some drank the rainwater with their mouths open.


    Zhao Yelan also stretched out his hands, feeling the cold water soaking his clothes, and laughed from the bottom of his heart. He looked sideways at Yan Mingting: ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡±


    ¡°En, it¡¯s raining.¡± Yan Mingting smiled and embraced him. ¡°How wonderful.¡±


    Everyone yelled in the rain for a while. Yan Mingting asked them to go shelter in the forest for a while, but they wanted to continue on their way. Even if it was raining, it didn¡¯t matter. This was the rain that they hadn¡¯t seen in a very long time.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Zhao Yelan said in a low voice. ¡°Let¡¯s stop wasting time here and arrive earlier so we can rest earlier.¡±


    Yan Mingting had no choice but to order the team to continue marching in the rain, but he glanced at Zhao Yelan from time to time, worried that he would be affected by the rainy weather and catch a cold.


    Fortunately, Zhao Yelan seemed to be very pleased with the rain tonight. One hand was stretched out at all times, and the rainwater flowed down his palm to his fingers, then dropped down to moisten the ground.


    Half an hour later, they finally arrived in Pi County. The remaining people of Pi County were rushing outside, and some of the residents knelt down to thank the heavens. Seeing someone approaching, they moved out of the way, but someone recognized them and shouted: ¡°Zhao-daren and General Yan are here!¡±


    ¡°The Living Bodhisattvas are here!¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren and General Yan brought the rain!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my lords!¡±


    Yan Mingting quickly explained to them: ¡°We aren¡¯t Living Bodhisattvas, and the rain isn¡¯t from us. It is from the heavens.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± The people on the sidelines wept with joy. ¡°My children have been safely sent to Quzhou, and we will pick them up in a few days. If it weren¡¯t for you, my children might have long since passed.¡±


    ¡°Heaven helps good people.¡± As Yan Mingting spoke, he suddenly realized that Zhao Yelan hadn¡¯t said a word. He looked down and saw the other party leaning into his arms with closed eyes and a pale face. Suddenly panicked, Yan Mingting said, ¡°Yelan? Mengting, Zhao Mengting¡­..wake up!¡±


    The horse neighed as Yan Mingting embraced him with one arm, quickly riding toward the government office.


    The people behind didn¡¯t know what had happened, and had to immediately follow.


    As soon as they arrived at the government office, they saw Wang Guisheng coming out holding an umbrella, happily telling the servants beside him: ¡°Tell everyone to hurry up and store water.¡±


    ¡°Wang Guisheng.¡± Yan Mingting reined in the horse. ¡°Go and call a doctor.¡±


    ¡°General Yan, you¡¯re¡­..what¡¯s wrong with my lord?¡± Wang Guisheng hurried forward to help him.


    After dismounting, Yan Mingting carried the man down and rushed inside: ¡°Go call a doctor and get some hot water ready.¡±


    Wang Guisheng immediately ordered someone to boil hot water and followed anxiously: ¡°But there are no more doctors in the city, they were all evacuated.¡±


    Wang Guisheng took them to the wing room in the back courtyard, and Yan Mingting put Zhao Yelan on the bed. He touched his forehead and found that it was very hot, but just didn¡¯t know if he had other symptoms of infection.


    ¡°General Yan, let me have a look.¡± Yin Pinglu had run in after hearing the news.


    Zuo Ran echoed: ¡°Yin Pinglu used to treat me when I was sick. She has read many medical books.¡±


    ¡°It is up to you,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Yin Pinglu walked to the side and felt his pulse for a while. She pressed on his chest and observed his face, then said: ¡°It is likely caused by overexertion and the rain. He should take a good rest and stop running about.¡±


    He had just recovered from the heat stroke last time, and was on the road day and night. Then it had rained for so long tonight, making things worse.


    ¡°The doctors are gone, but is there still a pharmacy here?¡± Yin Pinglu asked Wang Guisheng. ¡°Can I go see if there is any medicine I can use?¡±


    ¡°There is, I¡¯ll ask someone to take you there.¡± Wang Guisheng found a person familiar with the local area to take her to the pharmacy to retrieve medicine.


    Wang Guisheng gave orders to his servants while keeping an eye on the situation here. As soon as he turned his head, he saw Yan Mingting crouched beside the bed, holding his hand and staring at him wordlessly, a little too quiet.


    Full of doubts, Wang Guisheng didn¡¯t dare disturb them for the time being.


    After a while, the water was ready. Yan Mingting closed the door and bathed Zhao Yelan himself. After removing all of his clothes, he carried him to the water and wiped Zhao Yelan¡¯s body with a handkerchief.


    Zhao Yelan was so pale. Even in the summer drought when all the men were shirtless, he would wear clothes to preserve a bit of dignity, so his body was as fair as ever.


    But Yan Mingting didn¡¯t have any extra colorful thoughts at this time, and bathed him very seriously. While rubbing his back, he stopped suddenly and looked down at it. There was a bumpy imprint above his waist, and after a long pause, Yan Mingting looked up at the unconscious man in disbelief.


    Was this why he was never allowed to look at his back?


    He started to tremble, and was about to touch the mark, but he stopped abruptly. Thinking that this was the reason for his bad temper and audaciousness, the dignified general¡¯s eyes began to redden inexplicably.


    Zhao Yelan began to move again at this time, and opened his eyes with a splitting headache to find himself soaking in a wooden tub. Subconsciously leaning against the side, he looked up in surprise: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Take a bath first and then rest.¡± Yan Mingting blinked and the mist vanished from his eyes, but there was still a trace of redness.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Zhao Yelan asked hoarsely.


    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just worried for your health,¡± Yan Mingting answered.


    Just as Zhao Yelan wanted to smile, he suddenly noticed that he was soaking naked in the tub. He leaned back a little more, wishing he could stick directly to the side, and cast him a vigilant look: ¡°Did you see something you shouldn¡¯t have seen?¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­..that?¡± Intentionally or not, Yan Mingting glanced at his lap. ¡°Then I did see it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan asked uncertainly, ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°I just put you in, and you woke up. I haven¡¯t done anything yet.¡± As Yan Mingting spoke, he looked wronged.


    Zhao Yelan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and observed his expression carefully. If the other party had seen it, he would definitely be curious and ask him about it. But since Yan Mingting didn¡¯t, he gradually relaxed and rubbed his temples: ¡°You go out, ba, I¡¯ll wash myself.¡±


    ¡°Your head is dizzy, I worry about you being alone.¡±


    ¡°Then you call Xiao Gao in.¡±


    Zhao Yelan confronted him for a long moment, thinking that the other party would come up with something to stay and watch him wash, but Yan Mingting actually agreed, getting up to go outside and ask Xiao Gao to come and serve him.


    Yan Mingting stood guard outside the door, silently listening to the sounds of water inside with dark eyes and a stuffy nose.


    ¡°General, why are you here? Is my lord asleep?¡± Wang Guisheng asked, coming over.


    ¡°He¡¯s still taking a bath.¡± Yan Mingting saw that he was holding a bowl in his hand. ¡°Is the medicine ready?¡±


    ¡°En, this is for Zhao-daren.¡± Wang Guisheng handed him the bowl. ¡°Miss Yin boiled a lot, so I¡¯ve shared a bowl with everyone. General, do you want some?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    Wang Guisheng saw that he was still stuck in place after taking the medicine bowl, and was a little uncertain about what kind of feelings he bore for Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°If there is nothing else, you can go back first. Don¡¯t worry about things here,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Wang Guisheng left uneasily.


    The door opened again, and Xiao Gao came out to say that his lord had already laid down. Yan Mingting just went in with the bowl, and after feeding the medicine to him, he took off his clothes and lay in bed, drawing him into his arms. He rubbed his head against the other¡¯s neck as if to ingratiate himself and show his love.


    Zhao Yelan was very sleepy at first, but after being teased by him, he said with a slight smile: ¡°Are you going to let me rest?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Yan Mingting hugged him tightly. ¡°This way you will heal quickly.¡±


    It was still raining, and everyone was busy collecting water and cheering. Yan Mingting asked in his ear: ¡°Are you still afraid?¡±


    Zhao Yelan knew that he was asking if he was afraid of rainy days.


    He thought about it carefully, and could only think of his experiences these days in the other party¡¯s company. He shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Go to sleep, ba.¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s whispering voice seemed to have magical properties, and Zhao Yelan fell into a drowsy sleep in an instant.


    Yan Mingting stared at his face, then solemnly and devoutly planted a kiss on his forehead.


    In the afternoon of the next day, Zhao Yelan¡¯s condition improved. His head was no longer muddled, and he was able to get out of bed.


    The others were all sent outside by Yan Mingting to check on the situation after the rain. Yan Mingting came in with food for him, watched over him as he finished eating, and then ran to the kitchen to cook the medicine himself.


    After a while, Wang Guisheng snuck into the room and said: ¡°Zhao-daren.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhao Yelan asked with his head propped up.


    Wang Guisheng couldn¡¯t help being stunned for a moment at the sight of his sickly yet elegant appearance, and a sentence sprung to mind ¨C a delicate sick beauty.


    With a glance outside, he saw that no one was coming and asked in a whisper: ¡°Taking the liberty to inquire, what is the relationship between you and the General now?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyes: ¡°Why are you asking this?¡±


    ¡°Because I honestly can¡¯t tell.¡± Wang Guisheng frowned. ¡°Like this morning, he has been guarding your bedside, taking care of you in every possible way. If you moved, he would observe for a long time to see if you were awake, and would wipe your sweat for you and cover you with a blanket.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows: ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°He held your hand the whole time without coming back to his senses.¡±


    A smile appeared at the corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s lips. ¡°En, what else?¡±


    ¡°He still¡­..¡± Wang Guisheng quickly stopped. ¡°Wait, I need to tell you another thing. I fear we have been deceived by his illusion.¡±


    ¡°Illusion?¡± Zhao Yelan frowned slightly. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°When I left the capital, I heard a rumor that General Yan had an affair with Fu Qian in Jiangnan!¡± Wang Guisheng said in a hushed tone.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wang Guisheng: ¡°This story has been widely spread. Do you know about anything that happened in Jiangnan?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t so, could it be that Fu Qian himself didn¡¯t come out to explain? How could he, a man living in the capital, have anything to do with Yan Mingting in Jiangnan? How could anyone believe such absurd rumors?¡± Zhao Yelan hadn¡¯t expected this. Had something gone wrong somewhere?


    ¡°The thing is, Fu Qian is not in Beijing. He went out to play and came to the south. Everyone was discussing this matter, and it was spread so vividly that the Fu family almost believed it. They were still discussing fiercely whether to send Fu Qian to the General¡¯s Mansion as the second wife.¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡± Zhao Yelan slowly clenched his fists.


    Yan Mingting came in with the medicine and saw that the faces of the two men were each more serious than the other. He asked: ¡°What are you discussing?¡±


    ¡°Hush, we¡¯re discussing your second wife.¡± Zhao Yelan turned to ask Wang Guisheng for details.


    ¡°Second, second wife?!¡± Yan Mingting turned pale with shock, then scratched his head blankly. ¡°Second wife¡­¡­what is this about?¡±

 CH 67

    Zhao Yelan clarified the situation according to what Wang Guisheng had said.


    When Magistrate Yin realized that Yan Mingting was having an affair with ¡°Fu Qian,¡± he sent someone to Beijing to inquire about the man, so this matter spread to the capital.


    But by coincidence, Fu Qian had gone out to play with two or three friends, so it couldn¡¯t be verified for the time being.


    The interrogation of Magistrate Yin after he was brought to the capital was a serious matter. No one came to ask him about this affair, and he thought that the court knew in advance about Zhao Yelan pretending to be Fu Qian, so he only confessed his own crimes.


    In this way, the matter became a mystery, but the rumors had not stopped. After the rumor spread, everyone chewed on it and added vinegar for taste, and when it was spat back out, it no longer resembled the original version.


    There were only doubts at first, but later on, everyone began to believe it.


    ¡°So, this matter¡­¡­is it true?¡± Wang Guisheng asked cautiously.


    After listening to this, Yan Mingting fed the medicine to Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth and said: ¡°Quickly drink the medicine, and then return my innocence.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan was forced to finish a large bowl, and felt that it tasted bitter. As soon as he frowned, Yan Mingting placed a small bag of candied fruit in his hand.


    Zhao Yelan took the candied fruit and said: ¡°It¡¯s false, I am that Fu Qian.¡±


    ¡°I see. I thought it seemed strange, how could the General let go of you and see Fu Qian instead? Perhaps the rumors stopped after I left Beijing.¡± After Wang Guisheng received his answer, he grasped the key point and went to take care of things outside with a smile.


    Yan Mingting watched him leave and pursed his lips: ¡°Listen to this kid, he seems to like you a lot?¡±


    ¡°Which of your ears heard such a thing?¡± Zhao Yelan chewed on the candied fruit and reached out a hand to pinch his ear. ¡°I think this ear is useless.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, ouch, take it easy.¡± Yan Mingting yelled, and when he heard footsteps outside, he immediately gave him a meaningful look. ¡°Please give me some face, Zhao-daren, please give me some face.¡±


    Zhao Yelan released his grip and regarded Yin Pinglu and Zuo Ran with his usual expression when they walked in: ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°My lord, Kuang Sheng rushed over. He said that it¡¯s raining not only in Pi County, but also in several other counties,¡± Yin Pinglu said happily.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Zhao Yelan breathed a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Where is Li Yucheng?¡±


    Li Yucheng had not gone to Zhizhou with them, but had evacuated Huaizhou with the Cheng family and headed for Quzhou.


    ¡°A letter came from him just now, saying that he will wait for us in Wancheng.¡±


    Wancheng was in the north of Pi County, and was also a necessary place to stop on the way to Beijing. If he rushed over from Quzhou, it would take a few days¡¯ travel.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll rest here a few days before leaving,¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°It won¡¯t be too late to leave after you recover.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Zhao Yelan still wanted to stay and watch the aftermath.


    Fortunately, Wang Guisheng was not a man who kept to theory without finding practical solutions. It happened that Yan Mingting had brought many people with him, and with enough help, the city¡¯s infrastructure was quickly restored. Letters were sent to other distant officials so that they could send their people back.


    On the day of departure, half the city¡¯s population had returned.


    Seeing that Wang Guisheng was handling things steadily and practically, Zhao Yelan felt relieved. The two exchanged political opinions while walking outside the gate.


    Yan Minging was a few meters behind with his hands crossed in front of his chest, staring at their backs expressionlessly.


    Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu stood behind him, one on the left and one on the right. Zuo Ran didn¡¯t notice anything wrong at all, and said: ¡°Zhao-daren and this Wang-daren seem to have a good relationship. But Zhao-daren is such a good person that everyone should like him.¡±


    ¡°People who appreciate each other will naturally gravitate toward one another.¡± After she spoke, Yin Pinglu saw that Yan Mingting¡¯s expression was not quite right and amended, ¡°But my lord and the General are different, they are a match made in heaven.¡±


    Yan Mingting turned his head to give her an appreciative look: ¡°Since you can speak, you should speak a little more.¡±


    Yin Pinglu suppressed a smile and said: ¡°One of you is military and the other is civil. You have mutual respect, and must be with each other till the end.¡±


    Yan Mingting was very satisfied. His chin almost pointed up toward the sky, and he turned to look at Zuo Ran.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn?¡± Zuo Ran hesitated for a long time, and only said, ¡°I wish you a happy marriage for a hundred years, and a baby boy soon.¡±


    Yin Pinglu patted her, and she immediately changed her words, using all the idioms she knew: ¡°I wish you a hundred years of harmony, harmony brings wealth, you will have great fortune in prosperity¡­..¡±


    Yin Pinglu was unable to hold back, and laughed out loud.


    Yan Mingting also raised his voice and laughed: ¡°Good, the simplest language brings the most powerful blessing.¡±


    Zhao Yelan and Wang Guisheng heard their laughter and looked back at them. Wang Guisheng asked curiously: ¡°I never had time to ask, who are these two girls?¡±


    ¡°Subordinates of Yan Mingting,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Although they had not been formally appointed, Yan Mingting made the decision to take the two of them back to the capital. Zuo Ran had thought about going to the border at first and joining Zhong Yuehong¡¯s troop. Yin Pinglu could live in the town and find work, and it would not be a problem for the two of them to support themselves.


    But Yan Mingting rejected her proposal. The first reason was that the world was peaceful now, and there were no more opportunities on the frontier. Even if she joined now, she could at most only obtain the position of a small soldier. Secondly, Yin Pinglu¡¯s talents would be wasted. The livelihoods that could be found in the capital were much greater than those in the border towns.


    After a final discussion, both of them agreed to go to Beijing. Zuo Ran would serve under Yan Mingting¡¯s command, and Yin Pinglu would temporarily serve as Zhao Yelan¡¯s accountant.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s industries continued to grow, and he was about to open up a goods route in Jiangnan. He needed a clever, capable, and trustworthy person at his side, and Yin Pinglu was currently the most suitable candidate.


    They would need a place to settle down and live, and residing in the General¡¯s Mansion would only cause gossip, so Zhao Yelan rented a house in the north of the city to them for a low price, with rent only to be paid annually.


    ¡°One of them is Magistrate Yin¡¯s daughter?¡± Wang Guisheng asked in a whisper.


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Although she escaped punishment in the Magistrate¡¯s case, won¡¯t bringing her to Beijing at this time arouse suspicion?¡± Wang Guisheng asked.


    ¡°The more frank and open you are, the less people will doubt you. And what is there to be suspicious of? Will they suspect that I, Zhao Yelan, covet her beauty or riches? Is there anything that I lack?¡±


    Wang Guisheng was speechless after being refuted, and smiled helplessly: ¡°What my lord says is true, I was worrying too much.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked to the carriage, but was pulled aside by Wang Guisheng.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, I solemnly apologize to you for my recklessness and ignorance in the past.¡± Wang Guisheng cupped his hands and bowed to him earnestly. ¡°I read the books of sages in vain and listened to rumors from the outside world, so I regarded you as a treacherous jackal. I used my brush as a weapon to make insinuations and write articles that insulted you. I truly feel ashamed.¡±


    ¡°Let this matter go, ba. I myself can¡¯t even see who I am, and you outsiders are even more blind.¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°You are not the only one who criticized me, but you are the only one whose abilities I admire. I hope you can accomplish something here and realize your ambition.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best not to let Zhao-daren down.¡±


    The two looked at each other and smiled.


    Yan Mingting watched from afar and felt that his eyes were about to go blind, so he turned to Zuo Ran and said: ¡°You keep talking.¡±


    Zuo Ran grimaced and continued to search for idioms and verses: ¡°You and my lord are destined to be together forever and live to a ripe old age, always in peace, with many spacious houses, that, that¡­..¡±[1]


    ¡°That shelter the underprivileged all over the world.¡± Yin Pinglu pressed her forehead as she interrupted her. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s time for you to catch up on your homework.¡±


    Zuo Ran: Wu wu wu.


    After bidding farewell to Wang Guisheng, Zhao Yelan boarded the carriage. Zuo Ran and Yin Pinlu sat in the front to drive, and Yan Mingting rode at the side as they set off toward the city gate.


    After driving a certain distance, the carriage suddenly stopped. ¡°What happened?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°Mengting, come out and have a look,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan opened the curtain suspiciously and saw the people on both sides of the road who were gazing at his carriage.


    ¡°Respectfully sending off Zhao-daren and General Yan!¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, walk slowly and pay attention to safety on the road.¡±


    ¡°When will my lord and the General return to Huaizhou and our Pi County, ah?¡±


    ¡°All the soldiers are welcome to come to Pi County again, we will definitely prepare good wine and food to entertain you!¡±


    ¡° ¡ª Happy journeys!¡±


    Not many people had come back to the city, but they all came out to see them off at this time. The speed of the group slowed down a lot, and everyone followed them all the way to the city gate.


    Yan Mingting told everyone to send them off from here, and after waving goodbye to them, he got into the carriage and put a jar of wine on the table, saying with a smile: ¡°This is the Thousand-Home wine that everyone gave you.¡±


    After Zhao Yelan watched the figures of those people drifting away, he looked back and asked in confusion: ¡°Thousand-Home wine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they didn¡¯t have much left at home, so they thought of this method. Everyone scooped up a spoonful of wine from their home, gathered this jar of wine, and presented it to their most admired Zhao-daren,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan stared at the novel earthen jar.


    ¡°Smell it, is it fragrant?¡± Yan Mingting opened the lid and handed it to him.


    Zhao Yelan sniffed carefully for a moment: ¡°Fragrant.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to have a taste?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhao Yelan really didn¡¯t want to get drunk and bring himself shame, so he put the wine away. ¡°Since it¡¯s such a good thing, it should be preserved.¡±


    ¡°Right, right, Zhao-daren is right.¡± Yan Mingting saw through him but didn¡¯t reveal the truth.


    The boundary of Pi County was between Huaizhou and Zhizhou. There was an official road going north here, and its next destination was Wancheng.


    Three days later, the team arrived in Wangcheng at last. With a wave of Zhao Yelan¡¯s hand, he directly booked the largest inn in the city so that the soldiers could stay comfortably for a few days. This group of people had experienced the most difficult part of the journey.


    Zhao Yelan went back to his room to rest and change his clothes. Then he found Yin Pinglu and asked her what to eat and drink in Wancheng.


    ¡°There are several special snacks in Wancheng, shiba[2] dumplings, linglong bean buns, glutinous rice cakes, and sweet bean cakes.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything special about these shiba dumplings?¡± Zhao Yelan asked curiously.


    ¡°Shiba dumplings, as the name suggests, are dumplings made with eighteen different ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Eighteen kinds?¡± Yan Mingting asked from the side. ¡°I¡¯ve only eaten dumplings with three kinds of ingredients, but none with eighteen kinds. Will so many ingredients not ruin the taste?¡±


    ¡°Thus, it is a test of the cook¡¯s skill. It is necessary to chop carefully in order to preserve the freshness and taste of the ingredients,¡± Yin Pinglu said.


    Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t wait to sample it, so he looked at Zhao Yelan enthusiastically: ¡°Shall we try it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    These few people set off immediately and asked around for the best place in the lower city to eat shiba dumplings, then walked toward the east side.


    A group of people passed by them at this time, and the leader stopped abruptly, turned around, and chased after them with a fan: ¡°Zhao-xiong! Zhao-xiong, Zhao Yelan, it¡¯s me!¡±


    They turned to see that it was Li Yucheng, then turned back around immediately and continued walking forward.


    ¡°I thought it would take a while for you guys to arrive, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon.¡± After speaking, Li Yucheng found that no one was paying attention to him, and continued to chatter non-stop. ¡°Where are you going? Were you looking for me? Ei, it¡¯s a coincidence that we could meet each other on the street, isn¡¯t it heaven-sent fate?¡±


    Still, no one paid attention to him. Li Yucheng stopped walking, and seeing them continuing forward quickly, he didn¡¯t notice their intentions at all, so he could only send away his few followers and jog to catch up until they stopped in front of a shop.


    Li Yucheng wiped away his sweat and asked: ¡°What are you here to buy?¡±


    ¡°Ten servings of shiba dumplings,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Ten servings?¡± Li Yucheng counted the number of people present. Including Gao Tan and the girls, there were only six people in total. ¡°Can you finish eating ten servings?¡±


    ¡°One for each of us.¡± Zhao Yelan pointed to Yan Mingting. ¡°He¡¯ll have five.¡±


    Li Yucheng was dumbfounded, saying: ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re wealthy, ordinary people couldn¡¯t afford him, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan suppressed a smile, but Yan Mingting proudly hooked Zhao Yelan¡¯s shoulder: ¡°I have someone to spend money on me, are you jealous, ah?¡±


    Li Yucheng wasn¡¯t jealous at first, but after hearing what he said, hey, he was really jealous.


    Who wouldn¡¯t want a walking purse, ah! And such an unparalleled purse it was!


    ¡°Zhao-xiong, how about you and me join forces to become the richest men in the country!¡± Li Yucheng said.


    ¡°Are you tired of living, kid?¡± Yan Mingting rolled up his sleeves in preparation to beat someone up. Li Yucheng was so frightened that he turned around and fled, accidentally bumping into someone and sending them both to the ground.


    ¡°Who is walking with their eyes closed, ah? Do you know who I am?¡± Li Yucheng shouted with bared teeth.


    ¡°Fuck your grandma, which grandson is this?¡± The other party rubbed his bottom as he stood up.


    The two stared at each other. When two enemies met, their eyes blazed with hatred.


    ¡°Hey! You Fu Qian, you came here to seek death, see if I don¡¯t kill you!¡± Li Yucheng rushed forward at once.


    ¡°Bah, I really ran into a leper on the street, today I¡¯ll fight with you to the death!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, the two were scuffling on the street.


    Zhao Yelan and the others looked over and couldn¡¯t help but frown. Yan Mingting stepped forward to separate the two, holding them in each hand like weak chickens as he said: ¡°What¡¯s with this noise, don¡¯t make fools of yourselves here, fight someplace where no one else is around.¡±


    When Fu Qian looked up at him, it was as if he had been struck by lightning: ¡°Yan, Yanyanyan Mingting?!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Fu Qian looked nearby, and when he saw Zhao Yelan, his legs almost went limp in fright.


    As soon as Yan Mingting let go, Fu Qian collapsed on the ground, staring at Zhao Yelan in horror.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Yan Mingting asked, walking to Zhao Yelan¡¯s side.


    Li Yucheng also came over. He remembered that in the capital, Fu Qian was as frightened as a quail upon seeing Zhao Yelan, not daring to make a sound, but it was not as serious as today.


    ¡°He seems to be very afraid of you, do you know why?¡± Li Yucheng asked.


    Zhao Yelan waved his fan and raised his eyebrows: ¡°He once accidentally saw me interrogating a prisoner.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re certainly very impressive.¡± Li Yucheng gave him a sincere thumbs-up. ¡°His father is the Minister of Dali Temple, and he¡¯s not even this scared of him.¡±


    With a pale face, Fu Qian looked between Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan, then stood up in embarrassment and stepped forward to say: ¡°Zhao-daren, listen to my explanation!¡±


    Everyone looked at him in incomprehension.


    ¡°I never had an affair with General Yan! I don¡¯t know where the rumors came from!¡± Fu Qian said tremblingly, ¡°I¡¯ve been away from home, and I didn¡¯t know there was such a rumor until I received a letter from my family a while ago!¡±


    Before Zhao Yelan could speak, he continued: ¡°You have to believe me, no matter how tall and mighty General Yan is, how incomparably handsome, dignified in appearance, valiant and formidable, radiant and striking¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Yin Pinglu reminded Zuo Ran from the side: ¡°Remember, these are all idioms.¡±


    Zuo Ran: ¡°Okay, okay.¡±


    Fu Qian praised Yan Mingting unceasingly, until his speech changed suddenly: ¡°But I don¡¯t like men!¡±


    Zhao Yelan heard the shopkeeper announce that the dumplings were ready. Just as he turned around to take them, Fu Qian tugged on his arm and the dumplings fell to the ground.


    He glanced down, then raised his head to look at Fu Qian.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, you really have to trust me! Someone must be framing me, coveting my good reputation! Using the name of the most beautiful man in the capital to bluff and deceive, maybe he deliberately seduced General Yan! You must catch this man and punish him!¡± Fu Qian said emotionally.


    Zhao Yelan looked toward Yan Mingting: ¡°Hit him.¡±


    [1] This is from Du Fu¡¯s poem, ¡°Song of Thatched Houses Broken by the Autumn Wind.¡± ?


    [2] Shiba (Ê®°Ë) means eighteen. ?

 CH 68

    Before Yan Mingting could make a move, Li Yucheng couldn¡¯t wait to leap into action, and addressed Fu Qian excitedly: ¡°I¡¯m following orders, do you dare to fight back?¡±


    Fu Qian didn¡¯t dare, so he was punched several times until his face was bruised and swollen.


    ¡°Most beautiful man in the capital, go back and see what you look like now.¡± Li Yucheng laughed with his hands on his hips.


    Zhao Yelan bought another set of shiba dumplings and turned around to enter the inn next door, then began to enjoy the food.


    Fu Qian had already fled in despair.


    ¡°That person is the most beautiful man in the capital?¡± Zuo Ran asked curiously. ¡°Who gave him that name?¡±


    ¡°Himself.¡± Li Yucheng picked up a dumpling and stuffed it into his mouth, his eyes immediately lighting up. ¡°What is this thing, it¡¯s so delicious!¡±


    The taste was truly pretty good. The skin was thin, and the stuffing was rich. One bite into it and you could smell the fragrance first, then the smooth, tender stuffing burst in the mouth with sweet and salty flavors that were perfectly intertwined. The unique taste was very novel. Zhao Yelan, who was accustomed to delicious food, couldn¡¯t help showing an expression of surprise.


    Yan Mingting gave up on verbal praise and dug in wildly, eating five or six in the blink of an eye without fear of choking.


    Zhao Yelan ordered a few sweet soups from the inn and placed the extra two bowls in front of Yan Mingting.


    ¡°Aiyo, I say, why are you not fat if you can eat so much?¡± Li Yucheng looked incredibly envious. Yan Mingting¡¯s figure was the type he coveted the most. It seemed that no matter how much he ate, he wouldn¡¯t get fat, and it would automatically turn into muscle. He looked very strong, and the broad shoulders gave one a great sense of security!


    ¡°It¡¯s just that you came back to Beijing too late, otherwise what would have happened to that kid Fu Qian? He wouldn¡¯t be called the most beautiful man in the capital, ba,¡± Li Yucheng said with a sneer.


    ¡°How did he come to be called that?¡± Zuo Ran asked.


    ¡°Among the children of noble families, compared to the others with big bellies and short hair, he is considered a little more attractive. One day when he drank too much, he embraced a woman in a restaurant to show off, and said that he was the most handsome man among the children of the noble families in the capital. After word spread, it became abbreviated somehow,¡± Li Yucheng said.


    ¡°But¡­..even if the General wasn¡¯t in the capital, wasn¡¯t there still Zhao-daren?¡± Zuo Ran turned her head to look at him. ¡°How come no one mentioned Zhao-daren?¡±


    ¡°Hey, how can ordinary people see him, ah, most of them don¡¯t know what Zhao Yelan looks like. Moreover, those who knew him were afraid of death, so how could they dare to judge him for being beautiful or not? In the case that someone grew angry and tossed them into prison for the rest of their lives, would they dare?¡± Li Yucheng said.


    Zuo Ran was startled: ¡°My lord is not so scary.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know much, ba. Didn¡¯t you see how afraid Fu Qian was when he saw him? To be honest, I used to be afraid of him too.¡± After Li Yucheng spoke, he glanced over furtively and saw that the other party didn¡¯t seem to be listening to him at all, and was tilting his head to whisper to Yan Mingting. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh and shake his head. ¡°I also never expected that I would see him so intimate with another man¡­..¡±


    Suddenly, a sharp look shot over at him from Zhao Yelan. Li Yucheng was startled and ducked his head like a quail, behaving himself: ¡°Zhao-daren and General Yan are the best match.¡±


    Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu exchanged a look, then lowered their heads and suppressed their smiles.


    The group of people tasted several other delicious things. When they passed a silk shop, Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu¡¯s footsteps slowed a bit. They wanted to go in and have a look, but were too embarrassed to tell these big men.


    Just when they were quietly discussing plans to come back at night, Zhao Yelan swaggered in front of them and entered the shop, followed by Yan Mingting, who seemed free of pressure and could even be said to be used to it.


    Dumbfounded, the two of them immediately followed them in. They saw that Zhao Yelan had already begun to shop, and became dazzled at the sight.


    Zhao Yelan bought a lot in one go. It had been so long since he came to Jiangnan, and he had yet to spend money to his heart¡¯s content. He was going back to the capital soon, so why not buy more things he liked before returning?


    In one afternoon, Zhao Yelan bought a lot of things.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s arms were full of silk, and he was carrying some pastries in his hands. There was also a small pouch of shortbread hanging on his scabbard, which could be said to have reached the greatest extent of its use.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the inn and put these things away, ba.¡± Yan Mingting was holding so many things that he almost couldn¡¯t see the street.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Zhao Yelan pointed to a restaurant not far away, ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you there.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Yan Mingting wobbled back to the inn.


    The others had things in their hands, but they hadn¡¯t bought as much as Zhao Yelan. After all, the two girls didn¡¯t have much money, and Li Yucheng had already reaped a lot of things from his uncle¡¯s house.


    ¡°Waiter, serve up your most delicious dishes and two pots of good tea,¡± Li Yucheng called.


    The group sat down in a private room. Zhao Yelan perched by the window, looked at the sunny weather, and wondered if it was still raining in Huaizhou and Zhizhou.


    ¡°This tea is pretty good, I want to take some to the capital.¡± Yin Pinglu took two sips. ¡°My lord, do you want to taste it too?¡±


    Zhao Yelan casually took a couple of sips. Although it wasn¡¯t the best tea he had ever tasted, it was still a bit sweeter than ordinary tea. He nodded and asked the waiter to prepare some tea to be taken away.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that a rough person like me can¡¯t tell the difference between good and bad tea.¡± Zuo Ran drank the tea in one gulp, then spat out the dregs. ¡°The last time I went to the General¡¯s Mansion, Housekeeper Qin said that the tea made for me was good tea, but I can¡¯t tell it apart from this one, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyes and looked at her while maintaining his composure.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Li Yucheng waved his hand. ¡°His family¡¯s tea is not expensive at all, it¡¯s just picked from ordinary trees. If someone says it¡¯s delicious, it must be for the sake of politeness.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him coolly: ¡°Have you drunk it as well?¡±


    ¡°I drank it, ah, it was when my father and I came to the General¡¯s Mansion,¡± Li Yucheng said.


    Yin Pinglu smiled gently: ¡°The General¡¯s tea is not rich in variety, but rich in affection. The tea tree was planted by the old lady herself, and since he was at the border all the time, he sent letters back asking Housekeeper Qin to take care of it for him.¡±


    Zhao Yelan finally couldn¡¯t control his expression, and said a bit stiffly: ¡°Haven¡¯t you never been to Beijing? How did you come to drink his tea?¡±


    ¡°My lord doesn¡¯t know, but although the General was at the border, Housekeeper Qin sent someone every year to deliver some dried tea leaves to him. I was fortunate enough to taste it once,¡± Yin Pinglu said.


    Zhao Yelan nodded his head slowly.


    ¡°So that turns out to be the case. He must place much value on family and friends.¡± Li Yucheng sighed, then looked at Zhao Yelan with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s such a pity for you. With such picky tastes, you have to drink his family¡¯s tea every day.¡±


    The other two also laughed.


    Zhao Yelan was silent, unable to tell them that he had taken a sip himself and then was never able to drink it again.


    ¡°Hey, the General is here.¡± Zuo Ran pointed outside the window.


    The group turned their heads to look out. It happened that Yan Mingting raised his head and nodded at him. He was just about to enter the door when he accidentally bumped into a girl.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    The people upstairs could clearly see that the girl had bumped into him on her own.


    ¡°It appears that Yan Mingting, this guy,  is loved by others,¡± Li Yucheng said gloatingly. ¡°It¡¯s not surprising. Yan Mingting is taller than most of the men in this city, not to mention handsome and dashing, with an air of nobility. Which girl wouldn¡¯t be tempted?¡±


    After speaking, he specially took a glance at Zhao Yelan, wanting to see if he was angry. But unexpectedly, the other party was just waving his fan calmly with a slight smile in his eyes, looking at the scene outside calmly, as if he didn¡¯t care at all.


    ¡­¡­Wrong! Li Yucheng¡¯s eyes fell on Zhao Yelan¡¯s hand. Although he was waving the fan calmly, the joints and veins in his hand were bulging as if he wanted to crush it.


    Sure enough, no one could completely ignore this sort of thing, even Zhao Yelan.


    The girl blushed and asked, ¡°I¡¯m fine, sir, thank you. May I ask what your name is and where you¡¯re from?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really okay?¡± Yan Mingting reconfirmed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re fine, how could you bump into someone?¡± Yan Mingting pointed to both sides of the road. ¡°The road is so wide, yet you can still bump into people. Do you have eye problems or dizziness? Don¡¯t you need to find a doctor to figure out what¡¯s causing it?¡±


    The girl¡¯s face grew increasingly redder. After stamming for a long moment, she suddenly stomped her foot in frustration and turned to run away.


    When Yan Mingting walked into the private room, this group of people still hadn¡¯t stopped laughing. Especially Li Yucheng, who laughed so hard that he nearly fell off his chair.


    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Yan Mingting asked, mystified.


    The group was stunned for a moment, and Zhao Yelan said: ¡°He really doesn¡¯t seem to know what we¡¯re laughing about.¡±


    ¡°Save me, that¡¯s even more ridiculous, ah!¡± Li Yucheng collapsed laughing on the chair.


    Zhao Yelan laughed softly. Half of his face was obscured by the fan, and only a pair of star-like eyes were exposed, which were really beautiful when bent in a smile.


    Yan Mingting was stunned for a moment, staring into his eyes. The mood was infectious, and he also laughed after a while.


    After the meal, Yan Mingting learned the reason from Li Yucheng, and couldn¡¯t help being surprised.


    He really just thought that girl had an eye or head disease, and that was why she had bumped into him. After all, he wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to think that everyone would like him, and his thoughts were all on Zhao Yelan, so he didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to others.


    But what could he say, hearing about Zhao Yelan¡¯s angry and jealous look, he still felt a surge of joy in his heart. But it was only a moment of secret joy that soon turned to worry.


    Jealousy was sometimes a good thing, and sometimes not. For example, at this time, he stood outside the door at the inn and knocked for a long time: ¡°I have something to discuss with you, let me come in and talk¡­..¡±


    He immediately put on a serious face when someone passed by, and waited before they disappeared before knocking again: ¡°I¡¯m begging you¡­..¡±


    After a while, Zhao Yelan opened the door: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Yan Mingting stared in a daze, seeing that he had changed into brand new clothes. The thin, emerald green shirt with fluttering sleeves made him seem to transcend worldly affairs, unstained by dust. His eyes lit up: ¡°So beautiful.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a haughty look and turned sideways to go out.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yan Mingting followed along.


    ¡°Just for a stroll.¡± Zhao Yelan walked to the market. It was rare that he could wander around at will, so he wanted to take a look.


    Tonight, Yan Mingting seemed to be having sudden spasms as he followed at his side. Whenever a passing woman took a look at Yan Mingting, he would raise his hand vigilantly to prevent her from approaching: ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m married.¡±


    ¡°I have a wife.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m a family man.¡±


    The women passing by regarded him as if they were looking at a handsome but brainless idiot.


    Zhao Yelan pressed his forehead and opened his fan to cover his face, not wanting to be seen with him.


    ¡°General Yan! It¡¯s really you!¡± An old woman walked over with joy, her eyes shining.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m really married.¡± Yan Mingting stopped her.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course I know you¡¯re married, and you¡¯re married to Zhao-daren.¡± The old woman said with a smile.


    ¡°You know us?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°En, I¡¯m from Huaizhou, and I was sent here by your people to join my relatives. I¡¯m staying at my brother¡¯s house now, and I¡¯ll go back in a while.¡± The old woman smiled kindly and enthusiastically handed over a basket. ¡°These are the tomatoes planted by my younger brother and sister. They¡¯re very sweet. My lords should take a taste.¡±


    Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t refuse, so he smiled and took two: ¡°Many thanks, we just had dinner, so these two are enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should thank you, our family survived only because of you. I heard that many people died in droughts in previous years. This time it is all thanks to you discovering it early that more losses were prevented.¡±


    After returning to the inn, Yan Mingting washed the bright red tomatoes and handed him one: ¡°Try it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan lowered his head and took a bite of it from his hand. He nodded: ¡°It¡¯s pretty sweet.¡±


    Yan Mingting was stunned, staring at his face for a moment. After a while, Zhao Yelan lowered his head and took another bite. His thick eyelashes fluttered, his skin porcelain-like before the other¡¯s eyes. Yan Mingting felt his heart beat harder, and his hands shook imperceptibly.


    The tomato tasted sweet and was very juicy. When Zhao Yelan raised his head, there was a lot of juice at the corner of his mouth, which flowed down to his jaw.


    Yan Mingting also had some of it on his hands but couldn¡¯t bother with it, watching him first stick out his tender red tongue to lick the corner of his mouth, and then take out a brocade handkerchief to wipe other places.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try it?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yan Mingting stuffed the remaining half of the tomato into his mouth in one breath, then stretched out his hand in front of him and beckoned for him to wipe it.


    ¡°The handkerchief is already dirty,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    What a pity, Yan Mingting thought to himself. The next moment, Zhao Yelan took his hand and leaned down to put his juice-stained finger into his mouth, raising his eyes to look at him.


    A fuse seemed to have ignited within Yan Mingting. As if on fire, his face was redder than the tomato, the blush spreading to his neck. His whole body was scorching hot, all of it like a bright red ripe tomato.


    ¡°Is this all right?¡± Zhao Yelan let go of his hand.


    ¡°All right, all right!¡± Yan Mingting nodded hard, wishing he would do it a few more times, preferably every day!


    He had eaten so fast that he didn¡¯t even realize there was a little bit of juice at the corner of his mouth. Zhao Yelan took a few glances, and then leaned over and licked it away. Just as he was about to retreat, the other party hooked his neck and irresistibly pried open his lips, tasting the sweet tomato juice again.


    It was not until footsteps sounded outside that the two parted with unfinished business.


    ¡°Let me tell you, Fu Qian is just a gift!¡± Li Yucheng traipsed in happily and sat down on the other side of the table, saying, ¡°Guess what he did today?¡±


    The two didn¡¯t answer his words at all, and he continued on his own: ¡°He bought a lot of things today, all of which you bought! Whichever clothes you bought, he immediately followed and secretly bought them, as well as sachets, teas, calligraphy, and paintings, ah, none of these were spared. I think he just wants to learn from you, and is mimicking you but making a fool of himself!¡±


    After he finished speaking excitedly, he found that the other two did not respond, and asked: ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡±


    ¡°Have you finished?¡± Zhao Yelan asked. ¡°Since you¡¯re done, get out. Don¡¯t disturb our business.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so late, what business could you do, ah?¡± Li Yucheng asked without thinking.


    Zhao Yelan turned his head to the side, kissed Yan Mingting on the lips, and then looked back at him gravely: ¡°This kind of business.¡±


    Caught off guard, Li Yucheng fell off his stool in fright: ¡°Ex, excuse me, goodbye!¡± Saying this, he ran out as if about to piss his pants in terror, then turned back in a flash and closed the door. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, please continue.¡±

 CH 69

    When he was young, there were several girls of the same age nearby, and they loved to come and play with Zhao Yelan. He wanted nothing to do with them, and when he saw them chattering, he would return to the house with a straight face, pick up a book, and pretend to have business to attend to.


    His mother would laugh, and she said to his father one night: ¡°Our Mengting is really clueless, there¡¯s no telling which girl he¡¯ll like in the future.¡±


    ¡°How old is he, how can he understand these things? Right, Mengting?¡± His father glanced at him.


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan buried his head in the writing. ¡°They¡¯re too noisy.¡±


    ¡°So you like someone quiet?¡± His mother asked.


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan said without raising his head, ¡°I like someone who is quiet, gentle, considerate, and cooks delicious food like you, Mother.¡±


    ¡°See, ba, and you said he doesn¡¯t understand. He has a lot of thoughts on his mind,¡± his mother said with a smile.


    His father also laughed and nodded his head: ¡°Your mother is already mine, and you probably won¡¯t find a wife as good as this one.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I will definitely find someone more gentle and virtuous!¡±


    After dreaming of this for some reason, Zhao Yelan slowly opened his eyes and inwardly rejoiced that it wasn¡¯t a nightmare this time. Then he looked over at the man beside him.


    He was not gentle and virtuous at all, his cooking was unpalatable, and he was far from his ideal wife.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yan Mingting noticed that he was not asleep, and before he opened his eyes, he reflexively pressed the other¡¯s head into his arms, rubbing his back as he said semi-consciously, ¡°Another nightmare?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked up at him acting like this and wanted to smile, saying: ¡°Yan Mingting, when we return to the capital, come and meet my parents.¡±


    ¡°Okay, ah¡­¡­what?!¡± Yan Mingting suddenly opened his eyes and looked at him in surprise, with a bit of bewilderment and uncertainty in his eyes. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Zhao Yelan simply said: ¡°I lied.¡±


    ¡°Take it back,¡± Yan Mingting said stubbornly. ¡°I¡¯m going, you aren¡¯t allowed to go back on your word.¡±


    ¡°Who is going back on their word?¡± Zhao Yelan said with a smile.


    Yan Mingting chuckled: ¡°Why did you suddenly ask me to see your parents?¡±


    ¡°People cannot conceal their defects forever.¡±


    ¡°¡­..You¡¯re saying I have defects?¡±


    Zhao Yelan remained silent.


    Yan Mingting was also silent.


    After a while, Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you angry?¡±


    Yan Mingting continued to remain silent.


    ¡°Petty.¡±


    Zhao Yelan pinched his waist and Yan Mingting burst out laughing. ¡°Ticklish. I was just thinking about what to bring as a meeting gift, paper money is definitely not enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Think some more. Where is your hand touching?¡± Zhao Yelan asked in a heavy voice.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the right side of your chest injured? I¡¯m seeing if there are any scars left,¡± Yan Mingting said shamelessly.


    Zhao Yelan rolled over and sat on him, but the other took advantage of the opportunity to pull down his clothes. Yan Mingting sat up, kissing his lips and neck.


    In the darkness, only a small bit of moonlight fell dimly through the window. Zhao Yelan¡¯s breathing became heavier, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.


    If he brought a grown man to meet his parents, would they be happy?


    ¡°Mengting.¡±


    ¡°En?¡±


    ¡°I miss you so much.¡±


    ¡°Am I not here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just miss you and want to see you.¡±


    Yan Mingting raised his head and touched his cheek, rubbing their ears and temples together. ¡°Can I?¡±


    A moment later, a candle lit the room again. Yan Mingting could finally see his uncontrollably blushing face and his shortness of breath, and wanted to leave traces of himself all over his body.


    Looking at the two shadows cast near the window, Zhao Yelan smiled contentedly.


    His parents should not be angry.


    Because he was very happy. This was the first time in more than ten years that he no longer needed such a grave reason to live. He just wanted to relax and be happy. As long as he thought about spending time with this person in the future, he would have hope in his life.


    The next morning, as a group of people had breakfast downstairs, Li Yucheng stared at Zhao Yelan non-stop with a strange look on his face, as if wondering why he was fine, and then gave Yan Mingting a contemptuous look.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want your eyes, can I dig them out for you?¡± Zhao Yelan said indifferently.


    It just so happened that Fu Qian was leaving the lobby at this time. Hearing him say this, he seemed to recall some terrible scene and backed away in fright, knocked his head on the door, and then slipped out in a hurry.


    ¡°It¡¯s early in the morning, don¡¯t talk of such bloody things.¡± Li Yucheng looked at the back of Fu Qian¡¯s embarrassed figure and laughed.


    Zhao Yelan gave Xiao Gao a meaningful look, and Xiao Gao put Li Yucheng on the ground with one kick.


    Li Yucheng fell flat on his face but didn¡¯t dare to resist. He just patted his buttocks and stood up, looking around. The two girls were whispering, Yan Mingting was serving Zhao Yelan food, and no one cared about his life or death at all.


    How miserable.


    He sat back down again, finally willing to behave himself and eat.


    After staying in Wancheng for three days, they went shopping and bought all the necessities they needed. The soldiers were also rested, so they set off again. There was no delay for the rest of the journey. They essentially continued to travel after having a meal and a night of sleep, hurrying on their way, and finally arrived in Beijing half a month later.


    The mighty troop passed through the city gate, causing many people to stop and watch. When they saw that the leader was Yan Mingting, everyone knew that it was Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan who had returned.


    Although the capital was far from Jiangnan, the distance did not hinder the spread of news. The two had first worked together to uncover a group of corrupt officials in Jiangnan, and then discovered a disastrous situation early and took timely measures to evacuate the refugees, reducing the losses to a large extent. Now the people in Jiangnan were singing the praises of these two people.


    After the news reached the capital, everyone was talking about it, and their attitudes toward Zhao Yelan had undergone a qualitative change. In addition, some people had relatives in Zhizhou and Huaizhou, and felt even more fear regarding this matter. Without these two people and this group of soldiers, there would likely have been many more tragedies.


    Human memory and emotions always changed over time. Zhao Yelan was not in the capital during this period, and everyone gradually forgot about this person. But when the news reached them, he had become a reborn parent in the mouths of the Jiangnan people, so this new image covered the original impression of treachery.


    While some were skeptical, most looked at them with more friendliness and respect.


    Housekeeper Qin heard the commotion outside and went to the door to take a look. Seeing that the two masters had returned, he excitedly ordered someone to clean up their room, and tasked the kitchen staff with quickly cooking a delicious meal.


    ¡°General, you¡¯re back.¡± Housekeeper Qin looked into the carriage. ¡°Where is our lord?¡±


    Yan Mingting dismounted his horse and opened the curtain of the carriage.


    Housekeeper Qin was a little surprised when he saw Zhao Yelan sitting inside with a girl, but saw that after General Yan helped Zhao Yelan out of the carriage, he left the girl alone. He was inwardly relieved, and it was Miss Zuo who went to lead that girl down.


    ¡°Are you in good health, ah?¡± Housekeeper Qin stepped forward and said with concern. He had heard that the drought was severe, and was very glad to see them return safely. ¡°Come on in, ba, are you hungry? How about I go to the street now and buy something to cushion your stomachs?¡±


    ¡°No need, we just finished eating snacks,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    After Yan Mingting sent his subordinates back to their respective homes, he was the last one to enter through the gate. As soon as he stepped past the threshold, he heard Zhao Yelan order: ¡°Go get some tea.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Housekeeper Qin was about to go to the back room when he was stopped.


    ¡°Wait, I want that¡­..tea for guests.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t sit down, but found a few people to move the things from the carriage, and stood at the hall¡¯s front door, watching them being carried back and forth.


    Presently, Housekeeper Qin came out with the tea and served Zhao Yelan and the two girls each a cup. Even Xiao Gao received one.


    Xiao Gao looked at him with trepidation, picked up the tea, and drank it in one gulp. Then he found a corner and silently spit out the dregs.


    Zhao Yelan picked up his cup and frowned slightly: ¡°What kind of tea is this?¡±


    ¡°This is your favorite Mingquian tea, ah,¡± Housekeeper Qin said.


    ¡°What about theirs?¡±


    ¡°Theirs is the tea from our General¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    Zhao Yelan set the cup on the table, his eyes darkening: ¡°Why is mine different from theirs?¡±


    Both Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu paused, and silently put their cups back on the table.


    ¡°My Lord, is it not because you do not drink the tea from the General¡¯s Mansion?¡± Housekeeper Qin asked bemusedly. ¡°I remember that you only love this Mingqian Longjing, and you asked me to put away the other tea leaves. Right, Xiao Gao? You are the one who speaks for your lord.¡±


    Xiao Gao shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Housekeeper Qin: ¡°¡­¡­.¡± You wrong me, kid!


    ¡°Go exchange it,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Exchange it for which kind?¡± Housekeeper Qin carefully confirmed.


    ¡°Go and exchange it for my mother¡¯s tea.¡± Yan Mingting smiled, then stretched out a hand toward Zhao Yelan and said, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you someplace.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡±


    When Zhao Yelan glanced around, Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu tacitly lowered their heads. He looked at Yan Mingting again, held his hand curiously, and followed him to the back courtyard.


    Xiao Gao followed as well, and when he had taken two steps, Zuo Ran pulled him back.


    ¡°Are we going to¡­¡­see your chicken pen and the fish pond?¡± Zhao Yelan followed him as he walked farther and farther toward the back courtyard. When they passed the fish pond, the other party did not stop, but continued to move forward.


    Zhao Yelan caught a glimpse of a white dumpling in the bushes and stepped forward, picking it up. He weighed it and said: ¡°Hongshao is heavier.¡±


    ¡°It can be braised.¡±


    Hongshao seemed to understand their conversation, and flinched in Zhao Yelan¡¯s arms.


    A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Yelan stood before a forest of trees. He stroked the rabbit¡¯s head and said in surprise: ¡°In the General¡¯s Mansion¡­¡­there is even a forest?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah, the original mansion was too big. My mother said that there were few people in the family, so she simply opened the land up. It is connected to the mountain forest behind, and many trees have been planted.¡± Yan Mingting took his other hand and guarded him as they walked into the forest. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Zhao Yelan bent at the waist to walk across the piece of land, and his field of vision opened up as small tea trees appeared on both sides. He looked around, and his attention was drawn to the tree in front of him again. There were bright red fruits hanging on it. He approached curiously, only to find that they were persimmons.


    It was still summer when they left the capital, but it was already autumn when they returned.


    Yan Mingting reached out to pick two of them, wiping them with his sleeve: ¡°Want to eat?¡±


    Zhao Yelan took a few glances and said: ¡°It hasn¡¯t been washed.¡±


    Yan Mingting laughed and directly bit into it: ¡°This was also planted by my mother. When she and my younger brother were at home, they came here to plant some trees when they had nothing to do. There are tea leaves in spring, apricots in summer, persimmons in autumn, and oranges in winter, fruits all year round. She always felt that there should be these things in the house, and that we could be happier and think of her when we ate them.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded. Looking around, he realized that this was a big project, and said: ¡°Perhaps she wanted to find something for herself to restrain her feelings of nostalgia while you and your father were at the border.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his head to find that the other party had already eaten two, and he picked a third one.


    ¡°Are they so delicious?¡±


    ¡°Want to try?¡±


    Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes and observed the persimmon for a long moment. Just as he opened his mouth, the other party suddenly came forward and stole a kiss before returning the persimmon to him.


    After eating it, he felt it was a little tart and said: ¡°My mouth is numb.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan said faintly, ¡°Do you plan to look at it with your tongue?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah, this trick is called knowing one¡¯s self and knowing the enemy.¡±


    ¡°That is clearly a preposterous statement, mm¡­¡­¡±


    The rabbit escaped from Zhao Yelan¡¯s arms.


    When the two left, Yan Mingting said: ¡°From now on, in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, we can come here to pick fruit.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan was still holding a freshly-picked persimmon in his hand, already looking forward to the oranges in winter. When they returned to the hall, Xiao Gao noticed something unusual.


    ¡°My lord, why is your mouth swollen?¡± Xia Gao asked in surprise.


    Yin Pinglu and Zuo Ran covered their faces and snickered. Zhao Yelan glanced at him and tossed him the persimmon, trying to hide it by saying: ¡°The persimmons are a bit tart. Want to try it?¡±


    Xiao Gao took a bite and looked at Housekeeper Qin who was passing by, about to cry: ¡°What do I do, is my mouth also swollen?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and dream,¡± Housekeeper Qin said ruthlessly.


    ¡° ? ¡±


    Zhao Yelan was finally able to drink the tea from the General¡¯s Mansion. It tasted ordinary, but it was indeed as Yin Pinglu said ¨C because it contained the old lady¡¯s sentiments, it was precious. He drank it with care, for fear of spilling it.


    ¡°Has the room been tidied up?¡± Yan Mingting asked Housekeeper Qin.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready, just the same as before. It hasn¡¯t changed at all,¡± Housekeeper Qin said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look.¡± Yan Mingting left in high spirits.


    Zhao Yelan asked Xiao Gao to take Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu to the house in the north of the city, and then went to the bedroom. Just outside the door, he heard Yan Mingting asking from inside the room: ¡°Uncle Qin, did you throw away the book I asked you to get rid of last time?¡±


    ¡°No, I kept it for you.¡±


    ¡°Great, bring it to me quickly.¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused, then turned around and walked toward the study, wandering around restlessly for a long time.


    The two of them had done a lot of intimate things secretly, but had not taken the final step. He also insisted on not taking off the last layer of clothes.


    While traveling, he could use the excuse of making haste, but now that they had returned to the mansion, what excuse could he use?


    Once or twice was fine, but after a long time, Yan Mingting may doubt his feelings or suspect that he wasn¡¯t good enough for him. Then he was more likely to perceive and detect the real cause.


    A person suddenly came to mind ¨C Gu Niaoniao.


    Yan Mingting remained in the bedroom for a while, but didn¡¯t see Zhao Yelan when he came out. He searched around without catching sight of him, and only found Xiao Gao playing with the rabbit in the front courtyard. He asked: ¡°Where is Zhao Yelan? Where did he run off to?¡±


    ¡°The brothel,¡± Xiao Gao said nonchalantly.


    Yan Mingting turned pale with fright: ¡°What? He went to the brothel right after returning to the capital?!¡±

 CH 70

    When Zhao Yelan went out, Xia Gao had subconsciously followed him. He said he was going to look for Gu Niaonaio, and after sending Xiao Gao away, he went alone. Instead of going to the Hongxiu Building openly, he walked into the small house used for communication, then walked through the tunnel and knocked on the door.


    After a while, it opened to reveal Gu Niaonaio wearing a thin robe with her shoulders exposed, yawning as she stood there: ¡°Is it good for you to run to me right after returning to Beijing?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at the scene inside the house.


    ¡°Come in, ba, there¡¯s no one else.¡± After waiting for him to enter, Gu Niaoniao closed the secret door and told the surrounding maids and servants to retreat, then went back to the room to pour a cup of tea and light a stick of incense. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a few months, but you still came back alive. You have good fortune, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took a sip of tea, then took out a bag of spices and a pearl hairpin, setting them on the table.


    ¡°You still know to bring me something? Then I won¡¯t be polite.¡± Gu Niaoniao sat down with a smile and picked up the hairpin. She examined it for a while, then said, ¡°It¡¯s very unique, you even know women¡¯s styles so well?¡±


    ¡°I found it in passing.¡±


    Seeing Yin Pinglu stare at this hairpin for a long time, Zhao Yelan asked Yan Mingting to buy it for her, and bought a second one while they were there.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t want to admit it, ba.¡± Gu Niaonaio smiled and inserted the hairpin into her hair, looking into the bronze mirror with great satisfaction. She picked up the spice packet and smelled it: ¡°This is nice. We can put it in Qingyan¡¯s room, the patrons will like it.¡±


    Zhao Yelan twirled his fingers and remained silent.


    After a long while, Gu Niaoniao put away these things with a sigh, and her expression gradually sank: ¡°You don¡¯t think this will placate me, do you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been preparing to fake your death for so long, and I almost snuck in to collect the corpse. You just suddenly canceled your plans, and the next day, you slipped away to Jiangnan by yourself to be lovebirds with Yan Mingting. Such a happy thing,¡± Gu Niaoniao said angrily.


    ¡°Sorry, it happened suddenly.¡±


    Gu Niaoniao looked at him for a while, then waved her hand: ¡°Well, since it¡¯s your own choice, what can I say? How are you two doing now?¡±


    ¡°Fairly well.¡± Zhao Yelan took another sip of tea.


    ¡°Your fairly well should mean extremely well.¡± Gu Niaoniao observed his expression. ¡°Tell me, you came to the door in person as soon as you returned, so what do you need me for?¡±


    ¡°The tattoos on Qingyan¡¯s body, did you do them?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Some of the girls in the building wore flirtatious tattoos to tease the guests, and others had scars on their bodies that could be covered with tattoos. Of course, there were some who simply enjoyed them.


    ¡°Yes, ah, I did the tattoos on all the girls. It¡¯s a special skill that I learned.¡± As Gu Niaoniao spoke, she glanced at him in surprise and her expression turned strange. ¡°Are you thinking about getting a tattoo as well?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded calmly.


    ¡°You two¡­..are progressing very fast,¡± Gu Niaoniao teased. She paused again, shook her head, and said, ¡°No, no. Does that mean that he hasn¡¯t seen your back yet?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Gu Niaoniao was suddenly in awe of Yan Mingting, and sighed: ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯ll go get some tools.¡±


    About a quarter of an hour later, Gu Niaoniao came in with a big box: ¡°Take off your shirt and lie down on the bed.¡±


    Zhao Yelan watched as she unfolded a cloth bag with practiced movements. Inside were silver needles of varying thickness, and there were several boxes of paint next to her. She lit a candle, took out a needle, and heated it on the flame.


    Gu Niaoniao noticed his gaze lingering on the needle, and said: ¡°The process is quite painful, aren¡¯t you most afraid of pain? How about I get you a sleeping draught? By the time you wake up, it will be over.¡±


    Zhao Yelan thought for a moment before agreeing. Then he slowly removed his shirt, lay down on the bed, and asked: ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°If you take the medicine, you won¡¯t feel the pain, and I¡¯ll be able to work faster. About half an hour,¡± Gu Niaoniao said.


    ¡°Try to be as quick as possible.¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at the sky outside. If he stayed too long, Yan Mingting would definitely look for him everywhere.


    Gu Niaoniao put down the needle, ready to go prepare the sleeping draught. Unexpectedly, she was stunned as soon as she opened the door, and slowly retreated back into the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Immediately afterwards, he saw Yan Mingting appear in the doorway, walking in step by step. He gave Gu Niaoniao a sharp look, then turned his head to look straight at him.


    Zhao Yelan was startled, and suddenly realized that he had taken off his shirt. This scene seemed easy to misunderstand. He immediately sat up and donned his clothes, frantically tying his belt, but after a long time, he failed to do so and asked self-deprecatingly: ¡°Why did you come?¡±


    Yan Mingting passed by the table and glanced at the tools on it, then walked to the bed, his face darkening: ¡°Come back with me.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked up at him. Those eyes that were always smiling were frosted over, frozen into ice. There was even an undercurrent of force in his tone, which was quite different from the usual Yan Mingting, and made him feel a little flustered.


    He awkwardly explained: ¡°This isn¡¯t what it looks like, I just¡­¡­I just have some business with her.¡±


    ¡°What business requires you to strip naked?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t strip naked¡­..¡± Zhao Yelan muttered. There was a sudden pain at his waist as Yan Mingting grabbed his belt and fastened it tightly.


    He grunted at the suffocating pain. Yan Mingting looked up at him and relaxed his grip.


    ¡°Take your time talking, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Gu Niaoniao didn¡¯t want to get involved in this, so as not to make the scene more complicated. After closing the door for them, she asked someone to conceal the news of Yan Mingting¡¯s visit to the brothel.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at this person who was still seething, and slowly held the other¡¯s hand. He raised his head and said: ¡°I really have nothing to do with her.¡±


    ¡°Then why were you undressed? You¡¯ve never undressed so easily in front of me.¡± Yan Mingting looked down at him, sullen and jealous. ¡°Is your heart on her instead of me?¡±


    ¡°How could this be?¡± Zhao Yelan stood up and kissed his lips. ¡°How can she compare with you?¡±


    Normally, whenever Zhao Yelan took the initiative, Yan Mingting would be as excited as a dog in heat. But at this moment, he was cold and unmoved.


    Zhao Yelan kissed him several times in succession, then kissed his cheek and neck, but the other party didn¡¯t respond. Frowning imperceptibly, he knew that this was not ordinary anger.


    ¡°What do I need to do for you to believe me?¡±


    ¡°Take off your clothes and show me.¡± Yan Mingting looked at him coolly.


    Zhao Yelan gazed at the other silently for a long while, then pulled off his belt, taking off his outer  and middle layers. When he hooked up the belt of his inner layer, he couldn¡¯t move his hands for a long time. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and there was a broken light in his eyes: ¡°Can we stop here?¡±


    ¡°We can.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was stunned, a little in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t conceive that the other party had compromised so quickly, and was even more flustered. But after careful study, he realized that there was a feeling of disappointment.


    Yan Mingting was disappointed in him.


    ¡°You can stop whenever you want. If you don¡¯t want me to look, then I won¡¯t look. You can always do whatever you want with me. I, who was tempted first, will admit defeat first.¡± Yan Mingting gave a self-deprecating smile, but it was a little wan and weak, and didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s heart trembled. He pulled hard, and the last layer of clothing fell to the ground. His skin was white like jade porcelain, and his waist was as thin as an easily-broken willow branch. The only small imperfections were a finger-long scar on his right breast, as well as a shallow mark on the waist and abdomen that was very long and wrapped around to the back.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s face immediately turned pale. He took two steps back unconsciously, shaking his head over and over: ¡°No, I can¡¯t, how about in a few days?¡±


    Yan Mingting took a step closer and stood in front of him, lowering his head. He stroked his cheek and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument: ¡°Mengting, show me your back.¡±


    Zhao Yelan hugged his neck helplessly, kissing and biting at his lips with abandon: ¡°Next time? I¡¯ll show you next time¡­..¡±


    Just when Zhao Yelan thought he was trying in vain, Yan Mingting finally responded. He hugged his waist and kissed him hard, leaving marks on his lips aggressively and vindictively. Zhao Yelan tasted a bit of rust, but didn¡¯t say anything. He even felt a sense of relief, and thought it would be nice if this could help him vent some of his anger.


    At this moment, he suddenly noticed that the other party kept rubbing his thumbs on his back. Then he heard Yan Mingting ask in a hoarse voice: ¡°Is it because of this? The word ¡®slave?¡¯¡±


    Zhao Yelan seemed to be drenched in a basin of ice water. It was as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He froze, and even the sound of his heartbeat seemed to have stopped. His eyes were vacant, staring in the direction of the void as the past suddenly appeared in front of him.


    He faintly heard Yan Mingting¡¯s voice: ¡°I saw the word when I bathed you. I didn¡¯t say anything, because I was waiting for you to take the initiative to tell me. I¡¯ve been waiting, but you would rather undress in front of others than show it to me.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him blankly.


    ¡°I believe that you and her are innocent, but I just can¡¯t figure it out. Why would you rather trust her than me? Am I not the person you trust most? Are all the things you said before false?¡± Yan Mingting asked in a rough voice.


    After a while, Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes refocused and he slowly looked at him, only to find that the other¡¯s eyes were a little red, as if he had been wronged to the breaking point.


    It was the first time Zhao Yelan had seen him wear such an expression, and his heart seemed to have been tightly grasped. He was a little out of breath, and soreness filled his chest, gradually spreading to his eyes. He shook his head: ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    Zhao Yelan stroked his cheeks with trembling hands and said: ¡°Because you are Yan Mingting, ah, you were born different from others.¡±


    You have been blessed by the world since you were born. The most heroic person was your father, and the most virtuous and kind lady was your mother. Every step you take along the way is a solid step, an admirable step. You are free and easy, bright and radiant, with righteousness in your mind and the nation in your heart. You deserve to be praised by all people, and your name will go down in history.


    How can I be compared with you?


    Even my name is false, and my past cannot be mentioned. Even though I now have power and countless gold and silver, the brand on my back always reminds me that I crawled out of the darkest and filthiest place, and I am not even comparable to the common people. I am nothing more than a slave.


    Under the surface of his lofty public appearance lay the deepest inferiority complex. He could usually deceive himself and everyone else, but once someone cared, a needle stuck into his heart, slowly torturing him.


    The more they got along, the more he wanted to show a perfect version of himself. He didn¡¯t want Yan Mingting to see the scars and brand marks on his body, and didn¡¯t want him to know about his past.


    However, Yan Mingting had already discovered it, and never said anything.


    Perhaps he had guessed his inner thoughts, but it seemed like he didn¡¯t care about the brand, and that these results made him far less upset than the fact that he had asked Gu Niaoniao to tattoo him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about how Gu Niaoniao and I met?¡± Zhao Yelan said shakily, ¡°We¡­..met in a prison cell.¡±


    Yan Mingting froze, then pulled him into his arms and took a deep breath, the gloom in his heart disappearing instantly. As long as the other party gave him an explanation, he would believe him unconditionally.


    He naturally knew how unspeakable this brand was for someone as proud as Zhao Yelan. No matter how deliberately arrogant and self-reliant he was, it was all to cover up the humbleness in his bones.


    For this reason, he didn¡¯t take the initiative to expose it. But when he found that Zhao Yelan would rather take his clothes off in front of an outsider and let them see, only then was every bit of him in a mess. Waves of jealousy spread from his heart, almost immersing him in a twisted desire for control, to take him back and imprison him in the mansion where no one else could see him. But this was only a fleeting thought, because he could never treat Zhao Yelan cruelly.


    He loved him so dearly, how could he bear to hurt him?


    ¡°All right, I understand.¡± Yan Mingting looked up at the things on the table. ¡°Are you getting a tattoo? I can also do this, let me tattoo you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was surprised: ¡°You can?¡±


    ¡°En, I have tattooed many soldiers loyally serving the country.¡± Yan Mingting packed those things away. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first. It will be night soon, and guests will come here.¡±


    Before Zhao Yelan had time to sort out his feelings, he was dragged to the door by him. He hurriedly called for him to stop, and led him out through the secret door.


    The hidden passage was dark and damp, full of rot and mold. Zhao Yelan covered his nose with one hand, leading Yan Mingting with the other, and felt for the first time that walking this distance was not so difficult.


    After returning to the General¡¯s Mansion, the two headed straight to the bedroom. Zhao Yelan watched him carefully choose the needles, and then fully believed that he really knew how to give tattoos.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention you can do this?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you had a brand, ah,¡± Yan Mingting said self-righteously.


    Only now was Zhao Yelan free to settle an old score with him: ¡°You peeked when I was in the bath.¡±


    ¡°You took advantage of me when you were drunk and ate my tofu.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°All right, take off your clothes,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    It wasn¡¯t until he lay down on the bed that Zhao Yelan actually came to his senses. Unexpectedly, he had actually exposed the brand on his back in front of him. However, when the other party approached, he still inevitably flinched and buried his head, not wanting to face the other person.


    But emotions were contagious. Yan Mingting didn¡¯t seem to care, and only teased that he had a good-looking back and wanted to kiss it.


    Zhao Yelan relaxed a little, and just ignored him.


    A kiss fell on his back. Hot and humid breath hit his skin, and Zhao Yelan felt shivery, his skin trembling. He looked back, only to be kissed again, this time right on the brand mark.


    ¡°What pattern do you want?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback by this question. He didn¡¯t think about these details before he went, just thinking that Gu Niaoniao had a lot of experience and should be able to tattoo him straightaway.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have experience? What do you recommend?¡±


    ¡°Let me see, ah.¡± Yan Mingting repeatedly rubbed and examined the brand mark. The heat from his fingertips spread to Zhao Yelan¡¯s skin, making him nervous as well as restless, as if deliberately provoking his desire. But when he looked back, Yan Mingting had an upright expression. It seemed that he was just thinking too much.


    ¡°I¡¯m not very familiar with patterns such as flowers and plants. I¡¯m better at tattooing words,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Tattooing words?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± How about we add a character before and after this one?¡± Yan Mingting suggested. ¡°Nian (Äî) in front and Jiao (½¿) in the back?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.Nian Nujiao?¡±[1]


    ¡°Yes, if you like, I can also tattoo the whole poem on your back. Wouldn¡¯t it be fierce?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡±


    [1] Combining these two characters with the character for slave (Å«) forms the name of the songstress in Yuan Zhen¡¯s ¡°Poem of Lianchang Palace.¡± ?

 CH 71

    Zhao Yelan loathed the brand mark on his back, but he didn¡¯t want to have a poem tattooed on it. He couldn¡¯t tell which one he detested more.


    Picking up a brush and paper, he sat down at the table. He drew out the strokes of the slave character to form a unique pattern and asked: ¡°Can you tattoo this sort of character?¡±


    Yan Mingting took it and studied it for a while. Probably in deference to his not-so-good painting skills, the pattern was not complicated, but more like an unreadable font. ¡°I can,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then do this one, ba.¡±


    After the two discussed it, they heard Xiao Gao¡¯s knock on the door: ¡°My lord, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Yan Mingting closed the drawing paper. ¡°This will be time-consuming, so let¡¯s finish the meal and then proceed slowly.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded in agreement. After putting on his clothes, he opened the door and looked at Xiao Gao, but he didn¡¯t have a good expression on his face as he asked in a whisper: ¡°Who asked you to tell him that I went to Hongxiu House?¡±


    ¡°Ah? Can¡¯t I say this?¡± Xiao Gao remembered that General Yan had already met Gu Niaoniao, and knew that Gu-jiejie was a friend of his lord, so he thought it was fine to say it directly.


    ¡°Then I made a mistake again.¡± Xia Gao scratched his head dejectedly. ¡°I thought you had no secrets from the General, My Lord. You punish me, ba.¡±


    Zhao Yelan choked. It was no good to punish him.


    ¡°Hmph, see, Xiao Gao is more sensible than you.¡± Yan Mingting whispered in his ear, ¡°If you keep secrets here and there all day long, are you a riddler?¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned around and vented all his frustration on him, kicking and beating with his hands: ¡°You¡¯re so annoying! Who are you talking about in such a deliberately ambiguous way!¡±


    Housekeeper Qin had just set the dishes when Yan Mingting rushed to the table and sat down. Following close behind, Zhao Yelan slowed down his pace, but his breathing was uneven and he appeared to have just been exerting himself.


    He had become accustomed to such things, so Housekeeper Qin was not surprised, and even had the illusion that even with his own general, to spare the rod was to spoil the child. At first, he had felt that Zhao-daren was too sensitive, but after some observation, it was always the General who provoked him and got him started.


    The General¡¯s skin was thick and tough, how could he fear the pampered fist of this man?


    Housekeeper Qin also understood that this was clearly just a young man¡¯s flirting technique. Hmph.


    The General¡¯s Mansion was finally bustling again.


    After eating, Zhao Yelan followed Yan Mingting to the courtyard for half an hour to digest their food, and offered to follow him in exercising. Yan Mingting was overjoyed, and immediately began devising a step-by-step plan for him.


    Once they returned to the room, Yan Mingting noticed the drawer beside the table and suddenly asked: ¡°Is there any poison in your other sachets?¡±


    ¡°No, only the sweetgrass had a problem.¡±


    Only then did Yan Mingting feel relieved, and while the other was taking a bath, he went out and took the initiative to find Yao Mize¡¯s house.


    Yao Muze had already passed the Imperial Hospital examination, and was now an Imperial physician. Seeing Yan Mingting coming to visit, he warmly greeted him and wanted to invite him to dinner, but was rejected.


    ¡°I just wanted to ask, did you examine that sachet I asked you to study before I left Beijing?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°I examined it thoroughly.¡±


    Yao Muze¡¯s answer was exactly the same as Zhao Yelan¡¯s, and Yan Mingting heaved a sigh of relief. He had feared that Zhao Yelan might have used a more vicious type of medicine.


    ¡°If the poisoning is stopped, it will be fine, right?¡±


    ¡°Avoid it as much as you can. If used for a long time, you may need to recuperate for three to five years. You should sweat more, and eat some detoxifying herbs and food to force out the toxins in the body.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave the medicine to you.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Yan Mingting returned to the mansion, and ordered the kitchen staff to use more detoxifying ingredients before going to the bedroom.


    Zhao Yelan had already finished his bath and was watering the bonsai in the room. Seeing him return, he wanted to get right down to business, but Yan Mingting stopped and said: ¡°It¡¯s time for me to bathe.¡±


    Yan Mingting bathed on the other side of a screen, waiting for the other party to come and watch. But Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t come over to take a peek at all. He just picked up the ledger and began to settle accounts.


    The sound of the abacus clacking mad Yan Mingting¡¯s brain ache. He quickly finished bathing and walked out from behind the screen: ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave all these things to Yin Pinglu? Why are you taking the trouble?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll summarize it first, then hand it over to her tomorrow.¡± Although Zhao-Yelan wanted to be a hands-off shopkeeper, he still had to be aware of these things. It was impossible to leave such important matters to others without even looking at them. Not to mention that he had embezzled a lot of his own private money this time, so he must see how much property was left, right?


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t bother him further. After a long while, Zhao Yelan finally finished reconciling the accounts while the other party sat quietly opposite him, burying himself in writing. Leaning forward, he saw that it was an exercise plan.


    He turned around and put away the ledger, then walked to the bed.


    Yan Mingting inadvertently raised his head and was taken aback, staring blankly as the other took off his layers of clothes. With black hair hanging down his smooth, white back, he lay obediently on the bed and turned to look at him. His voice was usually soft against the cushioning of the pillow: ¡°Are you done? Is it time to get to business?¡±


    What business, ah.


    My business is different from yours, Yan Mingting silently criticized.


    After picking up the tools, Yan Mingting sat on the side of the bed. Just as he selected a needle, he saw that the other¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, his face almost wrinkled up, and comforted him: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ba, my technique is very good. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡±


    Zhao Yelan opened his eyes doubtfully.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, look.¡±


    Yan Mingting scratched his back with the needle. He felt the friction of a sharp, hard object, but it really didn¡¯t hurt. Zhao Yelan relaxed a little and said: ¡°Will it work?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. I¡¯m going to begin.¡±


    There was silence in the room for a while.


    Zhao Yelan could feel the needles sliding across his back and didn¡¯t speak for a long time. He glanced back at Yan Mingting, who looked as serious as if he were performing a prayer ceremony, silent and devout.


    Zhao Yelan took in his facial features meticulously. He had sword-like eyebrows and eyes like bright stars. The heroic spirit in his countenance and the contours of his profile were of the highest quality. Those clear, bright eyes were like his heart, without a trace of hidden filth, and like a mirror, they seemed to be able to see through people¡¯s hearts.


    Yan Mingting must have had a lot of questions to ask, but he didn¡¯t, because he had been waiting for him to offer him the answers.


    If he didn¡¯t say anything, Yan Mingting wouldn¡¯t ask, until today¡¯s question appeared and almost made Yan Mingting doubt his sincerity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know where my brand came from?¡± Zhao Yelan asked proactively.


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy thinking about it,¡± Yan Mingting said in a heavy voice.


    Sure enough.


    Zhao Yelan was silent. Feeling that the other party had changed the needle, he stared blankly ahead. He had thought that those past events would never come out of his mouth again, but he heard his own wan and broken voice:


    ¡°It was because of the Marquis of Anqing¡¯s rebellion.¡±


    Yan Mingting paused. This was something he knew about.


    There was a lot of trouble back then because of the first emperor. The common people openly voiced their discontent, and the Marquis of Anquing raised the flag of rebellion. But because some insiders defected, the matter was exposed as soon as the uprising took place. After the emperor sent people to suppress it, he ordered the execution of all relevant personnel, involving more than 20,000 people. It was said that even all the prison cells in the capital couldn¡¯t fit them all.


    ¡°You are one of the Marquis of Anqing¡¯s people?¡± Yan Mingting asked in surprise.


    ¡°That would be great.¡± The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched, and he said with a wry smile, ¡°Our family never met him. My father was just a weak, gentle scholar, and his greatest wish was to be able to pass the exams and achieve scholarly honor in order to realize his ambitions of governing the country and bringing peace to all. My mother was an embroiderer, and she worked with thread until late at night before resting. Apart from family, we had nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Only, the Marquis of Anqing was injured and fell by the side of the road. My parents kindly brought him home for treatment, and the Marquis was picked up by his people two days later.¡±


    ¡°The Marquis of Anqing was kind-hearted. When he left, he saw that our family was poor, so he gave us a jade pendant to repay our kindness.¡±


    ¡°But this jade pendant killed my parents.¡±


    ¡°After the Anqing manor was seized, the Imperial court thoroughly investigated the people connected to him. They found the jade pendant in my house and determined that we were in league with him. They would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go, and my home was burned down. It was raining that day, but the fire could not be extinguished. My parents and I were taken into the dungeons for rigorous interrogation¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan clenched the pillow with one hand, the veins on it bulging. His eyes were dark, and his voice was as cold as the snow in winter: ¡°It is said that good is rewarded with good, and evil is rewarded with evil, but nothing is as important as power. A high-ranking person can destroy countless families with a single sentence.¡±


    A palm covered the back of his hand at this time, hot enough to warm his cold hand.


    Zhao Yelan looked to the side and stared at that big hand for a long time, and the snow in his eyes gradually melted, forming a thin layer of mist: ¡°Yan Mingting, why couldn¡¯t my parents meet you? If there were people like you in the Imperial court at that time, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have suffered, right?¡±


    The evidence of the Marquis of Anqing¡¯s rebellion was conclusive. In order to show off their political achievements to please the late emperor, the officials tortured the prisoners one by one and beat them into confessing. Regardless, the first emperor didn¡¯t care if there were innocent people in there, and just needed a reason to execute them.


    ¡°En. Sorry, I¡¯m late.¡± Yan Mingting held his hand and lay down beside him, hugging him into his arms. He inadvertently touched some water stains, and his heart felt as if it had been stabbed with a knife. Slowly and solemnly, he kissed away the teardrops at the ends of the other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Mengting¡­..¡±


    Zhao Yelan shed tears silently. Since he became Zhao Yelan, he had not shed a single tear.


    But now he was Zhao Mengting, ah.


    The accumulated secrets poured out like a flood, and the details he had hidden for a long time now appeared clearly before his eyes.


    The dungeon was full of people. Their prison clothes were obviously white, but their bodies were filthy and smelly, and there were voices of grievances all around as they were dragged out one by one for interrogation.


    Hearing the screams of those people, he sat trembling in a dark corner. Father sat in front of him, blocking his sight. He asked Father when they could leave.


    Father said soon, justice is in the hearts of the people, and we will be able to redress our grievances soon.


    But within a few days, Father was dragged out and spoke loudly about his grievances. Yu Junliang, who was in charge of interrogation at the time, just dropped a sentence and continued writing. The prison head tied Father up and flogged him with a horse whip dipped in salt in order to force him to confess his crime. Father refused to confess, so more cruel punishments were used. The screams of pain often sounded in his dreams.


    Mother covered his eyes, and he wept and asked her, where is the justice?


    Mother said she didn¡¯t know.


    More and more people were forced to confess their crimes. There were finally no more men in the prison, and they began to attack the women.


    The prison head pulled Mother out and saw that she refused to speak, so he took off her outer clothing under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes and spoke filthy words. Father was still tied to the stake, with blood and tears on his face, and shouted in a hoarse voice: ¡°Mengting, close your eyes and don¡¯t look.¡±


    However, in the next moment, Mother slammed onto the stake: ¡°Husband, I will marry you in my next life.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!!¡± Father was overcome, and the punishment he had received in the past few days had already consumed most of his strength. He spat out a big mouthful of blood, and then closed his eyes heavily.


    No one came to cover his eyes anymore. He saw all kinds of torture and heard the most disgusting and ugly words in that dark hell. After staying in the dark for more than a month, there was no light in his eyes, only hatred and malice that spread and grew in his heart.


    ¡°Mengting, Menting¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, I was still late¡­..¡± Yan Mingting kissed his eyes over and over again and tasted the bitter, salty tears. He wanted to knead this person into his own bones, to dedicate everything to him, as long as he was happy.


    Zhao Yelan gradually withdrew from his memories. Hearing Yan Mingting¡¯s apologies, he rubbed the other person¡¯s head, then leaned forward and nipped his lips: ¡°You say you¡¯re sorry? How old were you¡­¡­damn the others, those people are all dead.¡±


    ¡°En, it¡¯s best that they¡¯re dead. If they weren¡¯t dead, I would kill them for you,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth hooked up and he licked his lips, asking softly: ¡°What else do you want to know?¡±


    The two gazed at each other for a long time, and Yan Mingting looked into his eyes. They were such beautiful eyes, but they were red, and the tips were still moist.


    At this moment, the hedgehog covered in thorns slowly revealed his softest insides to him, wanting to show him his heart and belly. But how could Yan Mingting be willing to do so?


    He had talked so much, but it always revolved around his parents. He never mentioned how he escaped the dungeons, let alone what punishments he suffered. Just thinking about it, Yan Mingting felt unbearable heartache. How could he bear to ask him to continue?


    ¡°I also want to know when you plan to take me to meet your parents.¡± Yan Mingting gently kissed his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ve returned to Beijing, don¡¯t forget what you said before.¡±


    Zhao Yelan stared at him blankly. Realizing that he was soothing his emotions, his heart felt a little peaceful. Those scars that had never been uncovered were all but torn away, and apart from the pain at the beginning, he actually felt much better afterwards. Maybe it was the release of built-up emotions, maybe it was because someone was wiping his tears, or maybe he realized that someone had appeared in his world again who would cover his eyes to block out all the darkness.


    Zhao Yelan stroked his cheek softly: ¡°We¡¯ll go in two days.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Autumn in the capital was a bit chilly. The wind blew leaves that rustled and tapped lightly on the doors and windows, as if eavesdropping on their conversation.


    Due to being embraced by Yan Mingting, Zhao Yelan¡¯s chest was warm, but his back was a bit cold. He pushed that person away and got up to walk to the bronze mirror. He looked at his back in the mirror, but found that there was no change.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yan Mingting stepped forward and confessed: ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do tattoos.¡±


    ¡°Then what did you lie to me for?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t mind.¡± Yan Mingting put his arms around his back. ¡°No matter what your origin is, you are now mine. No matter what you experienced before, I will treat you well in the future, so you don¡¯t need to be ashamed at all. Tattoos can only cover up the scars on the surface. The most important thing is here¡­¡­¡±


    Yan Mingting pointed to his heart: ¡°You have to look straight into it.¡±


    ¡°You are now a hero admired by many people, and they will not look at your back. Only I can, and being the only one makes me feel lucky. I also don¡¯t think it¡¯s ugly, it just reminds me of how amazing you are. There were thousands of criminal slaves, but you are the only one who became Zhao Yelan.¡±


    Zhao Yelan lowered his head to look at his finger, pointing at his heart that was beating faster. Then he lifted his eyes. There was still a trace of redness that had not subsided. Then he hooked Yan Mingting¡¯s neck with a slight smile, rubbed the other¡¯s ear with his other hand, and stood on tiptoe to bite the ear that was starting to turn red: ¡°Yan Fangli, do you want me?¡±


    As if he hadn¡¯t been thinking about it for a day or two!


    In the autumn wind, accompanied by the sound of interlaced breathing, their ears and temples rubbed together, and a thin sheen of sweat dispelled the autumn chill.


    Yan Mingting passed through this place for the first time like a fisherman from Wuling. After finding the entrance, he stepped into a peach blossom garden. The land was warm and humid, the water was gurgling, and the air was filled with an unusual smell. He was a little dazed by the surrounding scene, and caught a glimpse of a slender white hand from the corner of his eye, like a lone boat floating on the water. Holding fast to the mast, the veins in his hands were bulging and the joints were distinct. Yan Mingting held it down and interlocked their fingers, and they continued on their way together.


    But he didn¡¯t know if he was too impassioned or what, but when reaching the end of the river, hearing the other¡¯s high-pitched voice overflow like a clarion and also like graceful music, seductive and full of emotion, in his excitement, he just abandoned his essence and surrendered.


    Yan Mingting froze abruptly.


    Zhao Yelan was also stunned for a moment, then slowly opened his eyes. His brows that were about to knot up slowly relaxed, and he stared at him blankly.


    Yan Mingting was struck dumb.


    ¡°Done?¡± Zhao Yelan tugged the blanket. ¡°Okay, just go to sleep, ba.¡±


    No, it shouldn¡¯t be like this!


    Yan Mingting stiffly lowered his head, even the strands of his hair exuding shock and bewilderment.


    T/N: I swear these two have the most realistic sex life in damei history.

 CH 72

    Yan Mingting had never fought such a failure of a battle!


    It was late at night, and the surroundings were completely silent, but Yan Mingting didn¡¯t feel sleepy. He sat and pondered it for a long time, but received no answer.


    And the person with him was already fast asleep after many days of difficult travel. Listening to his even breathing, Yan Mingting caressed his cheek in the dark. Zhao Yelan¡¯s sweating and panting appearance took shape in his mind. It was obvious that a certain place was scorching hot again, and he obviously still had inexhaustible energy, so what was going on?


    The General was worried, ah, so worried that he didn¡¯t fall asleep all night. He worried when the rooster crowed and then got up lightly and went to court, where he was so worried that he frowned in the court hall.


    Seeing him like this, the civil and military officials and the Emperor took turns praising him for his performance in Jiangnan, but the results still did not improve. Everyone took it for granted that he was worried about the country and the people. Even though the disaster was over, the General was still so worried about the country and the people!


    After court was concluded, Yan Mingting was surrounded by officials scrambling to ask about the affairs in Jiangnan. He dealt with them one by one, and in the end only Kan Chuan was left standing by.


    ¡°Did the General encounter any danger during this trip?¡± Kan Chuan asked meaningfully.


    Yan Mingting knew that he was inquiring about Zhao Yelan, and said: ¡°The sun was so hot that I suffered heat stroke once, and I caught a cold after it rained again, but it is no longer a serious problem. Thank you, Kan-daren, for your concern.¡±


    Kan Chuan nodded, but noticed that he was sizing him up intentionally or otherwise, and asked: ¡°What do you want to ask, General?¡±


    Yan Mingting looked away abruptly with an embarrassed cough. After organizing his words for a long time, he finally choked out a sentence: ¡°Daring to ask if you and your wife¡­¡­forget it, it¡¯s nothing. I heard you¡¯ve been blessed with a daughter, congratulations, ah. It¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯t be there for the child¡¯s full moon wine. This is the golden lock brought back from Jiangnan just for the baby.¡±


    Yan Mingting took out a small golden lock from his bosom. It was shaped like a little tiger, on account of it being the Year of the Tiger.


    ¡°Many thanks, General.¡± Kan Chuan took it with a smile. He had no friendship with Yan Mingting, so he naturally knew it was a gift from Zhao Yelan. He solemnly placed it in his sleeve and cupped his hands, saying, ¡°The General and my lord have worked hard these days. After you have rested, I will visit with my wife and daughter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yan Mingting walked to the gate of the palace with him before parting ways with him, and couldn¡¯t help but look at his frail back.


    Tsk, the gentle and scholarly Kan Chuan had a child, so what was the use of his own muscles, ah? Ah?!


    Thinking of this, Yan Mingting once again fell into deep melancholy. He returned to the General¡¯s Mansion in a daze, and learned that Zhao Yelan had already gone to the Imperial Academy.


    The people in the Imperial Academy wore different expressions upon seeing Zhao Yelan. Although they maintained their usual sense of distance, they glanced at him from time to time, wanting to speak but not daring to do so.


    Until Ruan Xian came in and broke the deadlock. He walked quickly to Zhao Yelan and said, pleased beyond expectations: ¡°You¡¯ve returned, how was it? Nothing happened on the trip to Jiangnan, right?¡±


    ¡°It was fine,¡± Zhao Yelan answered.


    ¡°You worried us to death! You don¡¯t even know that when we heard there was a drought, we were all anxious to death, trying to find ways to alleviate the disaster every day. But fortunately you came back safe and sound, and rescued so many people,¡± Ruan Xian said rejoicefully.


    ¡°You all?¡± Zhao Yelan was at a loss.


    ¡°Yes, ah.¡± Ruan Xian pointed at the others. ¡°They were all worried about you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked around doubtfully and the other people¡¯s expressions tightened as if feeling embarrassed, and they turned their faces away awkwardly.


    It had been less than half a year since he entered the Imperial Academy. At the beginning, these old men didn¡¯t like him, and he didn¡¯t intend to please them. Everyone saw to their own business and lived in peace for a while. Had these people¡¯s attitudes toward him changed so quickly after being away for only two or three months?


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, but first, in the case of the Jiangnan officials, several of our colleagues were sent to fill the vacancies. Others have been promoted one after another. Even I am now taking the place of Wang Guisheng, and I¡¯ve become sixth-rank.¡± Ruan Xian pulled him aside and whispered, ¡°Therefore, in public and in private, everyone admires you in their hearts. Not to mention the measures you took during the drought, which changed everyone¡¯s opinions about you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan understood.


    These people spent their days with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and their minds were simple and stubborn. When they thought that he was of low character, they naturally didn¡¯t want to be close to him. But correspondingly, if they found that he also did things for the common people, they would naturally want to get close.


    It was only that they wanted to save face.


    Zhao Yelan walked to the courtyard gate, found Xiao Gao, and had him go back home to bring some special snacks from JIangnan. He put them on the table: ¡°Everyone come and try them, ba.¡±


    Ruan Xian was the first to join in. He picked up the cloud crisps and ate them, praising them over and over again.


    The others were moved, but were too embarrassed to go forward, so Zhao Yelan called them one by one and everyone went down the steps and there were smiles all around. They asked him for details while eating, and when they heard him speak about the scene of the drought, they were terrified at the thought.


    Not long after, Zhao Yelan was summoned to the palace to report on his duties.


    Zhao Yelan had already prepared a bag to carry, and when he reached Xuanzheng Hall and prepared to salute, Zhao Xuan stopped him.


    ¡°There is no need to be so polite. Come, have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Zhao Xuan looked him over carefully and said: ¡°You¡¯re thinner.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled wryly: ¡°It¡¯s a blessing to be able to come back alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Xuan said apologetically, ¡°If I had known that there would be a drought in the future, I would not have sent you to Jiangnan.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no matter.¡± Zhao Yelan habitually pretended to cough twice and was suddenly taken aback, thinking of Yan Mingting. He was not unprotected now. Perhaps he could stop flattering the master for personal gain and abandon the method of humbly beseeching him for mercy.


    So in the blink of an eye, he straightened his back again and looked at Zhao Xuan as if nothing had happened: ¡°Others may not necessarily have been able to do this well.¡±


    Zhao Xuan laughed. Although the words were arrogant, they were indisputable fact. He would rather that other courtiers could be so arrogant and submit a satisfactory answer sheet, but the others were not Zhao Yelan, after all.


    Zhao Yelan reported the details of the drought meticulously. This talk lasted an hour, and his mouth was so dry that his tea was refilled several times.


    Speaking of the merchants raising 80,000 taels for disaster relief, and therefore wanting the market in the capital to be open to them, Zhao Xuan agreed without question.


    Zhao Xuan himself hated the late emperor¡¯s method of managing the harem, and as soon as he heard that he wanted to circulate silk to the common people, he readily agreed.


    Zhao Yelan also had a good idea of how he thought, so he had dared to open his mouth to the merchants in Huaizhou. He knew that Zhao Xuan¡¯s original intention of fighting for power and profit was nothing more than wanting to win for his mother concubine.


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s mother concubine was just a maidservant. The late emperor had intercourse with her while drunk, but didn¡¯t seem to remember it at all afterwards. It wasn¡¯t until her belly grew big that she was given a promised position, and she was never favored.


    And the rewards in the harem never belonged to this mother and son. The other favored concubines had a few sets of good clothes from Jiangnan every day, but his mother concubine still wore old clothes that had been washed white, and even the court ladies and eunuchs didn¡¯t treat them well.


    Zhao Yelan also mentioned Li Yucheng who had helped this time, and let him manage this batch of goods shipped from Jiangnan.


    Li Yucheng had a special status. His father was the Prime Minister, but he had no official position. It was better to let him manage the business as a son of the family. With such a special status, those merchants dared not create difficulties or come up with other crooked ideas, and it was conducive to business exchanges.


    After hearing this, Zhao Xuan had no objections.


    Zhao Yelan mentioned Magistrate Sun¡¯s performance again, and commented pertinently: ¡°Magistrate is a true local magistrate, and persevered until the end.¡±


    As he spoke, Eunuch Gao passed by outside and said: ¡°Your Majesty, Concubine Xian is asking to see you.¡±


    ¡°Tell her to come.¡±


    Sun Muyun hurried in, and was told by Zhao Xuan: ¡°Walk slowly if you are pregnant,¡± so she slowed down and went straight to Zhao Yelan¡¯s seat with a troubled look: ¡°Zhao-daren, may I ask if you have any news about my father?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at her belly, knowing that she had a dragon vein, and her status had risen again.


    ¡°My lady, do not worry, the magistrate is fine. When I was in Wangcheng, I received the news that he fainted in the government office and was rescued by a doctor. He should have almost recovered by now,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good¡­¡­¡± As Sun Muyun spoke, tears fell down her face. This carefree person seemed to have stabilized a lot in a short period of time, and her eyes were not only filled with eating, drinking, having fun, and looking at beautiful men.


    ¡°My lady, take care of your health.¡± Zhao Yelan handed her the package that had been set aside. ¡°These are some hometown snacks prepared for you by the magistrate. There were still a few jars of lotus flower wine, but we used them to quench our thirst and drank them all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your life-saving grace, my lord.¡± Sun Muyun glanced at him gratefully and didn¡¯t bother them further, quickly leaving the palace with the package in her arms like a baby.


    Zhao Xuan looked after her anxiously, sent Eunuch Gao to follow, and then gave Zhao Yelan a sudden smile: ¡°You really contributed a lot this time, ah. Tell me, what reward do you want?¡±


    ¡°The ones who contributed the most this time were actually Yan Mingting¡¯s subordinates, who still insisted on implementing every order despite being exposed to the sun every day. Without them, I couldn¡¯t have achieved anything without support, and it would have been impossible to evacuate the people so easily. So if it pleases Your Majesty, they can be rewarded,¡± Zhao Yelan said sincerely.


    ¡°Yan Mingting already mentioned this matter in early court, and I have already rewarded them generously.¡± After Zhao Xuan spoke, he looked at him with some novelty. ¡°You are a little different.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°At a time like this, the first thing you think of is those subordinates.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled helplessly: ¡°Perhaps it is because I witnessed it with my own eyes.¡±


    In the past, he always thought that Yan Mingting¡¯s heart for the world was innate, and that because he was born in the General¡¯s Mansion, he should take on this important task as a matter of course.


    But during this period of time, when every moment was so difficult, he himself was treated the best. The journey was hard, but the only carriage was given to him.


    When he was sitting in the carriage, he looked at the long queue behind him. Everyone was sweating profusely, with tanned skin and chapped lips, but no one complained of suffering. They still listened to his transfer arrangements and protected the people.


    He suddenly understood where Yan Mingting¡¯s heart came from. Facing so many soldiers who sacrificed their lives for righteousness and worked hard every day, whose heart would not be moved?


    Even if he lacked the strength to truss a chicken, he still wanted to do something for this group of people, not to mention Yan Mingting.


    ¡°Is there any other reward you want?¡± Zhao Xuan asked again. ¡°Do you want to go back to court?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was stunned for a moment, not having expected him to refuse so quickly: ¡°Are you angry with me?¡±


    ¡°No, I just think the Imperial Academy is pretty good.¡±


    Of course, there was also an element of anger. He didn¡¯t want to become accustomed to Zhao Xuan¡¯s current mood. When he was in a good mood, he gave an official position and expected him to be deeply grateful.


    What¡¯s more, now was the time when he had the best reputation. He didn¡¯t want to return to court right away, because it would make people think that his previous behavior was all for the sake of returning to court, and he would soon become the target of public criticism as his achievements were forgotten.


    He would do things for the people, but he was not a good, selfless person. If you did good deeds, you must leave a name. He wanted the common people to remember him. He wouldn¡¯t be as famous as Yan Mingting in history, but at least he wouldn¡¯t drag Yan Mingting into infamy.


    In the past, he did things of his own accord and didn¡¯t care about the opinions of the outside world, but now that he had thought about it, he would definitely be with Yan Mingting forever in the future and would not allow him to have anyone else. As such, he didn¡¯t know how future generations would comment on their relationship, but he didn¡¯t want the history books to reduce the relationship between the two of them to unofficial gossip, thus obliterating Yan Mingting¡¯s hard work and contributions over the years.


    His person would definitely be remembered by future generations.


    So he would do his best to create a good image and not allow himself to be a stain on him.


    ¡°At present, I just want to study in the Imperial Academy so that I can lead a more relaxed life,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Zhao Xuan stared at him for a while, but couldn¡¯t find any trace of deceit, and said: ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Seriously.¡± Zhao Yelan took a sip of tea. ¡°After this experience, I have also opened my eyes. What power, ah, what benefits, ah, they are not as important as living well.¡±


    Like hell.


    Zhao Xuan smiled: ¡°Do you remember what you told me when you were young? You said you wanted to be a master.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different now.¡± Zhao Yelan looked down at the tea leaves with a twitch of his mouth. ¡°I have been a master, but I wasn¡¯t happy.¡±


    Zhao Xuan was uneasy. Why did such words seem to be talking about him?


    Now he was the ruler of a country, but he was busy and exhausted, overwhelmed by the responsibility on his shoulders. After some thought, he actually felt that the happiest time was the Lantern Festival many years ago. With Zhao Yelan¡¯s help, he snuck out of the palace, and they watched the lanterns together, guessed the lantern riddles, and had fun out in the world.


    ¡°Then when do you feel the happiest?¡± Zhao Xuan asked.


    Zhao Yelan pondered for a long time, but couldn¡¯t say anything, because the daily life in the General¡¯s Mansion made him feel the happiest.


    He shook his head and didn¡¯t answer, so Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t ask any more questions and said with a smile: ¡°Since you want to stay in the Imperial Academy, then do as you wish. It is only that rewards should be given, otherwise people will say that I am unfair.¡±


    ¡°This official obeys.¡±


    Zhao Xuan quietly observed his demeanor, feeling that he was not the same as before, but he couldn¡¯t tell exactly what had changed. It wasn¡¯t until he looked into the other¡¯s eyes that he realized that it was his eyes that had changed.


    When he brought him in as a child, his eyes were dim and gloomy, and even his speech was icy.


    Later, both of them had glory and wealth, and his eyes became less dim, but they were still as deep as an ancient well without waves. Even when he smiled, there were no ripples in his eyes, and it was clearly a perfunctory smile at first glance.


    And now, he obviously didn¡¯t do anything else, let alone smile, but his eyes were vivid, and they were a little brighter when he looked at people. Maybe the scorching Jiangnan sun had fallen into his eyes and stained them with light.


    Zhao Xuan was slightly moved, and even happy for him. In a good mood, he said: ¡°Are you satisfied with fourth rank? Don¡¯t you want things like gold and silver jewelry, silk and spices from the Western Regions?¡±


    Zhao Yelan began to think seriously.


    Seeing this, Zhao Xuan said even more grandly: ¡°Speak, ba, as long as it is something in my treasury, I will reward it to you. Pick whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty isn¡¯t deceiving me?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°En, I keep my word,¡± Zhao Xuan declared.


    ¡°I want the Chisha Sword,¡± Zhao Yelan said. The words were astonishing.


    The Chisha Sword was the weapon used by the founding emperor of the Xuan Dynasty when he conquered the country. Later, the Imperial sword was given to the General Protecting the Nation. Before his death, the General Protecting the Nation returned it to the Zhao family, and since then it had been kept in the treasury and never saw the light of day.


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s expression changed a few times: ¡°This is the country¡¯s most important weapon, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°If the country¡¯s most important weapon has not been exposed to the light, it is nothing more than broken copper and iron. It is better to give it to the right person, which not only highlights the benevolence and righteousness of His Majesty, but also inspires the hearts of the courtiers to serve the country,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°The right person¡­¡­¡± Zhao Xuan thought about his words, and realized that this was a reward for Yan Mingting. He couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling, and the smile at the corners of his mouth drooped. ¡°You two have such a good relationship?¡±


    In the past, Zhao Yelan would have definitely avoided suspicion, but today he blurted out: ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Xuan frowned slightly.


    ¡°Your Majesty does not have to worry about his high position and authority. He, more than anyone else, does not wish for war. This trip to the south, he contributed no less than me, but he has no official position to be promoted, so I want to ask for the sword for him. When the soldiers see it, they will also believe that His Majesty is a benevolent ruler.¡± Zhao Yelan lifted him up to high place so that it would be difficult for him to step down.


    Zhao Xuan was silent for a long time, but agreed.


    This sword was truly useless to him, but the Yan family¡¯s two generations of generals were indeed worthy of the name and worthy of this sword. Moreover, he had already shamed the Yan family by bestowing a marriage, so he simply gave away the sword.


    ¡°Since you want this reward, I won¡¯t let you casually take it back now. Tomorrow, I will personally reward him in front of all the civil and military officials.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± Zhao Yelan said solemnly.


    Zhao Yelan left the palace and went to the Imperial Academy. It was not until dusk that he returned to the General¡¯s Mansion in a sedan chair.


    As soon as he entered the gate, he saw Housekeeper Qin circling anxiously in the front hall and asked: ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°My lord, something is wrong, the General is sick!¡± Housekeeper Qin hurried forward to say.


    ¡°What sort of illness?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know what¡¯s causing it, that¡¯s the trouble.¡± Housekeeper Qin led him to the bedroom. ¡°Today he practiced the sword all day in the residence. Just now, he called Doctor Yao and said that he was sick, but when Doctor Yao asked him what the symptoms were, he didn¡¯t speak. The two stared at each other for almost half an hour.¡±


    Zhao Yelan paused, thinking of something, and raised his eyebrows. His shoulders trembled slightly and he walked into the bedroom with a suppressed smile, just in time to bump into Yao Muze, who was about to faint.


    He sent Yao Muze away with a few words, and the man took his leave immediately as if he had received amnesty.


    Zhao Yelan asked Housekeeper Qin to see to his own business again, and closed the door. Walking in front of Yan Mingting, he tilted his head to observe his dull expression, and knew that he hadn¡¯t come out of the shadows yet.


    Zhao Yelan smiled softly and scratched his chin.


    Only then did Yan Mingting slowly raise his head, feeling very wronged, and look at him helplessly: ¡°What should I do, ah¡­¡­tell me, do I have some unspeakable illness?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Zhao Yelan sat on his lap, put his arms around his neck, and lowered his head to kiss his lips. ¡°As long as we understand each other, we don¡¯t have to do that sort of thing.¡±


    Anyway, hadn¡¯t they been alone for the past twenty years or so? It wasn¡¯t like they couldn¡¯t live anymore, as long as their souls had sustenance.


    Moreover, he was really afraid of pain, and opening up yesterday nearly killed him. He didn¡¯t know why so many people were obsessed with it.


    ¡°Thank you for your comfort, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± Yan Mingting felt that his dignity was about to shatter, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold his head up as a man anymore wuwu.


    Seeing that he was wilted like a frosted-over eggplant, Zhao Yelan pondered for a moment, touched his strong arms and chest, and sighed in embarrassment: ¡°If you must experience it, then I will try hard to give it a shot? Tomorrow I¡¯ll just get up early to do horse stance? Are you losing weight?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡± Yan Mingting heard the sound of his dignity being completely shattered.

 CH 73

    After dinner, Zhao Yelan went for a run in the courtyard after changing his clothes.


    Yan Mingting looked troubled, and while running with him, he didn¡¯t want him to run for such a purpose.


    After running a full lap, Zhao Yelan was out of breath and wanted to find a recliner to lie down, but was pulled up by Yan Mingting to walk slowly: ¡°Don¡¯t lie down immediately, first walk to cool the blood.¡±


    Zhao Yelan wiped the sweat from his face and said exhaustedly: ¡°I really invest too much energy for you.¡±


    ¡°En, en.¡± Yan Mingting was also very moved.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°If you dare to find someone else behind my back in the future, I will definitely kill you first.¡±


    ¡°En, en. The atmosphere is so good, don¡¯t tell these horror stories,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan smiled and broke free from his grip, starting to stride again: ¡°Look, does the motion meet official standards?¡±


    Yan Mingting adjusted his movements, but couldn¡¯t help persuading him: ¡°Why don¡¯t we rest earlier? You will be very tired like this, it is more appropriate to exercise step by step.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, you should be fine waiting another three to five years.¡± Zhao Yelan was immediately persuaded, and the main reason was that he was a little tired from horse stance. Anyway, Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t escape from his palm, so it was fine to delay him for a few years, and they would talk about it when he got stronger in the future.


    Thinking this way, he went to take a bath and go to bed without any psychological burden.


    Yan Mingting, on the other hand, was practicing the sword in the courtyard with a sad face. When he heard footsteps, he turned his head to see that it was Housekeeper Qin passing by with snacks. He walked over and sat down on the corridor railing in front of Housekeeper Qin.


    Housekeeper Qin was taken aback, and asked: ¡°General, do you have anything to tell me?¡±


    Yan Mingting gestured to him, and Housekeeper Qin brought his ear closer.


    ¡°Is that picture book you prepared before the only one?¡± Yan Mingting asked furtively.


    ¡°I only bought that one, do you want something else? Shall I buy it for you now?¡± Housekeeper Qin asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Go, ba.¡± After saying so, Yan Mingting added, ¡°Buy them all for me.¡±


    That night, after Zhao Yelan fell asleep, Yan Mingting secretively lifted the blanket and went to the study on tiptoe. Lighting a few candles, he took out a large stack of picture books and began to study them carefully.


    His eyes were red in the middle of the night. He read all the postures in these books and didn¡¯t see any man with his problem. On the contrary, he looked at the people in these books who stayed up all night until dawn and couldn¡¯t get out of bed for three days, and felt indescribably jealous in his heart! It made his eyes turn red, damn it!


    At this time, footsteps sounded outside. He frantically put away these books and stuffed them into a drawer. Before he could finish stuffing them, the door was pushed open. Zhao Yelan walked in with a candle, wearing his white underclothes.


    ¡°What are you doing here instead of sleeping at night?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m¡­¡­reading a book.¡± Yan Mingting picked up the book in his hand and quickly stuffed it into the drawer, pushing it hard, but it got stuck in the crack and couldn¡¯t be pushed further.


    ¡°You have such leisure and elegance?¡± Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t believe his nonsense. He rarely came to the study, let alone snuck around in the middle of the night. There must be something wrong. His eyes narrowed. ¡°You didn¡¯t come to steal my account book, did you?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that kind of person?¡± Yan Mingting said with a straight face.


    Zhao Yelan approached and shone a candle on his face, revealing the guilty expression. He glanced down, accidentally touched the book by his feet, and picked it up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s expression shifted, and he tried to grab it, but was a step too late.


    Zhao Yelan turned around, opened a page casually, and saw two men entwined on it.


    ¡°This is the book you want to read instead of sleeping?¡± Zhao Yelan looked at him calmly.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s face flushed. He rubbed his face and simply broke the jar since it was already cracked: ¡°Yes, yes, ah¡­¡­what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    With a ¡°snap,¡± Zhao Yelan tossed the book on the table and said: ¡°Go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting raised his head and suddenly asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you fall asleep? Why did you get up?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment.


    He had turned over in the night and subconsciously reached to the side, but found that it was empty. He woke up, picked up a candle, and started looking for a certain person until he saw a light in the study, and came over.


    As if guessing the reason, Yan Mingting suddenly smiled and took his hand, pulling him onto his lap. He buried his head in the other¡¯s neck and took a deep breath.


    Zhao Yelan had loved spices for many years, so there was always a faint scent on his body. Yan Mingting sniffed the faint fragrance and seemed to feel that it wasn¡¯t enough, so he kept sniffing until it left traces on his neck, and Zhao Yelan pushed him away gently.


    ¡°What is that against me?¡± Zhao Yelan said, lowering his head.


    ¡°What is the deal with this?¡± Yan Mingting was already extremely puzzled. Looking down, he was so invigorated when he was being intimate, but when he was about to attack, he fell so fast that he really lost his old face.


    Zhao Yelan frowned when he mentioned this matter and lost confidence, knowing that persuasion was useless. After all, a man¡¯s dignity was involved. Even if he said a thousand times that he didn¡¯t care, it was impossible for Yan Mingting to not mind at all.


    He could only divert the other party¡¯s attention. Grasping the other party¡¯s chin, he lowered his head and kissed him.


    Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, Yan Mingting was muddle-headed by this kiss and had forgotten his other troubles. He was only focused on responding and touching the other party.


    Suddenly, he noticed something poking his waist and couldn¡¯t help being taken aback, looking at Zhao Yelan with a smile. A blush dusted Zhao Yelan¡¯s face. He turned his head and put it on Yan Mingting¡¯s shoulder, saying in a low voice: ¡°Help me.¡±


    Yan Mingting helped him relieve it for a long time, and saw him huddling into his arms with a face full of satisfaction. There was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, but he was still fragrant. The blush on his face had not faded, and he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction in his heart.


    Only he could see this kind of unrivaled beauty.


    Yan Mingting was about to take a handkerchief to wipe his hands, when he heard the other party put his arms around his neck and say softly: ¡°This is very comfortable, ah.¡±


    Suddenly becoming more energetic, Yan Mingting picked him up and put him down by the window, leaning over to embrace him. After holding him tenderly for a while, he heard the sound of the cock crowing and reluctantly carried him back to the room.


    ¡°Go back to sleep, ba, I¡¯m going to court.¡±


    ¡°En¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan felt drowsy and gave a weak response, turning over to expose half his shoulders.


    Yan Mingting leaned over and took a bite, then covered him with a blanket and set off for the palace.


    His state today was obviously different than yesterday. His colleagues couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for him, seeing that he was in a much better mood. He really deserved to be a great general, ah. He worried about the common people¡¯s problems first, then shared in their joy. He was really a role model for his generation.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know that so many people were observing the changes in his expression, and soon he was a little dizzy from surprise.


    The Emperor even rewarded him with the Chisa Sword!


    Although he lacked interest in extraneous rewards, he had no resistance to swords and the like. Let alone the famous Chisa Sword, the most powerful sword in the hearts of all soldiers and the most respected Imperial weapon in the eyes of the common people and officials.


    He took the heavy sword solemnly with both hands, his face full of joy. Hearing the congratulations from his colleagues, he couldn¡¯t wait to show it to Zhao Yelan.


    After court was over, he deliberately sought out the Emperor to thank him again, but Zhao Xuan said: ¡°This is what you deserve. I hope you will continue to dedicate yourself to your duties and protect the peace of the nation, so that the trust that Zhao-qing[1] and I have placed in you is not in vain.¡±


    ¡°Zhao-qing?¡± Yan Mingting was stunned for a moment.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t you know that he begged for this sword for you?¡± Zhao Xuan was very surprised, because Zhao Yelan was never a person who did good deeds without leaving a name, ah. So he hadn¡¯t informed Yan Mingting in advance?


    Zhao Xuan looked at Yan Mingting¡¯s back as he briskly walked away. His expression gradually sank, and his heart was inexplicably sour.


    Yan Mingting hurried back to the General¡¯s Mansion, but failed to catch him. Zhao Yelan had already set off for the Imperial Academy. He turned around and went to the training grounds, and showed the Chisa Sword to his soldiers, which made He Cuizhang and the others envious.


    ¡°The Emperor is wise! Only this sword is worthy of the General!¡± He Cuizhang cautiously tried to touch the sword, but was slapped away by Yan Mingting.


    ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t break it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Those soldiers also gathered around, and each one of them seemed to be beholding a treasure, asking him whether it was the real Chisa Sword.


    ¡°How can there be a fake? The Emperor personally handed it to me!¡± Yan Mingting said proudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, ah, when can I get a sword bestowed by the Emperor?¡± He Cuizhang said enviously.


    ¡°First of all, you must have a capable wife¡­¡­you guys actually know that Zhao Yelan got this sword for me?¡± Yan Mingting faked a look of shock.


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡­..?¡± No, we didn¡¯t know.


    In the end, Zuo Ran was young and had few opportunities to be around him. She still didn¡¯t know what kind of medicine he was selling in his gourd, unlike He Cuizhang and the others, who were already numb to it. She said in surprise: ¡°What? Zhao-daren got this for you? Heavens, Zhao-daren is so capable, Zhao-daren loves the General so much!¡±


    Yan Mingting was satisfied, and even praised her for being bright.


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    As if showing off wasn¡¯t enough, he also specially wrote letters to Zhong Yuehong and his uncles who were far away at the border to inform them of this matter. After all, receiving the Chisa Sword was indeed a matter of glory.


    It would have been better if he didn¡¯t write so much about how much Zhao Yelan loved him. It made the teeth of those old uncles ache.


    After doing all this, Yan Mingting began to think again. Zhao Yelan won such a big treasure for him, so what could he do to reciprocate?


    On the other side, Zhao Yelan left at noon and went to the small liaison building, where Yin Pinglu was already waiting.


    He handed over all the ledgers to Yin Pinglu and told her what was to be done, and Yin Pinglu wrote everything down one by one.


    In addition, he planned to introduce Gu Niaoniao to her, so that it would be more convenient to do things in the future.


    ¡°Yo, why did you bring a beauty here today?¡± When Gu Niaoniao walked into the room, she saw a strange woman. When she got closer, she realized that she and the woman were wearing the same sort of clothes and sat down with displeasure. ¡°Good on you, Zhao Yelan, I thought I was the only one who had this dress, but it turns out everyone does.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t pick out women¡¯s clothes. I saw that she had a good eye, so I just bought those,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yin Pinglu blushed slightly and explained: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know that Gu-guniang would wear this dress today.¡±


    ¡°You know of me?¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren just gave me a brief introduction.¡±


    Gu Niaoniao glanced at Zhao Yelan, who introduced Yin Pinglu to her again. After listening, Gu Niaoniao was silent for a moment, and her tense expression relaxed: ¡°Magistrate Yin¡¯s daughter? Isn¡¯t your family broken up and destitute? Why are you all right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at her in surprise. After she became the madam of Hongxiu House, she became accustomed to having everything go her way, and always greeted everyone with a smile. It was rare to see her be so tit for tat.


    Yin Pinglu¡¯s reply was neither humble nor overbearing: ¡°Yes, but the mistakes were all made by my father and brothers-in-law, and had nothing to do with me. Neither my brother nor my sister were implicated. I would also like to thank Zhao-daren for his help, and for being willing to find me some work to do.¡±


    Gu Niaoniao took an unhappy sip of tea. The corners of her mouth twitched, but the smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes: ¡°Great, ah, it¡¯s great to meet a noble person, and it¡¯s good to be so knowledgeable¡­¡­you can still do these jobs openly and aboveboard.¡±


    Zhao Yelan understood, knowing that she was thinking of her past. It was difficult to comfort her. After all, this was a past that neither of them wanted to mention.


    Fortunately, Gu Niaoniao¡¯s mood came and went quickly, and she donned a smile again in the blink of an eye, speaking with them about serious matters.


    After half an hour, the conversation was almost over. Gu Niaoniao stretched her waist and said that she wanted to go back and check on the situation at the building: ¡°That nobleman came again last night. He obviously couldn¡¯t do it himself, it wasn¡¯t because our girls weren¡¯t working hard. They couldn¡¯t solve it after trying several times in one night. I wonder if he has the face to come tonight.¡±


    Yin Pinglu¡¯s face turned red upon hearing this, but Zhao Yelan blinked, picked up his teacup, and asked casually: ¡°Can¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah. He still likes to come to play with girls even when he is advanced in years, but it has long since died,¡± Gu Niaoniao said.


    ¡°Advanced in years¡­¡­what about when he was young? Was it okay then?¡±


    ¡°How would I know about when he was young?¡± Gu Niaoniao smiled and patted his shoulder as if she had heard some joke, spilling the tea in his hand.


    Zhao Yelan stabilized the teacup, maintaining his composure as he asked: ¡°Then are there any guests who can¡¯t do it when they are young?¡±


    ¡°There are, some will come to try with our girls and if they fail, they will bully them. Did you forget Qingyan? She was tossed so fiercely in other houses before, so you asked me to take her to our building.¡±


    Zhao Yelan only remembered that when he was passing by, he saw a certain brothel throwing a frail girl out. He asked Gu Niaoniao to find out what happened, and then Gu Niaoniao spent a lot of money to buy her for Hongxiu House.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it work?¡± Zhao Yelan asked with puzzlement.


    Gu Niaonaio: ¡°There are many reasons. Some are inherently bad, and others are broken later.¡±


    Zhao Yelan thought about it carefully, and felt that neither of these fit Yan Mingting¡¯s situation. He asked, ¡°Then how should it be treated?¡±


    Gu Niaoniao¡¯s eyes shifted, and she suddenly approached, inquiring: ¡°Why are you asking about this? Could it be you who can¡¯t do it?¡±


    ¡°Pfft ¡ª¡± Zhao Yelan sprayed out the tea.


    Yin Pinglu¡¯s face was already flushed, and she covered her ears.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Zhao Yelan said angrily.


    ¡°Then why are you asking these questions? It can¡¯t be the General, can it? It¡¯s impossible for him to be like that, ah.¡± Gu Niaoniao said sonorously.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to refute, and wiped the tea on the table with a guilty conscience.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not completely impossible.¡± Gu Niaoniao was certain that he couldn¡¯t do it, so she said quietly, ¡°A large number of people are too nervous and inexperienced the first time, so when they get excited, they encounter problems. There are many such cases.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. It seemed he had found the cause.


    ¡°Then what should be done?¡±


    Gu Niaoniao said with an expression of ¡®It¡¯s really you who can¡¯t do it, and you still want to quibble?¡¯: ¡°Usually at times like this, our girls will make some preparations first, then make the guests relax, tease them for a while, and let nature take its course¡­¡­but in your situation, you should first see if the General is willing to tease you, ba.¡± After she finished speaking, she laughed to herself.


    Zhao Yelan looked embarrassed but thoughtful.


    In the evening, Zhao Yelan returned home from the Imperial Academy, and when he passed by the market, he heard commotion outside. He opened the curtain and asked: ¡°What¡¯s going on ahead?¡±


    Xiao Gao raised his head and looked into the distance: ¡°It seems that someone came out of Zhao Mansion¡­¡­wait, isn¡¯t that the General?¡±


    Zhao Yelan stepped out of the sedan chair curiously and found that they had already arrived near Zhao Mansion, but there were many people around the door. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yan Mingting came out holding a box with two plaques inside.


    As he stood behind the crowd, he heard people in front say: ¡°I heard that the General is going to move the memorial tablets of Zhao Yelan¡¯s parents to the General¡¯s Mansion, so that they will enjoy the same standard of treatment as the old general and the old lady.¡±


    ¡°Ah? By the way, who are Zhao Yelan¡¯s parents?¡±


    ¡°It must be a common family, otherwise why would no one know their names?¡±


    Yan Mingting was followed by Housekeeper Qin and his servants, and beside him was an eminent monk. As soon as he walked out of the crowd, he noticed the person standing in the corner and immediately stepped forward, saying: ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes and looked at the two tablets in the box. After staying in a dark and humid place for many years, they were moldy and exuded a rotten smell, but now they had been wiped clean and held in a certain person¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to bring me to see your parents? You hadn¡¯t done so for a long time, so I asked this eminent monk to calculate the date. Today is an auspicious day for moving the memorial tablets. The next time will be next month, and I didn¡¯t want to wait so long. I want to take our parents back to the General¡¯s Mansion as soon as possible and enshrine them. I waited for you today, but you didn¡¯t come back. When I saw that the auspicious time was about to pass, I came here first on my own initiative. If you disagree and feel it is abrupt, I will take our parents back now,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Do you know who they are?¡± Zhao Yelan lowered his voice.


    They were sinful slaves, people who would never see the light of day, people who had been branded as slaves for generations.


    ¡°I know, ah, they are our parents,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    After a while, Zhao Yelan raised his head. His eyes were slightly red as he looked at him with restraint.


    Yan Mingting panicked: ¡°Are you upset? How about I go now and¡­¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Yelan opened his arms and embraced him.


    Yan Mingting heard gasps all around, then heard Zhao Yelan laugh, his voice a soft rustle: ¡°All right, let¡¯s take our parents back.¡±


    [1] The suffix -qing (Çä) was used by the Emperor to refer to his subjects. It could also be used as a term of endearment between spouses. ?

 CH 74

    The ancestral hall of the General¡¯s Mansion had been tidied up, and there were two vacant spots beside the old general¡¯s tablet. Yan Mingting solemnly placed the two tablets there.


    The two names ¡°Zhao Jian¡± and ¡°Yu Yin¡± were written on the tablets respectively, and Housekeeper Qin handed them three more incense sticks. Zhao Yelan was led through the whole process by them, first offering incense and worshiping, and then kowtowing.


    All the ancestors of the Yan family were displayed in the ancestral hall. It was a family of meritorious service, and any name picked out at will would be a respected person. Only his parents had not been in the light until now.


    After making a name for himself, he also wanted to rehabilitate his parents¡¯ reputations. However, the Marquis of Anqing¡¯s rebellion was a fact, the incident was very complicated, and it was an old story. No one would care who died in the case of the Marquis of Anqing¡¯s rebellion. Instead, everyone would know that he was born as a criminal slave.


    According to the regulations of the Xuan Dynasty, criminal slaves were not allowed to serve as officials, but could only be sent to the streets of the market, where they would be picked and purchased like objects.


    Because his parents had never confessed that they took part in the conspiracy even until death, he had stayed in prison for more than a month before being released.


    It was only that before being released, people like him would be branded with the word ¡°slave¡± on their backs. When the red-hot iron pressed against his back, he immediately fainted from the pain. When he woke up, he had been locked in a cage for people to watch, laugh at, and purchase.


    He had been looked over and rejected by many buyers. He was too immature, too thin, and he didn¡¯t look like a good hand at work. Coupled with his gloomy face and dirty body, he looked like a white-clothed ghost who would come to take their lives. No one bought him as a slave at all.


    He also saw Gu Niaoniao passing by the cage, standing with a group of girls as they were led to the brothel in front.


    Gu Niaoniao was the daughter of the nanny in the Marquis of Anching¡¯s mansion. The nanny was captured and exiled, but because of her good looks, she was forced to become a prostitute.


    The crime of treason implicated the entire family. Men were slaves for generations, and women were prostitutes for generations. This was the most terrifying criminal sentence in the world.


    Naturally, Gu Niaoniao also noticed him. They had known each other since prison, but they hardly spoke.


    Once, a prison guard slapped Gu Niaoniao, but his mother stepped forward to stop him. After his mother passed away, Gu Niaoniao had no one to protect her, so she subconsciously hid behind him without speaking to anyone, and then the two of them were beaten together. But neither of them cried, only silently gritting their teeth while being bullied.


    Life was but a trifle, and crying and fussing was useless.


    Zhao Yelan stayed in the cage for a few days, during which it rained all the time. He was shivering with cold and had nothing to eat or drink. The other criminal slaves had almost all been sold, and only a few people remained.


    He was lying motionless on a stack of hay, with only a pair of black eyes moving to remind passers-by that he was still alive.


    He was not waiting to die. Others were picking slaves, but he was also picking masters.


    Suddenly, he saw a well-dressed pampered son of a wealthy family pass by, not a few years older than him.


    He heard someone calling that man the third prince.


    It was the third prince, ah¡­¡­the unfavored and ambitious prince must hate the dog emperor very much, right?


    Zhao Yelan moved his fingers, turned his head toward the sun, and raised the corners of his mouth ¨C the opportunity had come.


    Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t pay much attention to him in the beginning, a little slave who was younger than him, but because he looked pitiful and had a strong will to survive, he brought him back to the manor as a servant. But who would have thought that from time to time, he would make surprising remarks at staff meetings. It was only then that he gradually noticed him, and gradually entrusted him with important responsibilities.


    After changing his name, Zhao Xuan asked him what he wanted to do.


    ¡°I want to be a master.¡±


    ¡°All right, if there is a day when we succeed, I will definitely let you be an official. No one will know of your origin except me.¡±


    Now, there was one more person who knew his origin, and had fulfilled his long-cherished wish.


    ¡ª He lived a splendid life as Zhao Yelan, but his parents couldn¡¯t even have an ancestral hall.


    ¡°Father, mother.¡± It was Yan Mingting¡¯s voice.


    Zhao Yelan was slightly surprised. Looking at his familiar appearance, he was both amused and moved while Yan Mingting said sincerely to the two memorial tablets: ¡°I am Yan Mingting, and now I am also Mengting¡¯s husband by law. We are living a very good life. If you hear these words, be sure to bless him with good health.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his face away. There was a sudden warmth in his heart, which stirred up his blood and almost melted the year-round snow in his eyes into water.


    He suppressed this unknown emotion. It seemed that he had been losing control of his emotions recently, his eyes growing red from time to time, which was a little embarrassing.


    ¡°Okay, my lord¡¯s parents¡¯ tablets have also been moved to the ancestral hall, so I will clean it more often and you can come to offer incense at any time in the future,¡± Housekeeper Qin said with a smile. He didn¡¯t know what sort of characters these parents were, but he just thought that the old general and his wife would not be lonely in the afterlife. Maybe the four of them could get together and play card games.


    After everything was cleaned up, Yan Mingting was about to take him to dinner, but the other party silently lit another three sticks of incense, inserted them into the old general¡¯s incense burner, and bowed with a salute: ¡°¡­¡­Father, I have been disrespectful in the past. I hope you will forgive me, and I will treat Fangli well in the future.¡± He offered incense to the old lady. ¡°Mother, the tea you grew is really delicious.¡±


    Yan Mingting listened to him talk to his father and mother, and his heart was so warm, ah, he was so happy. He didn¡¯t simply eat at home, but took that person to Huichun Tower, where he ordered a lot of dishes.


    ¡°Why have you started to waste money?¡± Zhao Yelan teased.


    ¡°What is given to you is not wasted.¡± Yan Mingting happily picked a lot of dishes for him. ¡°Try it quickly, ba, you haven¡¯t eaten here for several months.¡±


    Zhao Yelan ate a few mouthfuls and his appetite improved. After all, he was a native of Beijing, and eating local cuisine was the most appetizing.


    ¡°You eat too, ah, why are you watching me?¡±


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t even eat, just propping up his head and looking at him with a foolish smile: ¡°Mengting, you are very good.¡±


    ¡°How am I good?¡±


    Yan Mingting placed the Chisha Sword on the table. He had been carrying it for a whole day, and the whole capital knew that he had received the Imperial sword. And after his persistent showing off, everyone naturally knew that Zhao Yelan got it for him.


    But no one raised any objections. No one was more suitable than Yan Mingting as the master of the Chisa Sword. Everyone focused on congratulating him, and expressed curiosity about their relationship by the way.


    But this evening, Zhao Yelan had embraced him in public, and it would likely be known to everyone soon.


    Yan Mingting was happy just thinking about it.


    ¡°Just because of this sword?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Yan Mingting thought for a while, then said, ¡°But it¡¯s actually more than that. How can your goodness be explained clearly by one or two things?¡±


    ¡°This is clearly your love¡­¡­¡± Beauty was in the eye of the beholder.


    But Zhao Yelan stopped talking in time, and didn¡¯t have the nerve to continue.


    After eating for a while, Li Yucheng¡¯s voice sounded from downstairs, asking the waiter which room they were in.


    When Yan Mingting opened the door, Li Yucheng raised his head and immediately ran into their room, taking a few sips of tea as soon as he sat down, and saying: ¡°I just went to your place and heard that you were here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°I was summoned by the Emperor this afternoon! Heavens!¡± This was the first time that Li Yucheng had been summoned by the Emperor for an important matter. He was excited just thinking about it, and said, ¡°He officially handed over the silk and tea business between Jiangnan and the capital to me, and also conferred upon me some kind of official position as a civilian envoy. I have never heard of it, how should I do this, ah?¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°You can just handle business normally. The Emperor simply wants to make you an official, so as to frighten those merchants in Jiangnan. In this way, on the surface, the officials in court will control the trade between the two places and those people will not dare to mess around.¡±


    ¡°So it is!¡± Li Yucheng laughed and talked with him about future arrangements.


    Zhao Yelan saw that he had a lot of ideas and a wide range of methods. He was a good fellow for doing business, only he easily floated with the wind and had no real talent to learn. It was difficult for one person to maintain such a large business.


    ¡°Go and call Yin Pinglu,¡± Zhao Yelan instructed Xiao Gao.


    After a while, Yin Pinglu and Zuo Ran came together. They had been called to eat before they could have dinner.


    Only then did Zhao Yelan ask Li Yucheng to keep talking. Yin Pinglu knew that his true intentions would be revealed, so she listened carefully and even forgot to eat.


    Zhao Yelan listened to their conversation while eating, and felt a little relieved. With Yin Pinglu to manage and supervise, Li Yucheng should be more steadfast and focused. One worked on the inside while the other worked on the outside, and they matched up quite well.


    It took an hour and a half to finish the meal, and they mainly conversed about business. Towards the end, Zuo Ran was drowsy and fell asleep leaning on Yin Pinglu.


    Yin Pinglu smiled, patted her head, and continued to talk about business, but she was interrupted by Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°All right, now that we¡¯re done talking, let¡¯s go back, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at Yan Mingting, who was also fighting with his eyelids.


    ¡°Okay.¡± After Li Yucheng finished speaking, he also brought up another thing, ¡°By the way, Fu Qian is back today.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyes: ¡°What? Does their family really plan to send him to the General¡¯s Mansion as the second wife?¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately woke up: ¡°What second wife? Whoever speaks to me about a second wife, I¡¯ll lose my patience with them, even if it¡¯s you.¡±


    Li Yucheng: ¡°Tsk, tsk, you are so brave, oh. Aren¡¯t you afraid of sleeping in the study at night?¡±


    Yin Pinglu smiled silently, woke Zuo Ran up, and the two of them left first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ba, the rumors about him and Fu Qian have long been self-defeating. After he received the letter from his family in Beijing, he was so frightened that he quickly clarified that it was a rumor, and he didn¡¯t dare to have anything to do with you.¡± As Li Yucheng was speaking, he suddenly noticed that Yan Mingting had been touching the sword on the table, and said in surprise, ¡°Is this the famous Chisa Sword?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah.¡± Yan Mingting raised his chin.


    ¡°Can I touch it?¡±


    ¡°You have to ask his opinion first.¡± Yan Mingting gestured to Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Zhao Yelan also didn¡¯t understand. Since it was already his sword, why did he ask for his permission?


    ¡°Because he asked the Emperor for it as a reward for me,¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°Do you know how difficult it is to get this sword? Do you know how hard he has worked?¡±


    Li Yucheng: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t touch, I won¡¯t touch! This unmarried person can¡¯t bear such grievance!¡± Li Yucheng ran away angrily.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished talking yet,¡± Yan Mingting called, then turned to look at Zhao Yelan.


    Zhao Yelan pressed his forehead, but the corners of his mouth were curled up: ¡°Let¡¯s go, we should go back.¡±


    There was still work to be done.


    The mansion had already prepared hot water. Ever since Zhao Yelan moved into the General¡¯s Mansion, these servants had become accustomed to his lifestyle and would boil hot water every night, waiting for their master to take a bath.


    After mixing the water, Yan Mingting was about to go out, but Zhao Yelan grabbed his wrist: ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going out, ah.¡± Due to force of habit, every time the other party took a bath in the past, he would be driven out.


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t allow him to go: ¡°Wash my back.¡±


    ¡°Okay, ah.¡± A gleam of light flashed in Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes. Perhaps it was because he knew of the secret on his back that he invited him so generously.


    Yan Mingting looked down at his fingertips. There were many calluses, and he was afraid they would scratch the other¡¯s skin, so he washed his hands first and specially used soap.


    After washing, he sniffed it. It was fragrant, like sweet-scented osmanthus.


    He picked up a clean handkerchief, walked behind the screen, and was stunned at the sight before him.


    Zhao Yelan stood beside the bathtub with his back facing him. His clothes were draped over the screen, and his inner layer was halfway off, exposing his smooth, firm back. His shoulder bones protruded slightly, like a butterfly about to take flight.


    Hearing movement, Zhao Yelan turned his head to glance at him, and then took his shirt off casually. He knew that Yan Mingting was looking at his back and the brand mark. He could even feel a bit of distress in the other party¡¯s fiery gaze.


    Taking a deep breath, he removed his trousers. Then he raised his hand to take off the jade crown, and the black hair poured down like a waterfall, hanging softly down his back to cover the brand mark that was neither deep nor shallow.


    As exquisite as he was, he also felt a little worried at this time, wishing his body could be as smooth as satin, without any wounds or scars. But when he turned around, he saw the heat in Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes that was hotter than the hot water in the tub, to the point where it could burn someone if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    The last time they faced each other so frankly was at night. Yan Mingting hadn¡¯t had time to take a closer look at his body, but now when he saw it for the first time, his heart beat fast. Then he watched Zhao Yelan step into the water. His hair floated on the water, but his body was glowing white under the surface.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll start to wash, ah.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s throat was itchy as he announced this shakily, and then he wiped his back with the handkerchief.


    After a while, Zhao Yelan said: ¡°You rubbed it into my ear.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yan Mingting quickly withdrew his hand, not daring to have fantastical thoughts, but heard him say:


    ¡°You haven¡¯t washed yet, ba, do you want to come in and wash together?¡±


    Could this be refused?


    Overjoyed, Yan Mingting quickly stripped off his clothes and entered the bathtub in two or three movements. The water level immediately rose and rushed out.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan turned his head to watch the water rushing out. At least a third was missing, and when he glanced back at the other party, he was smiling like a silly dog and stepping on his foot.


    Zhao Yelan stepped on him back.


    The two stepped on each other silently for a while before Zhao Yelan said: ¡°Childish.¡±


    ¡°Yet you¡¯re still playing with me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan scoffed lightly and turned his head away from him. At this time, he heard the sound of water as Yan Mingting approached him, but he didn¡¯t move.


    Then the other party came over and kissed his cheek. Zhao Yelan turned his head sideways, and when the other was about to touch his lips, he moved back as if nothing had happened.


    Yan Mingting watched his mouth retreat and couldn¡¯t wait to kiss him. He grabbed the rim of the tub with one hand and imprisoned him in his other arm, very tough and domineering, not giving him a chance to escape at all.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched imperceptibly and he responded: ¡°Come in?¡±


    Of course Yan Mingting wanted to come in, but he was afraid of failure. It would be too embarrassing for his wife, and he would never be able to look at anyone again in this life.


    Seeing that he was silent, Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t ask any further questions, but simply put his arms around the other¡¯s neck and kissed his lips, neck, and ears back and forth. He deliberately elevated the sound of his breathing, deep and shallow, puffing hot air until Yan Mingting¡¯s soul departed from him.


    Yan Mingting wanted to endure, but couldn¡¯t help himself, and was so uncomfortable that he was about to explode. He picked the other party up, and the water splashed around.


    Zhao Yelan said, ¡°Go to the bed and wait for me first, I¡¯ll put on some clothes.¡±


    ¡° ? ¡± What clothes should be worn at this time?


    Yan Mingting still did as he was told. After drying himself off, he hurried to sit on the bed, then lowered his head and muttered internally: You can do it, ah!!


    After a short time, Zhao Yelan came out from behind the screen, casually wearing an undershirt. Yan Mingting¡¯s throat rolled, and he stretched out his hand to pull him in, but was pushed back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Zhao Yelan sat on him, pretending to be calm, and leaned over to kiss him. After feeling that he had begun to relax, a suspicious blush appeared on his face and he whispered confidentially, ¡°I just made some preparations.¡±


    As Yan Mingting wondered about this, he was suddenly taken into the Peach Blossom Spring.


    He looked at the owner of this hot and humid land in disbelief. The other party frowned tightly, as if he had encountered a winding and difficult road. He was a little lost, and his forehead was sweating a bit, but he still insisted on leading the way.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s heart was in a mess. He sat up and embraced the other, feeling his eyes grow a little hot: ¡°Mengting, Mengting, why are you so good? I love you so much, what should I give you in return?¡±


    Because he sat up suddenly, Zhao Yelan was caught off guard and walked to the end of the path. He let out a muffled grunt, and heard him repeat this again after a while. He replied uncomfortably: ¡°Why don¡¯t¡­¡­you move, ba.¡±


    Yan Mingting obediently moved a little, and hearing the other¡¯s uncontrolled voice, he seemed to have found pleasure.


    The lowered curtains swayed until the middle of the night.


    Zhao Yelan was exhausted, and felt a little regretful. He had helped Yan Mingting solve the cause of his ailment, but felt that he was going to be ill himself. Yan Mingting seemed to realize that his problem had healed, and was eager to show off his abilities. He was as energetic as a dog and never stopped.


    Zhao Yelan pushed him away, angry and annoyed: ¡°That¡¯s enough, go to sleep!¡±


    Yan Mingting reluctantly got up and opened the door. Then he knocked on Housekeeper Qin¡¯s door and looked at him hesitantly.


    Housekeeper Qin looked up at his expression, then at the moon, guessing the time, and suddenly understood: ¡°I see, hot water!¡±


    Yan Mingting gave a thumbs up.


    A drowsy Zhao Yelan was carried by him to the bath again. He felt sleepy as soon as his head touched the pillow, but he kept hearing Yan Mingting whispering in his ear.


    ¡°Mengting, are you asleep? I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°Mengting, I¡¯m so happy, extremely happy.¡±


    ¡°I want to do it again right now.¡±


    ¡°Mengting, why are you so beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Mengting, Mengting, wake up and take a look at me, I¡¯m swollen again¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Mengting, I am pleased with you and admire you, what about you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan also forgot whether he answered his questions or not. He probably did. Who could refuse such an annoying whisper?


    He only remembered that when he weakly opened his eyes, the other party couldn¡¯t wait to pull him in and rock together until dawn.


    The bath was wasted again.

 CH 75

    Zhao Yelan dreamed about a very inconspicuous incident.


    When he was fifteen years old, he had already demonstrated his talents in front of outsiders. Several other princes knew of his existence and sent people to win him over.


    One of the dirtiest methods was seduction. He was taken to a tea house, but when the door was closed, a few wisps of incense smoke were lit in the room and several young women wrapped in tulle came out to flirt with him and touch his face.


    This was the most vigorous age, where many people experienced the taste of love, but he was indifferent.


    He was thinking internally, who sent these women, and how would they treat him if he was drawn over? If those people were killed, could he escape unscathed?


    The beauties tried their best to seduce him, but found that not only did he not respond physically, but his face became more and more gloomy. They couldn¡¯t help feeling a little frightened, and retreated to the side.


    In the end, Zhao Xuan arrived in time and took him back. He couldn¡¯t help but joke: ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? There was really no reaction at all?¡±


    What response could be given?


    The way Zhao Yelan looked at them was like looking at the fish on the chopping board or an aspect of business, nothing unusual.


    But seeing Zhao Xuan¡¯s surprised face, it seemed that this was an abnormal response, so he said lightly: ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t like women, ba.¡±


    Don¡¯t like women?


    Zhao Xuan gave him a strange look: ¡°Then you like men?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t answer, because how could he tell Zhao Xuan about something he didn¡¯t even know himself?


    He just thought that the most idiotic behavior was to put all of his thoughts on another person.


    He wanted many things, but that did not include women.


    It was hard for him to believe that he would give up those things for someone, let alone show all of himself to another.


    He lived pitifully but proudly, never letting others see his deepest scars.


    Half asleep and half awake, he felt warmth against his back. Yan Mingting was kissing his brand again. He seemed to love kissing that place very much, half in pity and half in affection. It was warm and ticklish. Zhao Yelan kept his eyes closed, moved a couple of times, and then was embraced from behind.


    His eyes remained closed as he felt Yan Mingting¡¯s heartbeat. It was very fast, very powerful, and the lively strength and temperature were continuously transmitted to him.


    Thinking of that dream, the corners of his mouth relaxed, then turned up slightly.


    It could be seen that as one grew older, one¡¯s ideas would also change. He not only put his thoughts on another person, but he also accepted the other person wholeheartedly, showing all of his scars.


    This was a very miraculous thing for him. After some thought, it would be impossible for him to face another person like this again. Yan Mingting was the only one.


    When he woke up completely, the bedside was empty. Sitting up on the edge of the bed, he took a while to lift the blanket. He had just taken two steps away from the bed when his expression changed. Looking down at his shaking legs, his eyes darkened.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s figure appeared at the door of the room, and he entered in high spirits with a bowl of porridge and some steamed buns. ¡°Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?¡±


    Zhao Yelan propped one hand on the table next to him while staring at him.


    Yan Mingting set down the food and walked up to him, touched his forehead, and carried him back to bed without a word: ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re not sick.¡±


    ¡°What act are you performing for me now?¡± Zhao Yelan scolded him.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Yan Mingting crouched by the bed, admitting his mistake very sincerely. If only he was so obedient when he called for him to stop several times last night.


    The more Zhao Yelan thought about it, the angrier he became, and he kicked his shoulder: ¡°Get out, I don¡¯t want to see you.¡±


    Yan Mingting brought the food in front of him with a smile: ¡°Don¡¯t be so angry, eat something first, ba. This is the porridge I bought at Huichun Tower, and the buns I made myself!¡±


    Zhao Yelan was indeed hungry. He drank a few mouthfuls of porridge before picking up an unfortunate-looking steamed bun, and took a bite while Yan Mingting looked on eagerly.


    ¡°How is it? Did I succeed this time?¡± Yan Mingting widened his eyes and looked at him anxiously.


    Zhao Yelan took two bites and asked: ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Youshi.¡±[1]


    Zhao Yelan was slightly surprised, and looked outside in amazement. The sky was dark. He had really slept until this hour?


    But after tossing around all night, he vaguely remembered hearing the crow of a rooster. As for Yan Mingting¡­¡­


    ¡°When did you sleep?¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s face flushed slightly, remembering that he had failed to fall asleep several times last night while looking at that limp sleeping person. He still couldn¡¯t hide his enthusiasm, and after a while, he fell asleep when the sky was slightly bright.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep all night, did you?¡± Zhao Yelan took a look at his face and ventured a guess. After some surprise, he felt sorry for himself.


    How miserable, ah, he was not even let go when he fell asleep, damned smelly man!


    ¡°You¡­..don¡¯t change the subject, I asked if it tastes good.¡± Yan Mingting pointed at the steamed bun.


    ¡°It¡¯s unpalatable,¡± Zhao Yelan said truthfully.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s smile froze: ¡°Then stop eating, I¡¯ll go have the kitchen cook some of your favorite food, it will be ready soon!¡± After speaking, he ran out in a hurry.


    After a while, Xiao Gao came in to help him clean up the room.


    Xiao Gao blushed inexplicably. He snuck a few glances and turned his face away, not knowing what to say: ¡°M-m-m-m-my Lord, would you like to change your clothes?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan was still eating the buns. He didn¡¯t really want to get up, mainly because he was exhausted. Seeing his furtive looks, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Xiao Gao faltered: ¡°Old Man Qin t-told me¡­¡­My Lord, that you were in the bridal chamber with the General.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was silent.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys already have a bridal chamber?¡± Xiao Gao didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a bridal chamber wedding night when you got married?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t know how to explain it to him, so he simply didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I heard you cry last night,¡± Xia Gao said pitifully.


    Zhao Yelan gave a sudden pause and looked at him with embarrassment. Was this kid¡¯s hearing so good? Or¡­..was his voice too loud?¡±


    ¡°I thought the General was bullying you. I was going to help you, but I was dragged away by Old Man Qin. He said that you were in the bridal chamber, and made me go far away¡­..¡± Xiao Gao twisted his fingers, his face flushed, and he asked in a whisper, ¡°Is it the bridal chamber I¡¯m thinking of? The kind to make a baby?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing him about to ask more, Zhao Yelan said, ¡°It¡¯s just that we can¡¯t have children.¡±


    ¡°Ai, that¡¯s a pity, ah.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a pity, I don¡¯t want children.¡±


    If he had wanted a child, he would have married a woman long ago. For him, a relationship without any burdens was most suitable.


    One weakness was enough. He couldn¡¯t have too many.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Xiao Gao breathed a sigh of relief and smiled again. ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy, My Lord.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan lowered his head and ate a mouthful of the stuffed steamed bun, and a smile appeared on his lips unconsciously.


    Xiao Gao saw the bun and took two steps closer, saying with a smile: ¡°The General has been making buns in the kitchen for most of the day.¡±


    ¡°Most of the day?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the General got up at noon and had a meal, then went to the kitchen. After putting the buns in the pot, he ran to the room to watch over you, and then went back to the kitchen to try them out. He kept running back and forth like this, but the buns failed four times.¡± After saying this, Xiao Gao laughed. ¡°We were all in the kitchen watching him knead dough and stuffing. It was fun, the General is so nice!¡±


    Yan Mingting carried in the food made by the cook, but found that Zhao Yelan had already finished eating the four buns. He said in surprise: ¡°How did you eat so much? Weren¡¯t they unappetizing?¡±


    ¡°I was just hungry,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Then what about these?¡±


    ¡°Eat it yourself, ba.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yan Mingting ate in the room, feeding him a couple of mouthfuls from time to time, as if he was afraid he might not be full after a few buns.


    As night fell, the sweet-scented osmanthus in the courtyard had already bloomed. Zhao Yelan had been laying down all day, and wanted to exercise his muscles and bones.


    Yan Mingting had learned this about him. In the past, if he was sick, he would always lie down and never sit.


    He felt a little uncomfortable when he walked a few steps, but he got used to it. Yan Mingting held his hand tightly and walked with him.


    Seeing their backs as the two of them leaned on each other, Housekeeper Qin couldn¡¯t help but cry. It¡¯s not easy, ah, it¡¯s not easy!


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go to court today?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°En, of course I took leave to stay with you in the mansion,¡± Yan Mingting said stridently. ¡°Anway, there was nothing serious going on there. It¡¯s boring to just listen to them quarreling all day long.¡±


    ¡°The Imperial Academy¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I had Xiao Gao ask for leave for you, the Imperial Academy is more idle than the Imperial court!¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled, then remembered another matter and said: ¡°By the way, did you bring the gift for Kan Chuan¡¯s child?¡±


    ¡°I gave it at court yesterday, don¡¯t worry. He also said that he wants you to be the child¡¯s godfather,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°En, he mentioned it to me before, but I didn¡¯t agree at the time.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you agree?¡± Yan Mingting asked curiously. ¡°I heard it¡¯s a big fat fair-skinned girl, she should be very good.¡±


    ¡°Do you like children?¡± Zhao Yelan looked sideways at him.


    ¡°I like them, ah, children are the cutest,¡± Yan Mingting said with a sentimental tone. ¡°They are the most carefree, their eyes are very pure, and people just like to see them.¡±


    After walking for a while, he found that Zhao Yelan had been silent the whole time, so he asked: ¡°Why are you thinking so seriously?¡±


    ¡°Do you want children?¡± Zhao Yelan suddenly stopped and looked up at him.


    Yan Mingting was stunned for a moment, then touched his stomach and frowned: ¡°You can¡¯t give birth, can you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°If you want children, you can find a woman to have a few.¡±


    Yan Mingting looked at him, calm and unruffled: ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I will set fire to the General¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    It was fortunate that Housekeeper Qin wasn¡¯t here, otherwise he would be so frightened that he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at night. But Yan Mingting laughed out loud: ¡°You scared me to death, I thought you were going to wrong yourself and let me take a concubine openly.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled and squeezed his hand: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ba. I like children when they are other people¡¯s children, they don¡¯t disturb me with noise. If I wanted to have children of my own, I would have already had a litter.¡±


    Speaking of this, Zhao Yelan was also a little curious. Clearly, Yan Mingting had a good family background and good looks, so why did he never marry a wife and take concubines?


    It couldn¡¯t really be because of the evil star rumors. Yan Mingting himself certainly didn¡¯t care, otherwise why would he come to mess around with him?


    ¡°You never thought of getting married before?¡±


    ¡°I used to focus solely on the war, and I didn¡¯t expect to have a family at all. The military camp was full of big men, and there were so few girls, so where could I find someone I liked? There were actually two marriage contracts, but they were both dispensable at the time, and the most important thing was to win the battle.¡±


    ¡°What about concubines? Didn¡¯t your parents prepare any for you?¡±


    When the children of noble families came of age, many parents would prepare a few maids or concubines for them, and let them learn the art of intercourse.


    ¡°That was even less possible. My father never took a concubine in his life, so why would he make me take a concubine?¡± Yan Mingting said, ¡°My father once told me, our heads are strapped to our belts.[2] If we don¡¯t keep them straight, our heads will disappear one day. So even if you want to get married, try to harm each other as little as possible.¡±


    ¡°Your father is right,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°What ¡®your father,¡¯ how impolite,¡± Yan Mingting said with a straight face. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®our father.¡¯¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled slightly. Yan Mingting¡¯s heart itched at the sight, and he lowered his head and kissed him.


    Servants passed by from time to time. Zhao Yelan reached out to push him, but the other party was too strong. Not only did he not move at all, but he also found it fun, and insisted on kissing him unceasingly.


    ¡°Stop, stop, I suddenly have an idea,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°What idea?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see Kan Chuan¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late, they¡¯re probably not asleep yet,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Since you want me to be a godfather, I have to take a look first. Not just anyone can fall into my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Then it seems I am really extraordinary!¡± Yan Mingting said happily.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Careless.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go straight there?¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s disguise ourselves. I can¡¯t go to him openly.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes lit up and he whispered something in his ear. Yan Mingting was quite helpless.


    ¡°Looking at the child is a sham, I think you obviously want to play.¡±


    People came and went on the street, but nobody noticed the two black shadows on the roofs, jumping to another place in an instant.


    Yan Mingting led him, avoiding the eyes of the Imperial army as they flew all the way over the eaves and walls. Zhao Yelan was no longer as panicked as he was the first time, and was now able to find fun in it. Knowing that with Yan Mingting there it was impossible to be discovered, he still patrolled the surroundings like a thief.


    Kan Chuan was teasing the child with his wife when he heard a knock on the door and asked: ¡°Who is it?¡±


    No one answered. He walked to the door vigilantly, and after opening it, he was taken aback by the two men in black before him. He was about to call out when the tall figure covered his mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call out, it¡¯s us.¡± The person next to him tore off the black face scarf and smiled at him.


    ¡°Zhao-daren?¡± Kan Chuan looked at him in surprise, and then at the person covering his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Yan Mingting retracted his hand and also pulled off his black cloth.


    ¡°Why are you dressed like this?¡± Kan Chuan couldn¡¯t figure it out. They were a general and a fourth-rank official of the Imperial Academy, yet they were sneaking around like thieves in the middle of the night. What were they doing?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and talk first, is it convenient?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s convenient, come in quickly.¡± Kan Chuan welcomed them in. ¡°Li-niang, Zhao-daren and the General are here, go and pour them a cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, why are you here?¡± Li-niang walked over, overjoyed at the turn of events, and was about to make tea when Zhao Yelan stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, we¡¯re just passing by to see your child, and we¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡±


    Just passing by? Daring to ask if you are the one who excitedly picked out these night clothes?


    After Yan Mingting finished slandering him, he felt it was amusing and smiled.


    Kan Chuan naturally didn¡¯t believe that they were just passing by while wearing night clothes, but he prudently didn¡¯t ask, and led them to the bed with a smile: ¡°The baby was crying for a while, and we managed to get her to be quiet for now.¡±


    The two approached the bed and took a look. The child was lying on a soft blanket, with a chubby face and two big, round eyes. She kicked the air with her hands and feet, as if she had a sense that strangers were coming, and looked at them calmly.


    Amused, Yan Mingting stretched out his hand in front of her, wanting to see how big her face was, but she was frightened to tears.


    Yan Mingting was startled and immediately withdrew his hand, looking at Kan Chuan and his wife in embarrassment.


    The couple smiled and encouraged them: ¡°It¡¯s all right, she just loves to cry. If anyone gets close, she will cry for a while. We really can¡¯t do anything about her.¡±


    The child continued to cry, and the couple seemed to have no intention of stepping forward to help. Yan Mingting tugged on Zhao Yelan¡¯s sleeve and asked for assistance: ¡°You try?¡±


    ¡°How can I try?¡± Zhao Yelan muttered. Helpless, he could only pat the child¡¯s stomach and say in a low voice, ¡°No, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry¡­..¡±


    Seeing him bluntly coaxing her, the other three could only try to hold back their laughter.


    Unexpectedly, the child¡¯s cries actually grew quieter. Zhao Yelan looked back at them doubtfully.


    Kan Chuan was astonished: ¡°What is this? She doesn¡¯t treat me like this.¡±


    ¡°Maybe your daughter likes good-looking people.¡± Yan Mingting said obnoxiously. ¡°That¡¯s right, she has the same discerning eyes as me.¡±


    Kan Chuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan also felt that it was novel. He stared blankly at this little life he had never met before. At this time, his index finger was caught by a soft little claw. The baby suddenly grinned, and a moment later there was a giggle.


    Kan Chuan was really jealous now.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s gaze softened slightly. Seeing his appearance, Yan Mingting also started to get jealous.


    After a while, Kan Chuan brought up the old matter again: ¡°My lord, she seems to like you very much, why don¡¯t you give me face and be her godfather?¡±


    Zhao Yelan had originally just wanted to take a look, but didn¡¯t expect it to be quite the match. He stood up and touched his body, but found that he had changed into night clothes and hadn¡¯t brought anything else with him at all.


    Yan Mingting took out a jade pendant and handed it to him. Zhao Yelan looked over in surprise, and Yan Mingting said: ¡°I guessed you would recognize her as your goddaughter, and prepared everything for you. This was left behind by my mother, and is suitable for girls. In any case, the two of us don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too precious, we can¡¯t take it,¡± Kan Chuan said. ¡°I asked Zhao-daren to be the godfather not out of greed for your money. Besides, Zhao-daren has already given a gift.¡±


    ¡°The two things should be treated differently, that was a gift for you as a colleague. This is what Yan Mingting and I are giving to the child, not to you.¡± Zhao Yelan took the jade pendant and placed it on the child¡¯s blanket. He couldn¡¯t help pinching her face again, with a smile on his face.


    In the end, it was Li-niang who took Kan Chuan¡¯s hand and thanked him with a smile: ¡°Many thanks, Zhao-daren. Then we will accept it, and hope she can grow up quickly.¡±


    The two of them played with the child for a while before finally departing.


    After returning to the General¡¯s Mansion furtively, Zhao Yelan took off his night clothes and lay in bed, thinking about tonight¡¯s events. He suddenly said with a smile: ¡°You¡¯re right. Children are indeed the most innocent. They will show kindness to everyone they see.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Seeing that he was still reminiscing over meeting the child, Yan Mingting turned over and lowered his head to kiss him. ¡°Actually, I am also very innocent, you can think about me if you have nothing to do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re innocent?¡± Zhao Yelan asked angrily, ¡°Will an innocent person backtalk me like this?¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled and worked hard, tossing and turning like waves.


    Zhao Yelan suddenly realized a problem. He had slept all during the day, and now he was tossed around like this and would definitely not be able to wake up tomorrow.


    This was a vicious circle, ah, he still wanted to go to the Imperial Academy to copy books.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Zhao Yelan said, out of breath.


    Yan Mingting was taken aback: ¡°Tingting? Okay, Tingting. Tingting¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan listened to him say he would stop for a long time, but the other didn¡¯t intend to pause at all, and he couldn¡¯t help but scratch up his back uncontrollably.


    ¡ª Then why don¡¯t you stop, ah!


    [1] Youshi (ÓÏʱ) = 5-7pm. ?


    [2] To have one¡¯s head strapped to their belt (ÄÔ´üÒ´ÔÚ¿ãÑü´øÉÏ), is to do things at the risk of one¡¯s death. ?

 CH 76

    A new incident occurred in court the next day, which threw everyone¡¯s minds off, and they couldn¡¯t concentrate on court business.


    Because the people in front noticed the red marks on Yan Mingting¡¯s neck, they were so shocked that their white hair almost stood on end. They couldn¡¯t help whispering to the people behind, and once the word spread, all the civil and military officials stared at the marks one after another. Although the people in the rear couldn¡¯t see clearly, they still felt strange.


    General Yan did not come to court for the first time yesterday, and today he bore traces of romance. What happened was self-evident.


    It was only that everyone was guessing who he had an affair with.


    A woman? Not quite, Zhao Yelan definitely wouldn¡¯t allow a woman to enter.


    Then it could only be Zhao Yelan.


    It was said that the two hugged on the street in public a few days ago. It was really indecent, ah, just indecent.


    But no one dared to impeach him.


    Zhao Yelan had done many important things recently. Not only had he become a popular person in the eyes of the Emperor, but he had also been praised by the common people and could not be offended.


    Yan Mingting had just received the Imperial Sword, they couldn¡¯t afford to provoke someone who could decapitate them first and ask for permission later.


    What else could they do but persuade them to restrain themselves!


    After court was over, several old officials couldn¡¯t help but remind Yan Mingting in low voices: ¡°General Yan, this is court, after all. What happens between you and Zhao Yelan¡­..¡±


    ¡°Ah? Even you all know?¡± Pleasantly surprised, Yan Mingting said, ¡°Yes, we are together.¡±


    Everyone: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Didn¡¯t you guys get together a long time ago?


    ¡°Cough.¡± The leader donned a wise expression and urged, ¡°General Yan and Zhao-daren still need to pay more attention to their bodies.¡±


    ¡°My body is in good health, ah,¡± Yan Mingting said. ¡°But his body really needs to be nourished more. By the way, do you have any good medicine for strengthening the body that you can recommend? He¡¯s been so well-behaved recently, and obediently takes medicine when he¡¯s told to take it.¡±


    Everyone was silent, because it was truly difficult for them to imagine Zhao Yelan being so obedient. Even Kan Chuan, who was eavesdropping on the sidelines, fell into confusion and wanted to see such a thing if he had the opportunity.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been staring at Yan Mingting all morning. What are they looking at?¡± Zhao Xuan asked Eunuch Gao casually as he walked toward Xuanzheng Hall.


    There was some distance between the golden throne and the main hall, and it was still dark, so he couldn¡¯t see clearly what had happened. Standing to one side, Eunuch Gao happened to witness the mark on the left side of Yan Mingting¡¯s neck, so he told him about it.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhao Xuan stopped abruptly and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Did you see that right?¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be wrong.¡± After Eunuch Gao spoke, he carefully observed the changes in the other¡¯s expression, and finally gave an internal sigh.


    The condition of Zhao Yelan¡¯s neck was even worse than Yan Mingting¡¯s. Yan Mingting was like a dog, biting all over his body and leaving mottled and ambiguous marks, even on his neck.


    However, when he got up in the morning to tie his hair, he noticed it and took a box of ointment to apply it around.


    Yin Pinglu had provided this ointment a few days ago. She said that she had bought more boxes in Jiangnan, so she insisted on giving him one. At that time, he had felt that it was unnecessary, but now that he thought about it, he feared that she had foreseen today¡¯s situation and specially prepared it for him.


    After arriving at the Imperial Academy, no one noticed the hidden marks on his neck at all, and they all dragged him in a lively manner to discuss serious business.


    An hour later, another person came from the palace. Zhao Yelan and another colleague entered the palace to draft an Imperial edict.


    It was nearly late autumn, and the autumn hunt would be held soon. It was also necessary to send letters to vassal lords and allies all over the country to prepare for their trips to Beijing in the winter to report on their duties and participate in state banquets and other matters.


    After staying in the Imperial Academy for so long, Zhao Yelan was already familiar with these official documents. He and his colleagues sat together with brushes to write, and occasionally exchanged words.


    The only strange thing was that his neck always felt a chill as Zhao Xuan stared at it from time to time.


    After dealing with everything in the palace, the two were about to leave, but Zhao Xuan called his name hesitantly.


    Zhao Yelan looked at him suspiciously, but Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t say anything, only gesturing for them to step down.


    It wasn¡¯t until he returned home and saw Yan Mingting that he guessed what had happened. He pressed Yan Mingting¡¯s neck and asked: ¡°Did you go to court looking like this?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Yan Mingting looked into the mirror. ¡°Aiya, when did you bite me?¡±


    He turned around to blame him? Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t even bother to speak to him, that rascal.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, I went to many places today,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°What sorts of places?¡±


    ¡°You know I go to the training grounds every day.¡±


    En, there were thousands of soldiers on the training field¡­..well, anyway, those people already knew about them, and Zhao Yelan could reluctantly accept it.


    ¡°I also went to the covert guard barracks to ask the commander about the defense situation.¡±


    En, there were not too many covert guards, and they kept their mouths shut, so nothing major would happen.


    ¡°In the afternoon, I went to the vegetable market.¡±


    This was unbearable. Zhao Yelan slapped the table: ¡°What were you doing in the vegetable market?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to eat delicacies? The cook said that the usual shopkeeper was out of stock, so I ordered some specially.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him silently.


    ¡°Then I walked around the market, bought some wine at Huichun Tower, and won some silver at the casino¡­..¡±


    ¡°You went to the brothel.¡±


    ¡°I passed by, but I didn¡¯t go in. I was very careful, okay?¡± Yan Mingting said confidently, patting his chest.


    ¡°I think you did it on purpose!¡± Zhao Yelan grabbed his neck. ¡°How do you expect me to go out and face people? Today, neither of us can continue living!¡±


    Housekeeper Qin heard the commotion and went to the door to see that Zhao Yelan had strangled the General until his face turned red. He was about to go in and stop him, but was carried away by Xiao Gao.


    ¡°Let me down, my lord is about to strangle the General to death!¡±


    Xiao Gao was calm: ¡°The General won¡¯t die so easily.¡±


    For several days in a row, Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t dare to go out onto the street. There were sedan chairs to take him to the Imperial Academy, and he never went to crowded places.


    But the rumors outside didn¡¯t subside at all, because Gu Niaoniao continued to send him news in a very hateful manner ¡ª


    ¡°On the streets today, I heard someone discussing the matter between you and General Yan, saying that you are quite capable.¡±


    ¡°The gambling house is betting on what time you went to the bridal chamber.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t stepped out of the gate, are you feeling shy? Ah? Little daughter-in-law Zhao?¡±


    Zhao Yelan tore up the letter furiously: ¡°Come, I want to go to the street!¡±


    Yan Mingting was practicing with his sword in the courtyard. When he heard that he was about to go out, he shamelessly followed him and abducted him to the door of the pharmacy when he wasn¡¯t paying attention: ¡°The Minister of the Ministry of War recommended a kind of medicinal material to me, saying that it was very nourishing for the body. Shall I buy some for you to try?¡±


    ¡°If you want to eat it, you can eat it yourself.¡± Zhao Yelan shot him a sideways glance, then turned and left.


    Yan Mingting stopped in front of him again, tugging at his sleeve and begging: ¡°Just buy a little, okay?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t take it.¡±


    ¡°Let me taste the bitterness for you first, how about we go buy some candied fruit later?¡±


    Seeing him thinking seriously, Yan Mingting tugged on his sleeve while the iron was hot: ¡°Let¡¯s get some, ba, if it¡¯s useless, we¡¯ll just throw it away.¡±


    At this time, Yan Mingting caught a glimpse of a nearby figure from the corner of his eye and froze abruptly.


    There were too many people around, so Kan Chuan didn¡¯t come forward to say hello. He gave him a slight nod and walked into the pharmacy, but when he passed by them, he couldn¡¯t help but press his fist against his lips, and the corners of his mouth were raised high ¡ª


    It turned out that this was what General Yan meant about being so obedient, ah.


    He really couldn¡¯t see any obedience at all.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s face was damaged, and he desperately wanted to flee. But after walking a few steps, he remembered that he hadn¡¯t bought any medicine yet, so he turned around and ran into the pharmacy, quickly bought a big bag, and rushed out in embarrassment without even looking at Kan Chuan. He took Zhao Yelan¡¯s hand and left quickly.


    The temperature in autumn changed rapidly. Although the sun was still high at noon, it was necessary to add layers at night to protect against the chilly autumn wind.


    Not only did Zhao Yelan add a middle layer, but he also put on a cloak. The collar was fluffy, and Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t put it down. He played with it distractedly until his face was grasped.


    Zhao Yelan was so annoyed that he kicked him out into the courtyard.


    Yan Mingting practiced swordplay there, drinking alone under the moonlight. His body was full of vitality, and he moved like the wind.


    Zhao Yelan watched for a while and saw that he was still wearing thin clothes, but didn¡¯t feel cold at all. He was a little envious and took off his cloak, walking forward to say: ¡°Teach me, ba.¡±


    ¡°You want to learn the sword?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded. It was fine to learn swordsmanship or knives, as long as he could protect himself with his own strength.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yan Mingting put away his sword and walked up to him. ¡°Run three laps first, and then do horse stance for half an hour.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Haste makes waste. You can¡¯t even stand on your legs, but you want to fly?¡±


    After a long period of mental preparation, Zhao Yelan finally decided to follow his arrangement of running three laps per day, and strode forward.


    It was difficult at first, and took a lot of effort to go around. He wanted to give up several times, but fortunately, Yan Mingting kept talking to him at his side the whole time. He didn¡¯t need to answer, and his attention was diverted. This was still not enough. Yan Mingting also called all the servants in the mansion to run with him. Every time one fell behind, he praised Zhao Yelan for another victory.


    Later, the servants refused to admit defeat and began to run desperately. Zhao Yelan¡¯s desire to win was also aroused. He refused to fall behind and could only grit his teeth and persevere.


    After several days, he was finally able to run three laps, and his horse stance was more up to standard.


    That night, Zhao Yelan was just about to run when Yan Mingting called him out. He walked to the gate and saw that Yan Mingting was leading two horses, smiling at him: ¡°Is it time to try horseback riding?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was eager to try, but he had never been on a horse alone and was a little worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t you still have me by your side?¡±


    Yan Mingting himself rode a sweat-blood horse,[1] but had him ride a snow-white horse.


    Zhao Yelan tried a few times before finally mounting the horse, and asked: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me the sweat-blood horse?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to control it, but this horse is very suitable for you.¡± Yan Mingting smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s pretty and conspicuous, and you can be spotted at a glance at night.¡±


    Zhao Yelan just gave up and rode his horse leisurely, following him to the training grounds.


    There was no one at the training grounds, just the two of them in the huge space. While leading his horse, Yan Mingting patiently explained to him how to steer, and then let him go by himself.


    He walked very slowly at first. The horse was not obedient and kept running to other places, and every time he was frightened, he hurriedly called Yan Mingting. Yan Mingting always showed up at the critical moment to bring the horse back to the right path and keep him safe and sound.


    Gradually, he came to realize that with Yan Mingting around, he wouldn¡¯t be injured, so he simply let go.


    Half an hour later, he was finally able to run on horseback, and shouted excitedly: ¡°Yan Mingting, Yan Mingting, look quickly!¡±


    He turned his head to look to the side. Yan Mingting was smiling silently at him, and he also smiled.


    After returning, Zhao Yelan was still a little unfulfilled and made an appointment with him to go back tomorrow night. But when he lowered his head, he noticed that the other had kept his left hand behind his back.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Zhao Yelan frowned, pulled his hand out, and found a deep red ligature mark on his palm. ¡°Were you injured just now?¡±


    The horse had run wildly several times, and each time Yan Mingting flew over and reined it in. He was so calm that Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t even notice it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury, you go take a bath first.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go tomorrow,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°How can this be done? This sort of thing must be done smoothly in one go. How can you spend three days fishing and two days drying the net?¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°But¡­..¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve mastered the basics now, and if you slack off, you¡¯ll have to start all over again. You don¡¯t want me to have suffered this pain for nothing, do you? Also, don¡¯t you want to participate in the fall hunt?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was slightly surprised: ¡°You noticed?¡±


    ¡°At the last spring hunt, you were ready to try. How could you give up such a good opportunity this time? After all, you have the best teacher,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°Yes. Then, Teacher Yan, I would like to kiss you now. Is that all right?¡±


    ¡°You have Teacher¡¯s permission.¡±


    Before they knew it, it was the day of the autumn hunt. Everyone had already mastered the procedures. After entering the camp, they greeted each other and waited for the Emperor to speak.


    After the official start, as before, there were still two groups of people. One party drank wine and tea at the camp, while the other party entered the hunting grounds to hunt.


    Li Yucheng still participated this time. He rushed in with a few followers and made an appointment with Fu Qian to compete to see who took the most and biggest prey.


    After he went in, he didn¡¯t immediately look for prey, but waited a while for Yan Mingting. He made a small calculation, planning to follow Yan Mingting to pick up anything that leaked by him.


    However, he not only waited for Yan Mingting, but for Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Why are you here? You can do this?!¡± Li Yucheng was dumbfounded.


    Zhao Yelan was wearing a black outfit that made his skin look whiter than jade. His waist was narrow and his hair was all tied up, revealing his delicate facial features. The visual impact was strong, and he looked radiant. When the wind blew, his hair fluttered. There was a wooden hairpin inserted into it, the one Yan Mingting personally carved for him.


    His whole person was glowing with health and vigor, which was very eye-catching.


    Li Yucheng circled him twice with novelty: ¡°Aiyo, you used to be a black-bellied scholar, but now you suddenly turned into an extravagant young man on a strong horse. How can we live, ah¡­¡­no, how can Fu Qian live, ah? I¡¯ll turn around and go smash his signboard of the most handsome man.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t quarrel with him, but turned to ask Yan Mingting: ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Yan Mingting tilted his head, and the two of them rode their horses in that direction together. The sound of horseshoes startled the birds in the forest.


    ¡°My lord, do we still want to follow?¡± A follower asked.


    ¡°We won¡¯t follow.¡± Li Yucheng didn¡¯t want to follow behind these two people. Watching them flirt was too much for him, an old bachelor. ¡°Let¡¯s go a different way.¡±


    However, after going around in a circle, Li Yucheng unexpectedly found nothing. Seeing ferocious prey, he didn¡¯t dare to approach. Seeing the average prey, he was one step too slow, and the group of military officials swept it away like picking something out of a bag.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go hunt wild rabbits.¡± This was more suitable for him. He continued to walk forward with his people, but found a crowd in front of him and walked over curiously. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Looking at the rabbits,¡± one person turned around to say.


    ¡°Rabbits? Leave it to me!¡± Li Yucheng dismounted his horse and picked up his bow and arrow, squeezing into the crowd, only to find a gap in the middle that contained only Yan Mingting, Zhao Yelan, and a group of wild rabbits.


    ¡°Watching Zhao-daren shoot the rabbits,¡± the man added.


    ¡° ? ¡±


    Li Yucheng watched for a while, and finally understood the situation.


    This Yan Mingting didn¡¯t go hunting leopards and tigers, but drove all the rabbits here to let Zhao Yelan practice!


    Zhao Yelan had learned equestrian skills well, but he had only practiced the bow and arrow for a short while. The day of the hunt had come, and his accuracy was a bit off. Nine out of ten times, he missed the target, and one time he almost shot Yan Mingting.


    While watching, everyone couldn¡¯t help but cheer for Zhao Yelan.


    Li Yucheng¡¯s heart itched unbearably. There were so many rabbits here. As soon as he drew his bow, a man stood in front of him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot the rabbits here while he¡¯s playing,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with giving me one or two?¡± Li Yucheng said, ¡°Could it be that these are all yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I caught them all with my own hands, so don¡¯t try to snatch my prey away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The people next to him whispered to Li Yucheng: ¡°Don¡¯t you know why we didn¡¯t do anything? General Yan refused to let us, ah!¡±


    Li Yucheng: It¡¯s amazing to know martial arts, ah!


    Zhao Yelan frowned and looked around. Seeing so many people watching, he lost interest.


    Seeing this, Yan Minting quickly shooed people away: ¡°Go, go, go. Everyone scatter, don¡¯t come near here. There is a time for hunting and a time for resting.¡±


    After everyone retreated, Yan Mingting said: ¡°Okay, come on, keep trying. Don¡¯t be impatient. Find the target first, then judge the trajectory before you shoot.¡±


    Zhao Yelan drew the bow and held his breath. He stared at the grazing rabbit, predicted its possible direction of escape, and shot the arrow. The rabbit heard the movement and instinctively jumped forward, taking the arrow in the heart.


    ¡°I shot it?¡± Zhao Yelan stared at the fallen rabbit in disbelief.


    ¡°En, you hit it!¡± Yan Mingting happily picked up the rabbit. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Mengting.¡±


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth curled up and his confidence soared. The previous disappointment was swept away, and he started again with great interest.


    Half an hour later, he looked at the four rabbits he shot and was very satisfied. But his hands were exhausted, so he put down his bow and leaned against a tree, looking down at his hands.


    ¡°Come, take some medicine.¡± Yan Mingting took out a bottle of wound medicine and rubbed it between his palms to warm it, then rubbed it on his hands. ¡°Your hands will be sore tomorrow, it¡¯s normal.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded, looking at the medicine in his hands with a smile in his eyes.


    This fellow, knowing he was going to hurt, didn¡¯t tell him to stop, but prepared the medicine and waited for him to call out that he was tired and sore.


    ¡°Are you injured?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°What kind of injury could I suffer? I only caught a few rabbits.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll examine you,¡± Zhao Yelan said. He pulled his collar to look in, then reached in with his hand and felt around, raising his eyes. ¡°It seems you aren¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Yan Mingting froze. Looking into his eyes that were smiling but not smiling, he knew that he was being deliberately teased, but still willingly fell into the trap and bowed his head to kiss him.


    Not far away, Zhao Xuan was leading people to search for the tiger, but when he saw the two figures, he stopped suddenly and stretched out his hand to keep his followers silent.


    At dusk, a warm yellow halo fell on the treetops, and a few rays of light sprinkled obliquely onto the two people as they leaned against the tree and kissed like no one else was there.


    Zhao Xuan looked at them silently. Although he couldn¡¯t see Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression clearly, just from the back view, it could be seen that he was not being forced, but rather enjoying it.


    It was the hunting grounds, after all, and colleagues may appear at any time. Yan Mingting kissed him lightly for a moment, but when he raised his eyes, he caught sight of Zhao Xuan¡¯s figure appearing at the end of the path and his eyes sank.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhao Yelan looked up at him, and was about to follow his line of sight and turn around, when Yan Mingting held his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Yan Mingting lowered his head and kissed his lips again. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡±


    [1] A sweat-blood horse (º¹Ñª±¦Âí) is an endangered breed whose sweat is a brown-red color. Some researchers think that the blood-colored sweat is caused by a certain parasite. ?

 CH 77

    Zhao Yelan heard the sound of horseshoes behind him and opened his eyes slightly, only to find that Yan Mingting was looking at him with his eyes wide open like a vigilant leopard, an inexplicably fierce possessiveness in his gaze.


    Zhao Yelan was stunned for a moment at this sight, and immediately guessed who was coming from behind. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly and he closed his eyes again, indulging in this unconcealed kiss.


    After the people behind gradually drifted away, the two separated in unison. Neither took the initiative to mention who had come, and instead went to catch rabbits.


    Their distraction just now had allowed the rabbits to scatter and flee. Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t have the strength to draw the bow again, and said, ¡°You go.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wander around.¡±


    Yan Mingting was worried that a beast would appear and hurt him, so he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go around with you.¡±


    The two led the horses and unknowingly came upon a small stream. Several deer drinking there hastily fled.


    Zhao Yelan rubbed the medicine on his hands. It was inconvenient, so he handed the handkerchief to Yan Mingting.


    Yan Mingting went to the stream to soak the handkerchief, then carefully wiped his face and the back of his hands, saying with a soft smile: ¡°You fellow, you are so fastidious when going out to hunt.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t, I want to learn from you.¡±


    As Yan Mingitng spoke, he wiped his face with the handkerchief again and then went to the stream to wash it. Suddenly, he paused and looked down at the things in the water.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhao Yelan bent down to look, and saw a small crab the size of his thumb walking domineeringly in the water.


    Yan Mingting picked it up and put it in his palm: ¡°Isn¡¯t this just another prey?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The crab was tiny, crawling back and forth in the palm of his hand. It was very ticklish. Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t know whether to cast it aside or not. While he was struggling, Yan Mingting actually grabbed a few more and put them in his hand. Then, seeing his helpless look, he backed up and laughed.


    From time to time, the roars of tigers and beasts and the cheers of successfully hitting prey sounded in the forest, sending birds fluttering away from the treetops. But the small world here seemed a little childish.


    Zhao Yelan removed his shoes and went to wade in the creek. Yan Mingting buried his head in catching crabs, and then put the crabs in a palm-sized pond dug next to him. Zhao Yelan was in charge of managing this pond, and when he saw that crabs had escaped the prison, he would bring them back.


    Li Yucheng and Fu Qian came here as they chased the same rabbit. They looked at them from a distance, not daring to approach them.


    Fu Qian was shocked: ¡°What are they doing? I stopped playing with those when I was five years old.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, ba, it¡¯s just for fun.¡± Li Yucheng took advantage of his inattention to shoot the rabbit, then proudly picked up the rabbit and ran away. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for not warning you, if you don¡¯t leave, you¡¯ll be thrashed by them.¡±


    Fu Qian glanced at the man with his trousers lifted and a smile on his face. No matter what, it was difficult to reconcile him with the king of Hell who sat in the interrogation room and dug out the prisoner¡¯s eyes with his own hands.


    How could a person be vicious, yet have such an innocent smile at the same time?


    He couldn¡¯t figure it out, and simply didn¡¯t want to, so he ran away quickly.


    After some time, the sun set and then completely sank, leaving only a gray sky.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t allow him to play anymore. The water became cold, so he pulled him to sit on a rock by the stream. There were some belongings placed on the rock, and Zhao Yelan had even brought a short knife with him.


    ¡°Allow me, ba.¡± Yan Mingting picked up the knife with a smile, and was about to put on his shoes, when he suddenly heard the roar of a tiger nearby, followed by loud human voices: ¡°Somebody! His Majesty is gone!¡±


    The two exchanged glances. Zhao Yelan quickly put on his shoes: ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look.¡±


    As soon as they reached the side of the path, several people ran over and said in a hurry: ¡°General Yan, His Majesty just went to hunt a tiger. He ran too fast and we couldn¡¯t catch up. Now we can¡¯t find him, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Where did he go?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°To the southeast of Tiger Mountain.¡±


    Yan Mingting mounted his horse, told Zhao Yelan to go to the camp first, and then chased after him.


    Watching his back as he left alone, Zhao Yelan frowned and said: ¡°You all, go find the other military officials and call them to search.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After a while, the whole hunting grounds were full of shouts, people holding torches and searching high and low. Not only had there been no news of the Emperor, even Yan Mingting had not returned for a long time.


    Some people began to worry, suspecting that this tiger was the mother of the tiger who was hunted last time and had come to seek revenge. This was a ferocious beast after all, with a huge body and sharp claws. A casual bite would cost half of one¡¯s life.


    The more they talked, the more flustered they became, and everyone started to fidget with their hands and feet. While searching tremblingly, they also hoped that they would not encounter a tiger.


    Many people searched around Tiger Mountain. Zhao Yelan was among them, followed by Li Yucheng and his entourage, who happened to meet him.


    Knowing that Yan Mingting was looking for that person, Li Yucheng looked very relaxed and chatted with him: ¡°I won a big victory today. You didn¡¯t see Fu Qian¡¯s face, it was as black as charcoal, hahaha.¡±


    The sky was completely dark. The sounds of prey sounded from time to time in the woods, and the path ahead could not be seen clearly. A little wind through the grass could easily put fear in people¡¯s hearts.


    Li Yucheng was faint-hearted, and any time there was movement around, he would be so frightened that he hugged the arms of his entourage. He wanted to go back quickly, but everyone was looking for the Emperor. He didn¡¯t dare to leave the group without authorization, so he could only continue prattling. Seeing that Zhao Yelan still didn¡¯t respond, he couldn¡¯t help but reach out and tug his arm: ¡°Hey, why are you not afraid at all?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zhao Yelan sullenly tossed his sleeve and turned to look at him. His tone was stiff, and his eyes were so cold that they could freeze people to death. ¡°One more word, and I will destroy you.¡±


    Li Yucheng was so frightened by his sudden anger that he didn¡¯t dare to make a sound, following him quietly. Looking at his lonely and solitary back, he suddenly thought that this was the original Zhao Yelan.


    How did he dare to approach the former Zhao Yelan so carelessly? It was out of the question, he really disliked the original Zhao Yelan, who was selfish, heartless, and unkind.


    When did he feel that he could get close?


    That¡¯s right, when Yan Mingting was by his side, although he was still mean, he wouldn¡¯t really get angry. Like a cat that had been provoked, he would scratch you a few times, but he wouldn¡¯t really kill you.


    Li Yucheng was used to the Zhao Yelan who was accompanied by Yan Mingting. He was lively, interesting, and down-to-earth. To put it bluntly, it was like he was a person.


    Now that Yan Mingting was gone, he had gone back to his old ways.


    So terrible.


    Li Yucheng rubbed his arms and whispered: ¡°I was just trying to distract you, you look worried about him. Don¡¯t worry, ba, he¡¯ll be fine. No one can hurt him, not even a tiger.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression softened a little, but he still ignored him.


    The group of people came to the vicinity of Tiger Mountain. Zhao Yelan looked at the tiger tracks on the ground and led his people to follow them. In the end, they came to the edge of a cliff surrounded by ropes, indicating that this was the boundary of the hunting grounds. But one section was broken.


    Zhao Yelan ordered someone to find the commander of the Imperial army. This time, it depended on the Imperial army to deploy defenses.


    When the commander saw this situation, he was nearly terrified, and said that the grass around here was all gone and there was no place to hide. Normally, a tiger would never come here, and he didn¡¯t know why it rushed over today.


    Zhao Yelan walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down, breaking into a cold sweat. Then he heard someone beside him say: ¡°There is a sword dropped here.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked over and saw that it was the one worn by Yan Mingting, and looked at the commander in a towering rage: ¡°Hurry up and take people down with you to search!¡±


    . . . . . .


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Zhao Xuan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yan Mingting sat up, took out a bottle of medicine from his sleeve and wiped it on his knee a few times, then tore off a piece of cloth from his clothes and wrapped it around it while gritting his teeth. But his right arm was also bleeding from scraping a rock, so it was not easy to apply the bandage.


    Zhao Xuan took the cloth strip from his hand and silently helped him tie it on his arm.


    ¡°Many thanks.¡±


    ¡°I should thank you, you saved my life.¡±


    Half an hour ago, he had seen those two people kissing under the tree. For some reason, he felt a fire in his heart, but he didn¡¯t explode. Instead, he left silently and came to Tiger Mountain without knowing it. He wanted to vent, so he tried to hunt and kill this fierce tiger just like last time.


    Who knew that this one was much more difficult to deal with, and first turned around to run away. He held his breath and chased after it, not even noticing that the people behind him weren¡¯t following. He shot a few poisoned arrows, but the tiger turned around and rushed toward him, opening its mouth to bite down hard.


    He held the quiver and used all his strength to hold it against its upper jaw. Before long, the quiver was bitten through. As he saw the teeth through the gap that were about to sink into his body, an epee suddenly crashed into its head and it rolled to the ground.


    Yan Mingting arrived just in time and helped him up. As they tried to leave, the tiger crawled to its feet and stalked around them, as if looking for an opportunity.


    Zhao Xuan was dripping with cold sweat, and subconsciously glanced at Yan Mingting, but saw that Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes were calm. He was watching the tiger¡¯s movements closely, as if looking for an opening, but his sword was no longer in his hand.


    Suddenly, the tiger rushed towards them.


    Zhao Xuan¡¯s vision went dark, and he noticed that someone was holding his waist as they flashed to the side. Then Yan Mingting released him and leaped into the air onto the tiger¡¯s back, drew out a short knife, and pierced it into its eye.


    The tiger roared ferociously, twisting violently on the ground. Yan Mingting held down its head and poked its other eye blind, then quickly jumped off its back.


    The blind tiger crawled on the ground aimlessly and accidentally pushed Zhao Xuan to the edge of the cliff. Zhao Xuan screamed, but was caught and fell down together.


    Yan Mingting stepped on several broken crags and trees before rolling into the valley. Not far away was the dead tiger, its blood flowing down a small stream.


    There was a small cave next to it, which could provide shelter from the wind and rain.


    Zhao Xuan was scratched in a few places, but his wounds were not as serious as Yan Mingting¡¯s. He glanced at the other¡¯s injuries and said worriedly: ¡°Can you still stand?¡±


    ¡°I can, ah.¡± Yan Mingting stood up while leaning against the wall, and walked outside again.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Zhao Xuan asked.


    ¡°To get this tiger skin, I didn¡¯t kill it for nothing.¡± Yan Mingting limped towards the tiger, took the short knife in his hand again, and made a cut, beginning to skin it.


    Zhao Xuan felt dizzy at the sight of the tiger and couldn¡¯t look anymore, so he sat back in the cave, recalling the thrilling scene just now. It could be regarded as being a step away from death.


    At the moment he fell from the cliff and the blurred scenery passed before his eyes, he found that in his short life, Zhao Yelan had participated in half of the important things.


    The last scene that he couldn¡¯t shake from his mind was actually Zhao Yelan wearing a red outfit and veil. There was only a pair of white hands with distinct joints holding a big red ribbon, and at the other end was the heroic Yan Mingting.


    Wearing the same red outfit and standing with Zhao Yelan, he was not inferior. The grit of the battlefield had not ruined him, and his eyes were still clear and bright, with the vigor of a young man and the maturity and stability of having experienced the world. He smiled and thanked everyone who had come to drink the wedding wine.


    And he, sitting on the main seat, watched the two people bow and wondered what would happen to them in the future.


    Unexpectedly, after only half a year, they were drawn to each other.


    Heavy footsteps sounded outside. Yan Mingting walked in carrying the tiger skin covered in blood, and took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from it.


    It was impossible for Yan Mingting to carry a handkerchief with him, so Zhao Xuan could tell at a glance that it belonged to Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Take a break first, why are you in such a hurry to get the tiger skin?¡± Zhao Xuan asked.


    ¡°Winter will come soon, it¡¯s just the right time to make him a blanket.¡± Yan Mingting smiled.


    The person he was referring to was self-evident. Thinking about it, Zhao Yelan was afraid of the cold, and he was half to blame. He sighed: ¡°If he hadn¡¯t blocked an arrow for me back then, he wouldn¡¯t be so affected by the cold.¡±


    Yan Mingting paused, did not speak, and continued to wipe.


    Zhao Xuan was keenly aware of the moment when he paused. There was a strange, despicable pleasure, as if no matter how powerful Yan Mingting was, he could not take away their childhood, and the things they experienced together could not be changed or reversed.


    ¡°The doctor worked to save him for a few days before he woke up,¡± Zhao Xuan said, and suddenly gave an inexplicable laugh. ¡°He also called a person¡¯s name in a dream.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say who the name belonged to, but Yan Mingting knew it couldn¡¯t be him. He said: ¡°En, I know.¡±


    ¡°You know?¡± For a moment, Zhao Xuan couldn¡¯t control his expression. How could he even tell him such a private matter?


    Zhao Yelan did mention it to him when the two of them were sitting on the roof in Jiangnan. He had asked Zhao Yelan why he blocked the opponent¡¯s arrow, and after the other party finished explaining the reason, he hesitated to mention this matter.


    What Zhao Yelan said back then, oh, he remembered ¡ª


    ¡°I also did an outrageous thing at that time. When I was half asleep and half awake, I heard Zhao Xuan¡¯s voice, and suddenly thought of another way. Since I had already made him feel guilty, why not make him feel completely at ease with me? I pretended to call his name in my dreams.¡±


    ¡°He was the son of the royal family, and the Xuan Dynasty¡¯s laws did not allow the sons of the royal family to marry men, so he would definitely choose the country. What¡¯s more, he didn¡¯t like men, but he needed me to advise him, so he would rest assured leaving me alone. He might fear a man who coveted power, but if it was someone who adored him, he could use him with confidence.¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s mood at that time was exactly the same as now ¨C fortunately, it was Zhao Yelan who took the initiative to speak out, otherwise he would have been ashamed to death if he had learned about it from Zhao Xuan.


    He could understand that in a desperate situation, Zhao Yelan would do anything by fair means or foul to save his own quality of life. In fact, it was exactly as Zhao Yelan judged. After the ascension to the throne, those staff members like him were more or less transferred from the capital, and some were even executed. But he remained in the capital because Zhao Xuan felt that he still adored him and would not have any resentment toward him.


    Naturally, he would not tell Zhao Xuan these reasons. After saying, ¡°I know,¡± the two fell into silence again.


    Yan Mingting continued to clean the tiger skin, being careful not to get any in the fur.


    Zhao Xuan sat nearby watching him, and suddenly asked: ¡°Do you also know his origin?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Yan Mingting abruptly stopped what he was doing, looked up at him, and said solemnly, ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty, for saving his life back then.¡±


    His tone was sincere, and they were words from a qualified family member. Zhao Xuan¡¯s throat rolled, but he couldn¡¯t refuse his thanks, and just smiled self-deprecatingly: ¡°Why did he tell you all these things, ah¡­¡­¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this his biggest taboo? Why had they only known each other for half a year, and everything had been confessed?


    ¡°Because we are joined in marriage, there will be no secrets,¡± Yan Mingting said, and thanked him again, ¡°I also want to thank Your Majesty for granting us a marriage, otherwise how could we fall in love so quickly?¡±


    Fall in love ¡®so quickly¡¯, rather than fall in love.


    Yan Mingting felt that even if they weren¡¯t conferred a marriage, but were just colleagues, he would definitely have been drawn to Zhao Yelan and pursued him hard. Even if it took a little longer, they would still end up together.


    Zhao Xuan thoroughly choked. He had really taken the initiative to draw them a red string that could not be cut.


    But seeing him so proud, Zhao Xuan was a little upset again and said: ¡°In the past, do you know what his favorite thing to do was?¡±


    Yan Mingting wanted to know what Zhao Yelan was like as a child, but he would rather listen to Zhao Yelan tell it himself, rather than learn it from Zhao Xuan.


    He stood up and walked toward Zhao Xuan, intending to strike him unconscious when he wasn¡¯t paying attention, but when he passed by him and raised his hand, he heard the sound of disordered footsteps outside.


    ¡°Your Majesty! General! We finally found you, are you all right?¡± The leader led a group of people to appear at the entrance of the cave, and shouted back, ¡°We found them!¡±


    The group of people rushed in, helped Zhao Xuan up, and saw to his injuries.


    Yan Mingting took a few steps back to make room for them. At this time, a figure appeared at the entrance, struggling to push past the person standing in front of him: ¡°Yan Mingting!¡±


    Yan Mingting immediately looked up, and when he saw Zhao Yelan, he smiled with relief: ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    Zhao Xuan also looked over and found that his hair was disheveled, his jade crown had been lost, and there were grass stains on his clothes. He was completely different from the neat and tidy Zhao Yelan.


    The next moment, he watched that person approach in a hurry, and only noticed that the other¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Then he passed him by without even looking at him, running toward the figure in front. He tripped and almost fell, but luckily Yan Mingting caught him in time.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan said in unison.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yan Mingting smiled at him.


    Zhao Yelan quickly stood up and noticed that his arms and knees were wrapped in cloth. There was still a lot of blood, so he hurriedly took him and looked him over carefully, finding that his whole body was covered in blood. His eyes reddened again from fear: ¡°You say you¡¯re fine?!¡±


    Yan Mingting wanted to explain to him that the blood was from the tiger, but from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Zhao Xuan staring at them and immediately changed his words: ¡°Ah, it hurts.¡±


    ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± Zhao Yelan asked hastily.


    ¡°My whole body hurts.¡± Yan Mingting put his hands on the other¡¯s shoulders and leaned fully against him, weak and unable to take care of himself. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first, ba, or you can blow on it first for me, or kiss it.¡±


    Zhao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

 CH 78

    Zhao Yelan was slightly relieved to hear that he was in the mood to joke around, and led him out of the cave, but heard him say another sentence: ¡°Ah, I haven¡¯t grabbed the tiger skin yet.¡±


    ¡°At this time, what need is there for a tiger skin?¡± Zhao Yelan quickly called some servants over.


    ¡°But it¡¯s for you.¡± Yan Mingting turned around and was about to go back to get it.


    ¡°You wait here, I¡¯ll get it.¡± Zhao Yelan ordered someone to take care of him and then turned back to get the tiger skin. He just happened to run into Zhao Xuan, who was being helped outside, and asked, ¡°Is His Majesty injured?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right, I¡­¡­¡± Before Zhao Xuan finished speaking, he watched him walk out with the tiger skin. ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Once they returned to the General¡¯s Mansion, several Imperial physicians and some gifts from the palace arrived soon after. After the Imperial physician treated Yan Mingting¡¯s wounds, he gave some instructions before leaving.


    Fortunately, they were only small flesh wounds, and he would be fine after a period of recuperation.


    Zhao Yelan still frowned. He changed his clothes and helped him to bed, then stared at his wounds for a long time.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s only a little skin trauma.¡± Yan Mingting rubbed his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest, you¡¯ve had a tiring day,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yan Mingting closed his eyes, and after a long time, he felt someone touch his arm lightly as if to test if he was asleep.


    He simply pretended to be asleep.


    Immediately afterward, the person next to him touched his arm repeatedly, lingering around the wound but never daring to approach it.


    After a while of this, Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t take it anymore and hugged him into his arms with his other hand: ¡°What are you doing so sneakily?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Zhao Yelan asked in belated surprise. ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t fall asleep at all.¡±


    ¡°What is the matter?¡± Zhao Yelan touched his cheek in the dark, then pressed his fingers to the center of his brow. He found that it was smooth and was relieved. ¡°Did today¡¯s events scare you? Is there something on your mind?¡±


    ¡°This incident was not enough to scare me, but it might have scared the Emperor,¡± Yan Mingting said gloatingly. ¡°He almost lost his life. Let¡¯s see if he dares to fight a tiger next time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something to worry about.¡± Seeing that he had fallen silent, Zhao Yelan said, ¡°You two stayed in the cave for so long, did you talk a lot?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Did you talk about me?¡± Zhao Yelan asked tentatively.


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Did he bring up the past with you?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Zhao Yelan became anxious and propped up half his body, saying: ¡°Did he tell you about my previous visit to the brothel?¡±


    Huh? This?


    Yan Mingting took advantage of the hazy moonlight to clearly see the expression on his face, and didn¡¯t say a word. Zhao Yelan mistakenly thought this was a silent affirmation, and took the initiative to explain: ¡°I went to see Gu Niaoniao. I had bumped into her on the street, and only then did I know she had gone to Hongxiu House.¡±


    At the age of sixteen, Zhao Yelan had gone out to run errands for Zhao Xuan, but ran into Gu Niaoniao, who was being dragged by the madam to buy a dress. She was lecturing her to treat the guests well, and that if she dared to show her temper, she would be stripped naked and thrown in the moat.


    That was their reunion after the few years since they had left the dungeons. At first, he only thought she looked familiar. After all, the girl¡¯s attire was very different from how she looked in the dungeon a few years ago. But upon closer inspection, those eyes were still full of hatred, the same as his, but different.


    He had learned to hide the hatred in his heart, not in his eyes.


    That night, he took some money and went to Hongxiu House to pick up a few girls. Among them was Gu Niaoniao. Zhao Yelan stunned the others by asking her: ¡°Do you want to stay or run away?¡±


    ¡°I want to stay,¡± Gu Niaoniao said in a heavy voice, and rolled up her sleeves to show him some red rashes on her hands. ¡°If I¡¯m disobedient, the madam will poison me and make my life worse than death. There will be no scars, just some red rashes that disappear in a couple of days. I want to let her have a taste of this. Please help me.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°What can you do for me?¡±


    Gu Niaoniao: ¡°I can do anything. Money, looks, body¡­¡­you can have whatever you want.¡±


    Zhao Yelan heard a lord¡¯s voice from upstairs, talking about court secrets to the woman in his bed, and curled his lower lip silently: ¡°Good. I don¡¯t need anything else, I just need you to be my ears.¡±


    That night, Gu Niaoniao handed him the knife: ¡°I don¡¯t want to pick up any more customers, please do me another favor.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment, then said: ¡°Do it yourself, ba. If you can¡¯t be cruel to yourself, what revenge can you take?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Gu Niaoniao laughed for a long time. Then, facing the mirror, she made a long, slanted slash from the top of her eyebrow. Blood flowed down, obscuring her face.


    Afterwards, Zhao Xuan heard that Zhao Yelan had quarreled with a brothel girl and cut her face apart, so he hurried over to bring Zhao Yelan back and paid a large amount of money to the brothel madam and Gu Niaoniao to settle the matter.


    Yan Mingting listened to his detailed explanation. After thinking it over, it was no wonder why Gu Niaoniao¡¯ scar was a bit strange. There would be differences in the details between injuries caused at other people¡¯s hands and those caused by your own. It was just that he hadn¡¯t examined the woman¡¯s face carefully, so he didn¡¯t notice these details. While hugging Zhao Yelan tightly, he felt that just a few sentences about his past were enough to frighten people.


    Noticing his silence, Zhao Yelan began to ponder again: ¡°Could it be he spoke of something else? Did he say that I defrauded him of money? Or that I wore a red shirt and was knocked unconscious by a cow?¡±


    Huh??


    ¡°What cow?¡± Yan Mingting became interested.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan heard this tone, he knew that the other didn¡¯t know, so he kept silent.


    ¡°How did it hit you? Tell me about it.¡± Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t hold back, and chuckled a bit.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°Stop talking, go to bed!¡±


    Yan Mingting failed to learn from him how he was knocked unconscious by a cow, but he was not in a hurry to know the answer for a while. Anyway, the future would be long, and sooner or later he would learn bit by bit from him.


    The lingering gloom in his heart also dissipated.


    Even if Zhao Xuan grew up with him, what he had was Zhao Yelan¡¯s present and future.


    Because of his injuries, the Emperor specially spared him from going to early court, and asked Yan Mingting to fully recover before returning.


    This made Yan Mingting very comfortable.


    Every morning, he stayed in bed until Zhao Yelan opened his eyes, and then got up with him. After breakfast, he sent him to the Imperial Academy in a sedan chair. At dusk, he went to pick him up in a sedan chair.


    And because of his inconvenient legs and feet, Zhao Yelan showed the greatest care to him. He wouldn¡¯t get angry easily, and would chant the Diamond Sutra silently, then go to the study to calm down.


    Yan Mingting lived a comfortable life, wandering around the courtyard with a walking stick all day long. Once Zhao Yelan returned home, he circled him like a puppy, asking him if he was tired from work, if his hand was sore from writing, and if his clothes were warm enough¡­¡­


    Usually, Zhao Yelan would answer all his questions, but if he had business to do, he would just be asked to sit farther away. If he was still disobedient, Zhao Yelan would simply give him a firm kiss and he would behave himself, thinking shyly and timidly about when he would be able to get another kiss.


    After more than ten days of comfortable living, Yan Mingting felt dissatisfied again at night. He took Zhao Yelan¡¯s hand and stretched it down: ¡°Mengting¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Your leg is broken, why are you still thinking about that?¡± Zhao Yelan said coolly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not broken, it¡¯s almost healed.¡± Yan Mingtin arched his head flatteringly. ¡°Mengting¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t hurt your legs again at a critical moment, you had best lie down and recuperate.¡±


    Yan Mingting turned over and pressed him down, saying: ¡°In fact, my legs have recovered early. If you don¡¯t believe me, do you want to try?¡±


    ¡°Of course I know your legs recovered early,¡± Zhao Yelan said unhappily. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of putting fake gauze on every day?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you saw that?¡± Yan Mingting smiled, and was stopped by Zhao Yelan when he started tugging on his clothes.


    ¡°Go away.¡± Zhao Yelan kicked him to the end of the bed. ¡°Did you forget what you said at dinner?¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s smile froze.


    A group of military lieutenants, along with Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu, were specially invited over for dinner today. Because today was He Cuizhang¡¯s birthday, drinks were continuously refilled during the banquet.


    Yan Mingting had stared at Zhao Yelan intently, and Zhao Yelan wondered: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I want to eat a dumpling, you feed it to me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have hands, ah?¡±


    ¡°It hurts, and I can¡¯t lift it up.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him silently. With a slight smile, he picked up a dumpling and stuffed it into his mouth with gritted teeth.


    Yan Mingting was so proud. He raised his eyebrows at his subordinates, making everyone¡¯s teeth sore.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even lift your hands, and it¡¯s even more impossible for you to lift your feet, so you should just stay there,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    As long as you committed evil, you would be punished, ah. Yan Mingting could only crawl back and lie down obediently.


    Winter started early this year, and in the blink of an eye, the cold wind picked up and blew into people¡¯s faces with bone-piercing pain.


    When Zhao Yelan walked out of the Imperial Academy, his hair was tossed up by the wind. He gathered the collar of his cloak, walked outside, and saw Yan Mingting standing in front of the sedan chair some distance away.


    The other party also noticed his figure and walked up to him in a few steps, reaching out his hands to hold his cold face.


    Those palms were very warm. Zhao Yelan exhaled: ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to come?¡±


    He came to the Imperial Academy to pick him up and drop him off every day, and his colleagues in the courtyard laughed at him. It was fine once or twice, but if it happened too often, even if he pretended not to hear, it was inevitable that he would feel a little embarrassed.


    ¡°The weather has changed today, I was afraid you would catch a cold. I really won¡¯t come tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You said the same thing yesterday.¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled, then glanced behind him at the approaching Ruan Xian.


    ¡°My lord left in a hurry and left something behind. I just came to give it to you.¡± Ruan Xian smiled in embarrassment. He felt that he had found the reason why Yan Mingting hated him. It must be because he spoiled their happy occasions!


    When passing by them, Ruan Xian saw that Yan Mingting was still holding Zhao Yelan¡¯s face. He bowed his head and pretended not to see anything, handed the book in his hands to Zhao Yelan, then turned around and ran away.


    Mother, he hadn¡¯t done such a sweet thing in his life, but now that he had learned it, he would put it to use when he went home!


    Zhao Yelan sat in the sedan chair and rubbed his hands. It was much warmer inside.


    Yan Mingting placed the hot water bottle prepared in advance into his hands and asked with a smile: ¡°Why were you in such a hurry that you left things behind?¡±


    Zhao Yelan put his hands on the hot water bottle to keep warm, but didn¡¯t answer him.


    Smiling, Yan Mingting asked: ¡°Were you rushing out to see me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan still didn¡¯t say a word, just raised his eyes to glance at him lightly with a hint of hesitation. Yan Mingting¡¯s heart swayed, and he turned his head and kissed the ends of his eyes.


    The General¡¯s Mansion was already lit up. As soon as he went to the bedroom, Zhao Yelan removed his cloak and looked at the tiger skin on the bed. It was truly unsightly.


    ¡°Can it be changed for another?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°Another won¡¯t be as nice and warm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too ugly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s warm.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Soon, Yan Mingting also felt that the tiger skin had to be replaced. After the two of them sweated profusely at night, some tiger hairs were stuck to their bodies. He took a bath with the man in his arms and threw the tiger skin aside, then changed the bed to a simple blanket and fell asleep with that person in his arms.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the twelfth lunar month of winter, and the vassal kings and envoys all over the country came to Beijing one after another. The capital was bustling again for a while.


    Yan Mingting was in charge of defense at this time. The commander of the Imperial Army had been dismissed due to his laziness and dereliction of duty in the hunting grounds last time.


    On New Year¡¯s Day, the emperor held a grand banquet and invited guests from all over the nation to share a feast. Only officials of the fourth rank and above could participate.


    Xiao Gao changed Zhao Yelan¡¯s clothes, dressing him thickly and adding an apricot-colored cloak, saying: ¡°The General said to have my lord go over early, and he will join you soon.¡±


    Yan Mingting had gone out to court before dawn. He was busy all afternoon and hadn¡¯t returned.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Zhao Yelan was traveling toward the palace in a sedan chair, and when he heard the bustling voices outside, he raised the curtain to take a look. Some family¡¯s lady was sitting in a carriage, grandly pulling out a few boxes of things as people around stopped to watch.


    The carriage and sedan chair drew close, and it happened that the owner of that carriage lifted the curtain, revealing a haughty face.


    It was the Eighth Princess of Southern Nanjiang.


    Just as Zhao Yelan was about to look away, he suddenly noticed a peddler on the side of the road. He ordered Xiao Gao to go shopping, and stopped the sedan chair to wait for the princess to leave first.


    After entering the palace gate, many colleagues had already arrived. Kan Chuan approached him unobtrusively and murmured in a low voice: ¡°I saw the Princess of Nanjiang just now, did she come to make peace through marriage?¡±


    ¡°It is possible, just wait and see.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Kan Chuan turned around and greeted other colleagues naturally.


    Seats had been arranged in the main hall, and everyone sat according to their positions. Zhao Yelan stopped at the entrance and sought out Yan Mingting¡¯s figure in the vast crowd. His back was turned to him as he talked with several people.


    The other party seemed to sense it and looked back, smiling upon seeing him. He pointed him to a certain table and motioned for him to sit down first.


    Logically speaking, as a fourth-rank official, Zhao Yelan could not sit in the front row. But this table was obviously arranged by Yan Mingting and could only seat two people, so he sat down with poise.


    At the next table was the Prime Minister. Li Jinyu turned his head with a smile and spoke to him in a low voice: ¡°I haven¡¯t had time to thank Zhao-daren face-to-face. My son has finally become sensible these days.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°You can rest assured and let him do it, ba. Even if he suffers a loss, he will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I protected him too well.¡± Li Jinyu sighed.


    While the two were talking, the princess and king of Southern Nanjiang passed by them and sat down at the table in front, followed by the Mongolian Kingdom, envoys from the Western Regions, and vassals from all over the world.


    Everyone had arrived, and Zhao Xuan led the Empress and Sun Muyun out.


    Sun Muyun¡¯s belly had grown a lot, and now that she had been promoted to a new position, her status was different from in the past. She could even attend this kind of event with the Emperor and Empress.


    She sat down and looked around with a smile, and after spotting Zhao Yelan, she smiled sincerely with shining white teeth.


    At this moment, Yan Mingting also returned and sat down beside him, ignoring the Emperor, who was greeting others. He took out a bag of peanuts from his bosom and asked quietly: ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhao Yelan was worried that he would not have a chance to eat at such a time, so he came here after eating some snacks. But as soon as he finished speaking, Yan Mingting handed over the shelled peanuts.


    The two of them were sneaking peanuts here, and Zhao Yelan turned to see that Li Jinyu was looking at them eagerly, so he kindly gave him a handful.


    Not long after, Li Jinyu¡¯s table mate also looked over eagerly.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    In total, Yan Mingting had hidden three bags of peanuts. He divided up two bags among the people behind and left only one bag, saying that he would not give it to anyone else.


    He cracked the peanuts with skill, controlling his strength and not making a sound, but the others couldn¡¯t. Seeing that he had already cracked his, they immediately cracked theirs.


    The Emperor and the envoys of the vassal kings in front heard the sounds of peanuts being eaten, and the people who were talking stopped awkwardly.


    Sitting at the top, Sun Muyun had already noticed Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan¡¯s small movements, and wished she could sit with them and eat peanuts. But then she felt that just looking at the two of them was very fascinating, especially watching them head to head, secretly talking and making small gestures. It was too sweet, even sweeter than the sweet soup she drank today!


    Zhao Xuan coughed, and everyone seemed to have been caught in the act. They immediately stopped and looked straight ahead, remaining silent as they continued to listen to their conversation.


    After Yan Mingting fed the last peanut to Zhao Yelan, he sighed. He hadn¡¯t expected this group of people to be so useless!


    Zhao Yelan tugged his sleeve at this time, and when he looked to the side, he saw Zhao Yelan staring straight ahead while he took out bright tanghulu from his sleeve and passed it to him under the table.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes lit up. He took it and tore off the candy wrapper, lowering his head to bite into one. He put his right hand on the table, propped up his forehead, and covered half his face so as not to alert the Emperor. He secretly took a bite and asked Zhao Yelan with his eyes.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at the golden throne and nodded, indicating that no one had noticed his movements.


    Yan Mingting took another bite. It was sweet and delicious.


    After eating one, he tugged Zhao Yelan¡¯s sleeve again, motioning for him to eat one too.


    Seeing his expectant eyes, Zhao Yelan lowered his head to take a bite. Yan Mingting immediately took another one, and the two of them looked at each other and smiled. They didn¡¯t even hear Zhao Xuan call, ¡°Yan-qing, Zhao-qing.¡±


    Everyone looked at them one after another. Zhao Yelan was taken aback for a moment, and then looked up belatedly.


    Zhao Xuan asked: ¡°Just now, the King of Nanjiang proposed to marry the Princess to Yan-qing in order to form a good relationship. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Ah, this matter¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan looked over as if nothing had happened, and simply stopped pretending. First he blatantly bit the tanghulu in his mouth and then replied leisurely, ¡°I don¡¯t agree.¡±


    Yan Mingting was incredibly attracted by his handsomeness and perfectly imitated his actions, chewing the tanghulu dashingly: ¡°I also don¡¯t agree.¡±

 CH 79

    There was a moment of silence in the hall.


    When the King of Nanjiang proposed to marry the Princess to Yan Mingting in front of the main wife, everyone was a little shocked. They looked over one after another and saw these two people eating tanghulu together, not at all appearing like people of high status.


    But after Zhao Yelan responded, the tanghulu in his mouth creaked as he chewed. He obviously had no expression on his face, but others felt that he was suddenly a bit hostile. However, he sat idly and said nonchalantly: ¡°When did the Princess fall in love with Yan Mingting?¡±


    ¡°I heard you all proclaim that he is the most capable fighter. Only such a man can be worthy of me.¡± The Princess of Nanjiang stood up and looked over with pride and confidence.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Then I will break his hands and legs, and he will be paralyzed in bed for the rest of his life. Will you still like him then?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Everyone was horrified upon hearing this, and subconsciously glanced at Yan Mingting. But they saw that the other party didn¡¯t care at all, and was even propping up his head. He looked at Zhao Yelan leisurely and didn¡¯t forget to explain in a low voice to Li Jinyu beside him: ¡°You don¡¯t know, but in our family, he is the first in status, the rabbit is second, and I am third.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The Princess wore an ugly expression. ¡°How can you do this? Do you dare to make decisions for him without authorization?¡±


    ¡°Since you want to marry him, haven¡¯t you looked into who I am?¡± Zhao Yelan smiled slightly.


    ¡°You are¡­..¡± The Princess of Nanjiang thought, and then hesitated. ¡°You are Zhao Yelan?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Since you know my name, you should also know how I am, right?¡± Zhao Yelan restrained his expression and looked around coldly. ¡°It happens that I, Zhao Yelan, will make a definite statement here today. If anyone wants to marry their daughters or sons into the General¡¯s Mansion, I will certainly kill them with my own hands. I have no relatives or friends, so if you really want to shed all pretense of cordiality, you will not have good results. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can give it a try.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s expressions shifted. They did not expect him to dare go crazy on such an occasion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If they dare, I will not marry anyone, and I will beat whoever comes.¡± Yan Mingting poured him a cup of tea.


    Tsk, tsk, the General is completely under his control, ah!


    Zhao Yelan turned his head and looked firmly at the person on the golden throne. He must get a positive answer from Zhao Xuan today.


    And he also knew that Zhao Xuan would definitely reject this marriage. He just wanted to use him as an excuse, so he pretended to ask his opinion.


    Yan Mingting had a lot of soldiers in his hands. Zhao Xuan feared him, so he ordained a marriage in order to restrain him. How could he allow the Princess of Nanjiang to marry him?


    Zhao Yelan could also just take advantage of the situation to threaten the other people present, and get a promise from Zhao Xuan by the way before the situation changed unfavorably.


    The last time he heard that Fu Qian¡¯s family was discussing whether to send him into the General¡¯s Mansion as the second wife, he knew that there was more than one person in Beijing who would set their eyes on Yan Mingting.


    The rumors about Yan Mingting¡¯s hideous appearance had long been dispelled, and as for his fate as an evil star, they could see that Zhao Yelan had been married to him for half a year. Not only was he unscathed, but his body was getting better and better, and gradually no one mentioned the matter of this evil star anymore.


    Moreover, Yan Mingting¡¯s character was apparent to all. Coupled with his status as a high-ranking and powerful person, he was simply the most ideal choice.


    As time passed, it was hard to guarantee that no one would be tempted, especially those with sons and daughters who wanted to send their people into the Yan family.


    ¡°The Princess doesn¡¯t know, but the marriage of these two people is related to state affairs. Now General Yan and Zhao-qing are deeply in love, and on one else can intervene. So even if it is me, I cannot arrange a marriage for them casually, otherwise, wouldn¡¯t I be condemned by history?¡±


    Zhao Xuan spoke half sincerely and half jokingly, knowing in his heart that what he said was the truth.


    Seeing Zhao Yelan¡¯s appearance of being willing to fight to the death, it could be seen that he was not bluffing. If anyone wanted to send a person to the General¡¯s Mansion in the future, he feared that this man was capable of any crazy thing.


    The princess had lost face, and said furiously: ¡°If you have the ability, let us compare and see who is better.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was about to speak when Yan Mingting suddenly pressed his hand and stood up. He said: ¡°Then let me fight the princess, ba.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about him,¡± the princess said, pointing at Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°What is the difference between him and me? We are one. Since the princess wants to loosen her muscles and bones, I will accompany you.¡± Yan Mingting rubbed his wrist and walked up, telling He Cuizhang without looking back, ¡°Go get my Imperial Sword.¡±


    There was an uproar in the hall. No one had expected that he would use the Chisa Sword, but the opponent was the Princess of Nanjiang after all, so they couldn¡¯t¡¯ help but speak out to stop it.


    After being reminded by the King of Nanjiang, the princess knew what the Imperial Sword was. It could let someone take action without consultation or approval. Her face turned pale: ¡°Are you a great general for naught, treating a weak woman like this? You are shameless!¡±


    ¡°Princess, you are being polite. How can a princess be considered a weak woman? A weak woman would not provoke a dignified fourth-rank official, let alone civil servants who are powerless.¡±


    In a few sentences, Yan Mingting pointed out the contradiction in the dispute. The civil servants also gradually realized that the princess was so unreasonable that she wanted to casually compete with them. Wasn¡¯t this clearly bullying?


    Immediately, the crowd became angry and criticized the princess.


    Seeing that the situation was not good, the King of Nanjiang quickly grabbed his daughter and smiled, trying to smooth things over: ¡°My daughter has been stubborn and mischievous since she was a child. I hope the General and the Emperor will forgive her, and I will definitely teach her a good lesson later. Since the General is unwilling to agree to this marriage, let¡¯s let this matter go.¡±


    ¡°All right. Then please don¡¯t mind General Yan¡¯s recklessness, King of Nanjiang. He is straightforward by nature and has no malicious intentions,¡± Zhao Xuan said.


    The two exchanged a few courteous words with one another and then put the matter to rest.


    Zhao Xuan announced the start of the banquet, and the maids filed out to serve delicacies.


    Yan Mingting returned to his seat. Zhao Yelan handed over the last skewer of tanghulu, and he smiled as he leaned over to take a bite.


    Musicians and dancers performed in the hall, and chatter and laughter gradually became louder as everyone mingled.


    It was already xushi[1] when the banquet ended. Yan Mingting had already explained the follow-up matters to He Cuizhang and others, so he followed Zhao Yelan back to the mansion first.


    When passing Huichun Tower, and seeing that the inside and outside was heavily guarded by soldiers, Zhao Yelan asked in a low voice: ¡°The envoys and vassal kings are staying here?¡±


    ¡°En, Huichen Tower cannot accept outside guests these days,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan suddenly noticed Zuo Ran¡¯s figure in maid¡¯s clothes, carrying food and following the Nanjiang Princess upstairs.


    After returning home, he asked: ¡°Did you arrange for Zuo Ran to gather information?¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± Yan Mingting smiled. ¡°There is no news about Yao Muze¡¯s master so far, so we will have to wait. It happened that the people from Nanjiang came, so I arranged for Zuo Ran to act as a maid in the restaurant to see if she can find something out.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t reveal herself, will she?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ba. She said that she has been serving people since childhood, and there will be no problem being a maid.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded.


    After taking a bath, the two of them lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. Yan Mingting was still thinking about what had happened tonight, and couldn¡¯t help but embrace him: ¡°Today you really¡­¡­looked gorgeous.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sneered: ¡°You¡¯re rather impressive, being loved by others so easily.¡±


    ¡°How did I offend you, she obviously just took a fancy to my identity. Even if it was He Cuizhang who was the general today, she would certainly say she wanted to marry him,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan asked: ¡°Then did you really intend to compete with her?¡±


    ¡°It depended on the situation, ba. If she was sensible, she would know that enough was enough. If she really wanted to be provocative, then I wouldn¡¯t have minded exchanging a few moves with her.¡±


    Zhao Yelan pondered for a moment when his body suddenly felt ticklish. The other¡¯s hand reached into his clothes, and wherever it went, it aroused a shivering tingle.


    ¡°Do you even know how to write the word restraint?¡± He spoke solemnly, but couldn¡¯t stop trembling, so he reached out with a smile on his face to push him away.


    ¡°I have restrained myself for two days.¡±


    In order to not affect today¡¯s banquet, Zhao Yelan had not allowed him to do anything for two whole days. After making it to tonight, the words Zhao Yelan said for him in the hall would come to mind at all times. How could he not be moved?


    The heavens knew how shocked and touched he was. At that time, he wished he could drag that person into a corner to bully him, and now he had endured so long that his whole body was on fire, wanting to touch that cool skin.


    The throbbing in his heart turned into action, like magma breaking through the snow. Not only was the fire not put out, but it instead slowly melted the snow into a puddle of water.


    The cold wind was howling outside, but Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t feel the cold. It was as if he was being scorched by a stove, his whole body sweating and sticky. He wanted to take a bath, but just as he moved to get up, he was caught and dragged back.


    ¡°Where are you running to?¡± Yan Mingting showed a rare wicked smile. Only at this time would he show Zhao Yelan a completely different Yan Mingting away from the eyes of outsiders. He would say in the daytime that he didn¡¯t want him to suffer even a little bit, but at night he would torture him in all sorts of different ways, and would not stop until he saw his eyes redden with tears. Occasionally, he would deliberately torment him. Seeing that he was about to find release, he would refuse to allow it. Zhao Yelan had to hoarsely cry, ¡°I want it, hurry up,¡± as he suffered, feeling the joy of being overwhelmed.


    The wind outside was unceasing, and the rustling sound accompanied their panting breaths as they spent this cold night together.


    When Zhao Yelan woke up the next day, Yan Mingting was no longer in the room. He looked at the sky outside, and it seemed that it was almost noon.


    Since the substantial development with Yan Mingting, he had become a lot more self-reliant, and clothed himself so that Xiao Gao would not see the marks on his body again.


    After opening the door, he was stunned by the scene outside.


    It had begun to snow at some point, and there was already a layer over everything. The white, snow-capped scenery was vast and beautiful.


    He walked down the steps and had just set foot on the snow when he heard Yan Mingting¡¯s footsteps.


    ¡°You¡¯re up? Come and eat something to pad your stomach.¡± Yan Mingting stretched out his hand.


    Zhao Yelan took it and followed him to the front hall, where he found that He Cuizhang, Li Yucheng, Zuo Ran, Yin Pinglu, and several lieutenants had all arrived.


    Upon seeing him, the group immediately greeted him with smiles.


    ¡°I have something to discuss with them, and it¡¯s snowing outside, so I thought they could come and have lunch together,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan nodded.


    ¡°You got up late, so there is only a bowl of noodles left. You eat some first, and lunch will be ready soon.¡± Yan Mingting handed him the bowl of noodles on the table.


    He happened to be a little hungry, so he took two bites with his chopsticks and suddenly noticed that the others were staring at him. When he raised his head, everyone turned their eyes away and glanced around.


    Zhao Yelan subconsciously thought that the traces on his body were not covered, so while he lowered his head to eat the noodles, he covertly glanced at his exposed skin. But even his neck was tightly covered by the collar of his cloak, so there was nothing unusual to be seen.


    ¡°How is it? How does it taste?¡± Yan Mingting turned his head to ask.


    The others also looked over curiously.


    ¡°En, it¡¯s delicious.¡± As soon as Zhao Yelan spoke, he saw that these people were a little excited, and asked in confusion, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re looking at you,¡± Li Yucheng said with a playful smile. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen you for a few days, and you are really more and more charming.¡±


    ¡°Speak like a human.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression turned serious, and he looked at Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu, who were not very good at lying. ¡°You tell me.¡±


    Zuo Ran rubbed her hands and immediately strayed from the topic: ¡°Pinglu, I recited a poem yesterday, do you want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s recite poetry over there.¡± Yin Pinglu took her to a corner.


    Zhao Yelan then looked at He Cuizhang, and he immediately ran to the courtyard: ¡°My lord, I heard that you like watching sword dances, so I¡¯ll perform one for you.¡±


    As soon as he kicked up some snow, Yan Mingting pulled him back: ¡°Don¡¯t sword dance for him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I won¡¯t dance, I¡¯ll let the General dance,¡± He Cuizhang said reluctantly.


    The others all laughed, teasing He Cuizhang for his ignorance, and they all began quarreling and roughhousing. In the end, they had a snowball fight without knowing who started it.


    Zhao Yelan took a sip of soup as they threw snowballs back and forth, walking to the front of the hall to watch. Yan Mingting stood beside him and looked at him with a smile: ¡°Have you finished eating the noodles?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you usually eat only half a bowl? Why do you have such a good appetite today?¡±


    ¡°Who is to blame for that?¡± Zhao Yelan cast a glance at him. Not to mention getting up late, today was still¡­¡­


    Zhao Yelan paused suddenly, realizing that he hadn¡¯t mentioned the matter to Yan Mingting. He hesitated to speak, and when he  turned his head, he found that the other party was gazing at him the whole time.


    ¡°Fangli.¡±


    ¡°En?¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Actually, today¡­¡­¡± Zhao Yelan moved two steps to the side to get closer to him, hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s my birthday. Zhao Mengting¡¯s birthday.¡±


    After speaking, he raised his head to look at the other party, but saw no expression of surprise or bewilderment on his face. There was only a slow, spreading smile, like a red plum blossom on a snowy night, clear and delightful.


    ¡°I know, ah,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°You know?¡± Zhao Yelan was taken aback. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    At this time, the group of snowball fighters suddenly turned around. All together, they threw the snowballs in their hands. They hit him and rolled down his robe to the ground.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, happy birthday! Hurrah!¡± Everyone shouted in unison.


    ¡°You¡­¡­¡± Seeing them laughing non-stop, Zhao Yelan looked at the chuckling Yan Mingting and said in disbelief, ¡°You all know?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. How could I not know your birthday? But I¡¯m very happy that you finally took the initiative to mention it to me.¡± Yan Mingting bent down and formed a ball of snow. He handed it to him and patted his shoulder, whispering to him, ¡°They dared to hit the birthday star. Fight back, I will help you.¡±


    [1] Xushi is 7pm-9pm. ?

 CH 80

    Ever since he became Zhao Yelan, he had no habit of celebrating birthdays. The only person who knew his birthday was Zhao Xuan, but the other party was busy pursuing a great cause, so how could he have time to celebrate the birthdays of his staff members? It was thoughtful enough to send some small things once in a while.


    In addition, he didn¡¯t think about celebrating his birthday at all. Birthdays were to be spent with family, and he was alone, so he just wanted to keep himself busy on this day.


    But this year was different from previous years. He wanted to tell Yan Mingting what day it was today. He didn¡¯t need rare and expensive gifts or a grand occasion. He just wanted to have a meal with his family as he had done when he was young, and hear a few words of blessing with his own ears.


    Unexpectedly, Yan Mingting had already noted this in advance. He thought about the bowl of noodles just now. No wonder he was asked to eat some at such a late hour, and everyone¡¯s eyes were full of anticipation¡­..


    Just as he was lost in thought, a ball of snow hit him again.


    He reacted and glanced at Li Yucheng, who was giggling and showing off his mightiness. Zhao Yelan took the snowball from Yan Mingting¡¯s hand and threw it at Li Yucheng.


    ¡°Hey, hey, you can¡¯t hit me, you can¡¯t hit me!¡± Li Yucheng quickly moved away and dug up a large handful of snow, turning to look at the others. ¡°What are you all doing in a daze, why don¡¯t you hurry up and attack together?¡±


    The status of the other people was lower, after all, so they dared not keep throwing. Unexpectedly, Zhao Yelan missed and hit Yin Pinglu. She smiled and hid beside Zuo Ran, who also smiled and threw a snowball at Zhao Yelan.


    Seeing that it was about to hit Zhao Yelan in the face, a fist suddenly stretched out from the side and scattered the snowball to land in front of him in fluttering pieces.


    ¡°Take note of how I do it.¡± After Yan Mingting spoke, he picked up a snowball and looked around with a smile on his face. Everyone was frightened into running away, looking for opportunities to fight back as they fled.


    Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan gave pointers, and then everyone else gave pointers.


    Housekeeper Qin was passing by with Xiao Gao. Seeing the people in the courtyard jumping up and down and making a mess with snowflakes flying everywhere, he couldn¡¯t see the movements of these people at all, and only felt that his old eyes were blurry.


    Xiao Gao was excited to see this, and flew in to join them. He Cuizhang¡¯s team added another strong general, and everyone besieged Yan Mingting together, which gave Zhao Yelan the opportunity to throw snowballs from the side. It turned into a scuffle. Nobody could see each other at all, and just targeted people at random.


    ¡°Ah! Zhao Yelan, you smashed Yan Mingting hahaha!¡± Li Yucheng laughed until he was rolling on the ground.


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback and stopped to take a closer look. The person standing in front of him was indeed Yan Minting. He stepped forward and wiped the snow off Yan Mingting¡¯s face, then burst out laughing. The others also laughed out loud one after another.


    At last, the group of people were tired from their playing and didn¡¯t want to move anymore, so they lay down in the snow without a care.


    Zhao Yelan was panting as he looked up at the sky. His eyes were completely relaxed, and his mind and body were both very happy.


    At this time, Yan Mingting held his hand and brought it to his mouth, breathing onto it and holding it in both hands. He asked, ¡°Is it cold?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not cold.¡± Zhao Yelan said, ¡°You made me play in the snow, and now you ask me if it¡¯s cold?¡±


    ¡°Snow is for playing. It¡¯s good to move your body around, you can¡¯t stay still.¡± After Yan Mingting spoke, he pulled him up and patted the snow from his body. ¡°But you must not catch a cold. Go change your clothes first.¡±


    ¡°Did you all often have snowball fights?¡± Zhao Yelan was led by him back to the bedroom.


    ¡°Not often. It rarely snows at the border. There is only a strong wind that can crack your face open.¡± Yan Mingting unbuttoned his cloak and poured a basin of hot water for him to soak his hands. They were already completely red from the snow, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried. ¡°You probably won¡¯t catch a cold, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zhao Yelan comforted him, ¡°Even if I catch a hold this time, I¡¯m willing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to talk nonsense, how inauspicious.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled and gazed down at his hands soaking in the hot water, fiddling with the water again and again: ¡°How do you know what today is?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    ¡°Did you investigate?¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded guiltily. ¡°Yes, after you said those things, I went to investigate the matter of Zhao Mengting myself, but I only looked for the birth date.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, if you want to investigate other things, you can.¡± Zhao Yelan gave a light smile. When he heard the noise outside, he asked, ¡°You told them too?¡±


    ¡°En, I asked them over to discuss your birthday, and they even prepared gifts for you.¡± Yan Mingting said furtively, ¡°What do you think? Are you looking forward to it?¡±


    ¡°I can probably guess what they¡¯ll give me.¡± Zhao Yelan paused, and suddenly smiled. ¡°But there are still some expectations.¡±


    Yan Mingting patted him on the shoulder with a grin: ¡°Yes, ah, Zhao-daren, you are much more honest than before.¡±


    After Zhao Yelan changed his clothes, the two went back to the front hall. The group of people were cooking around the charcoal brazier. The food was ready, and the servants began to serve it.


    Everyone sat down together, and one or two couldn¡¯t help it anymore and wanted to present the gifts.


    ¡°I started the fire to boil water for your bowl of noodles in the morning,¡± Li Yucheng said gallantly.


    ¡°You?¡± Zhao Yelan hadn¡¯t expected this, and couldn¡¯t help revealing a surprised expression.


    ¡°And me, I put in the seasonings!¡± He Cuizhang said.


    Zuo Ran: ¡°I did the noodles, and chopped the green onions.¡±


    Xiao Gao also interjected: ¡°I did the dishes.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s face was calm and unruffled, but his heart was like a calm sea without waves until it was lightly stirred up by them, causing layers of ripples to spread out.


    He looked at Yan Mingting, pretending to be calm: ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I was in charge of calling them to work and supervising them, ah,¡± Yan Mingting said confidently.


    ¡°Look at how lazy he is, why don¡¯t you kick him out and be with me, ba,¡± Li Yucheng joked.


    ¡°Eat your meal.¡± Yan Mingting pressed his head into the bowl.


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He knew that Yan Mingting wasn¡¯t lazy. Lazy people wouldn¡¯t just go to the kitchen and make stuffed steamed buns, even though they hadn¡¯t been successful yet. Yan Mingting gave up such a good performance opportunity to others, likely to let him know that he still had a group of friends.


    Friends. He had never had them before.


    He didn¡¯t even dare to say that he was Zhao Xuan¡¯s friend. The relationship between two people who helped each other and took advantage of each other could not be considered sincere.


    Kan Chuan and Gu Niaoniao were people he was able to let down his guard around, but because of their identities, they couldn¡¯t communicate in public.


    Contrary to expectations, after entering the General¡¯s Mansion, he first met a group of simple-minded but passionate lieutenants. Then he was inexplicably regarded as a friend by Li Yucheng, and also became acquainted with two girls with very different personalities. Everyone had different identities, but they could sit at the same table now and celebrate his birthday together. This scene was something he had never imagined.


    ¡°Thank you, the noodles this morning were delicious,¡± Zhao Yelan said sincerely.


    Li Yucheng patted the table: ¡°I just said that I boiled the water well! This young master had never even entered his own kitchen!¡±


    ¡°Obviously I put in the seasoning well!¡± He Cuizhang said, ¡°The seasoning is the soul!¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me and Pinglu, could the noodles be so soft but firm?¡± Zuo Ran said, unconvinced.


    Xiao Gao: ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡­I¡¯m good at washing dishes!¡±


    Zhao Yelan lowered his head and smiled. He turned his head and found that Yan Mingting was watching him with a smile. He quietly stretched out his hand, and the two held hands under the table.


    ¡°I say, why don¡¯t you eat first,¡± Housekeeper Qin said. ¡°It is cold out, and the dishes will cool down quickly.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Qin, don¡¯t be so busy, sit down and eat with Xiao Gao,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Ah? I can too?¡±


    ¡°You can.¡± Zhao Yelan nodded.


    ¡°Aiyo, then I won¡¯t be polite.¡± Housekeeper Qin sat down with a smile on his face.


    There was a large table of good dishes, all of them Zhao Yelan¡¯s favorite foods. Today, no one said that he was extravagant or wasteful, and they kept adding vegetables to his bowl as if they were afraid he would not be full.


    Li Yucheng finished eating quickly, and then began to present gifts in a serious manner. He took out a sachet and ten ingots of gold, blinding everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I made this sachet according to the recipe my sister used before, and there are more than a dozen kinds of spices in it. As for the gold, I know you promised before that as long as I persuaded my uncle to help with the disaster, I would be free of debt. But both my father and I feel that we should return it to you. A real man is willing to gamble and admit defeat, and it should be taken as a lesson. In any case, I really have quit gambling since then. This is not enough to pay you back. I will pay back the rest when I earn some money in the future. Moreover, our joint shop with the Jiangnan merchants has already opened, and the business has been really good recently. I¡¯ll be able to pay it off soon!¡± Li Yucheng said.


    He Cuizhang took out a short, sharp blade. According to Zhao Yelan¡¯s preferences, three gemstones that had been rewarded by the Emperor were specially inlaid into it. He said: ¡°Although mine is not as satisfactory as the crossbow made by Zhong Yuehong, it can still be used somewhat. Alas, it is mainly because I can¡¯t do anything else.¡±


    Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu were not as wealthy as the rest, so they could only do some manual work. They had sewn two small dolls with needle and thread. At first glance, they looked like Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting. Yan Mingting liked them very much, and hugged them fondly after taking them.


    ¡°Thank you all.¡± Zhao Yelan accepted these things, and although he guessed what they would give, there were still some surprises. For example, he didn¡¯t expect that Li Yucheng would give gold, or that He Cuizhang would specially set gems into the knife¡­..


    Wait, was it possible that his love for money was so deeply rooted in people¡¯s hearts?


    After lunch, Zhao Yelan went to catch up on sleep again, and when he awoke, he didn¡¯t see Yan Mingting. The others had also dispersed.


    ¡°Where did they go?¡± Zhao Yelan asked Housekeeper Qin.


    ¡°They seem to have gone out, ba.¡±


    Zhao Yelan put on a big cloak and took Xiao Gao with him to go out, but as soon as he reached the door, he saw Jinxuan¡¯s proprietress coming along with a string of maids, all holding brand new clothes in their hands.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Zhao Yelan regarded them blankly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the clothing for this month already delivered?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but these are congratulatory gifts for you from the General.¡± The proprietress covered her mouth with a smile. ¡°There are a total of twelve pieces, each a different color. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter are all available.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was astonished, and asked the maids in the mansion to come and pick up these things.


    ¡°Then we will take our leave first. By the way, Zhao-daren, I wish you a happy birthday and open avenues of wealth.¡± The proprietress smiled. ¡°Please take care of our business in the future.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded. He didn¡¯t expect the proprietress to know his date of birth, but with Yan Mingting buying so much clothing in one go, it was understandable to give a reason.


    ¡°Did you see him?¡± Zhao Yelan asked casually.


    ¡°He asked for you to find him yourself.¡± Smiling mysteriously, the proprietress led the people away.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at Xiao Gao, who shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know, ah, the General didn¡¯t tell me anything, he said I was a big colander.¡±


    The snow had stopped, and although there were fewer pedestrians on the street, some people were still out and about. Zhao Yelan walked across the snow, which made creaking noises step by step, but he couldn¡¯t find Yan Mingting¡¯s footprints.


    After being out for so long, the footprints had been covered up by others.


    He wandered around mindlessly, and when he passed the gambling house, the guards at the door called him in to play a few games. After a moment of thought, he went in.


    Even in the twelfth lunar month of winter, the gambling house was still booming. Many people had seen him there before, and they all called for him to play together.


    Zhao Yelan located a table and randomly guessed amounts, winning every time.


    He intentionally made unreasonable bets and still won.


    ¡°Congratulations, Zhao-daren, you have won our biggest bet, which is ¡ª¡± The dealer paused, and suddenly raised his hands up, ¡°Blessings from everyone!¡±


    There was an orderly shout in the gambling house: ¡°Happy birthday, Zhao-daren! Every bet is guaranteed to win!¡±


    It was ear-splitting.


    The combined voices of so many big men almost caused Zhao Yelan to go deaf. He pressed his ears, and a small smile escaped from the corners of his mouth: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, you¡¯re welcome!¡± Everyone laughed.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Zhao Yelan asked the dealer.


    The dealer: ¡°He¡¯s not here.¡±


    Zhao Yelan immediately became interested and searched for other places. When he came to Huichun Tower, he stopped in his tracks but did not go inside.


    All the envoys and vassals resided there now, and they didn¡¯t accept outsiders in it, so he shouldn¡¯t be hiding inside.


    At this moment, a waiter came out and handed over a dozen packaged meals to him: ¡°Zhao-daren, remember to patronize our business more in the future, ah. We wish you a happy birthday, delicious food, and good health!¡±


    Xiao Gao continued to follow him with the things in his hands, and asked: ¡°My lord, where are we going, ah?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s tone was buoyant. When he passed Hongxiu House, he didn¡¯t expect that the other party had arrangements there.


    Plum blossoms suddenly fell profusely on top of his head. He looked up and saw Gu Niaoniao with Qingyan and a group of girls, leaning against the window and smiling happily.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, happy birthday, ah. The General says for you to stop looking for girls in the future, otherwise my small establishment will be shut down,¡± Gu Niaoniao said. The girls all giggled, and people passing by all around laughed.


    Zhao Yelan gave them a helpless and amused look, and continued on his way. He met Ruan Xian¡¯s family, who were buying Jiangnan tea. After seeing him, Ruan Xian handed all the tea to him abruptly: ¡°All right, you, don¡¯t tell me about such an important day. I wish you a happy birthday and a prosperous official career.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled, and just as he passed them, he turned a corner and saw Li Niang holding the child.


    ¡°This is the peace talisman I asked for last time when I went to Lingyun Temple. I specially asked for one for you, my lord. I wish you a happy birthday and a long life.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhao Yelan took it and looked down at the smiling child.


    ¡°Kan Chuan asked me to give this to you, and said you should like it.¡± Li Niang handed him another calligraphy painting, which was the posthumous work of a master of calligraphy in the previous dynasty. It was very precious.


    Zhao Yelan looked at the calligraphy painting, then at Li Niang and the child, and said: ¡°If you have time, let¡¯s have a meal together, ba. Aboveboard.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Li Niang¡¯s eyes were filled with a smile. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell him when I get back.¡±


    After Zhao Yelan walked along the street for a certain distance, he had received countless words of congratulations and various gifts. Xiao Gao couldn¡¯t handle it anymore, so he had to call Yu Dali and others to carry the things.


    Suddenly, he thought of the training grounds and strode over there.


    Even though it was a snowy day, the soldiers were still training. When they saw him coming, they shouted in unison: ¡°Zhao-daren, happy birthday!¡±


    Zhao Yelan searched around inside carefully, but not only did he fail to find anyone, he started to answer the soldiers¡¯ questions.


    ¡°My lord, is your birthday today happy?¡±


    ¡°Happy.¡±


    ¡°My lord, how old are you this year?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-five.¡±


    ¡°My lord, do you think it¡¯s cold today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°My lord, are you looking for the General, ah?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Zhao Yelan turned more than half a circle and looked everyone over carefully, but Yan Mingting was nowhere to be seen. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t here.


    The sky had already darkened, and in the blink of an eye, the streets were lit up with candlelight.


    Xiao Gao was worried about his physical strength and suggested: ¡°My lord, are you tired? Why don¡¯t we take a rest.¡±


    ¡°Not tired.¡±


    How could Zhao Yelan be tired? So many familiar and unfamiliar people wished him a happy birthday. Although he didn¡¯t show it on the surface, this was like a tsunami that shook the world.


    It was only that he wanted to share this joy and gratitude with Yan Mingting in person.


    So, where could he be?


    Having traversed most of the city, when he glimpsed a vendor selling tanghulu, Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help but stop and buy a few bunches. He didn¡¯t even know when he had developed the habit.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, come back to buy tanghulu again, ah.¡± The vendor already knew him, and smiled. ¡°I heard that today is your birthday, so I won¡¯t charge you. I wish you a happy birthday. May you have today¡¯s glory forever.¡±


    The words were very familiar. He immediately raised his head and asked: ¡°Where is he?¡±


    The vendor smiled and said: ¡°You are amazing, but if you are so clever, you should be able to guess where the General will be waiting for you, right?¡±


    Zhao Yelan stood by the river, staring at the water in a daze. Bits and pieces of the relationship between the two of them unconsciously appeared in his mind. Suddenly, he smiled and said to Xiao Gao: ¡°Come, let¡¯s go home.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking for the General?¡±


    ¡°Not looking, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Go home. What a simple sentence. However, he had no home before. It was only that after getting acquainted with Yan Mingting, the other party always seemed to be saying ¡°let¡¯s go home¡± to him.


    A birthday must be celebrated at home.


    The General¡¯s Mansion was brightly lit, and as soon as they saw him returning, the servants rushed to get the food.


    ¡°Where is Yan Mingting?¡± Zhao Yelan asked Housekeeper Qin again.


    ¡°Ah? He didn¡¯t come back, ah, isn¡¯t he with you?¡± Housekeeper Qin asked blankly.


    Zhao Yelan frowned slightly, thinking of something. He stood in the courtyard without moving, and after a while, Yan Mingting appeared at the gate.


    ¡°What are you doing standing there, be careful of catching a cold.¡± Yan Mingting headed straight towards him.


    Zhao Yelan frowned and raised his head to look at him: ¡°I know where you went.¡±


    ¡°Where did I go?¡± Yan Mingting smiled and waited for his answer.


    ¡°You never left at all, you were always right behind me, right?¡±


    Yan Mingting raised his eyebrows, but finally couldn¡¯t hold back, and smiled: ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Then what if I didn¡¯t go home, and went to other places, such as the city gate?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    ¡°Then I would appear at the city gate. Wherever you stopped, I would appear there. I don¡¯t need you to look for me. I¡¯ll just follow you, always.¡±


    Zhao Yelan reached out his arms to hug him, and after a long silence, he said in a low voice: ¡°Thank you, Fangli.¡±


    ¡°As long as you like it.¡± Yan Mingting hugged him back. ¡°Actually, I was a little nervous. I didn¡¯t know what gift to get at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s enough. This is enough.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse.


    He had received blessings and gifts from friends and other people. These were already generous gifts that he could have never even imagined.


    ¡°No, there is another gift,¡± Yan Mingting said. He let go of his hand and lifted a fire paper into the air.


    ¡°Okay, okay, get ready!¡± He Cuizhang shouted. Li Yucheng cautiously approached the fire wire, and finally He Cuizhang stepped forward to light it.


    With a ¡°bang,¡± huge fireworks exploded in the sky, and the dark night was dotted with fiery trees and silver flowers, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. They all looked up to admire the sudden beautiful scenery. The children cheered, the adults talked and laughed, and everyone seemed to know who the fireworks were for.


    Even the people in the palace heard the commotion. Zhao Xuan walked to the door of the hall and looked around: ¡°Who is setting off fireworks?¡±


    ¡°Answering Your Majesty, it is General Yan,¡± Eunuch Gao said.


    ¡°What day is it today?¡± Zhao Xuan had just finished asking when he realized. He sighed heavily. ¡°I was actually so busy that I forgot, today is his birthday, ah¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his head with his lips slightly parted, unable to speak. The bright, colorful fireworks were clearly reflected in his eyes, vivid and charming. When he turned his head, his eyes sparkled: ¡°You prepared this too?¡±


    ¡°En, do you like it?¡± Yan Mingting asked with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°I like it.¡±


    He thought he didn¡¯t like grand and complicated ceremonies, but at the end of this day, no matter if it was ordinary and warm or grand and magnificent, he experienced it all and joy came again and again. He would definitely remember this birthday for a long, long time.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes reddened inexplicably, and he suddenly felt a trace of regret. He used to think that meeting now was the best moment for the two of them, but now he felt that it would be great if they had met earlier, and it would be best if they met in a previous life.


    The fireworks in the night sky vanished, and just when everyone thought it was over, new ones rose into the sky again. Cheers echoed one after another outside, and even the servants in the mansion quickly put down their work and ran to the front hall to watch.


    Zhao Yelan leaned his head on the other¡¯s shoulder, the smile at the corners of his mouth never disappearing. Then, in an impassioned voice, he heard Yan Mingting say in his ear: ¡°In fact, there is one more gift. I will give you the rest of my life, and I hope you will take responsibility. I wonder if you dare to accept it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan immediately stood up straight and turned around, putting his arms around his neck and leaning in to kiss him: ¡°How could I not dare?¡±

 CH 81

    Late at night, after Yan Mingting finished his bath, he didn¡¯t see Zhao Yelan in the room, so he casually put on his clothes and went out to look for him.


    The servants said they saw Zhao-daren go to the ancestral hall.


    He approached the ancestral hall and saw that the lights inside were bright, and Zhao Yelan¡¯s shadow was cast against the window.


    Thinking for a moment, he changed direction without a sound and leaned against the window, staying with him in silence for a while.


    The person inside remained silent, with only the incense candles burning. Yan Mingting thought for a while, and then left quietly, telling people on the way not to approach the ancestral hall.


    After lying in the room for a while, the door creaked open and Zhao Yelan walked to the bedside.


    ¡°You¡¯re back. Come quickly, the bed has been warmed up for you.¡± Yan Mingting moved to his side.


    ¡°Do you know where I¡¯ve been?¡± Zhao Yelan took off his clothes and lay down in bed. The other party grabbed his cold hands and rubbed them in his palms.


    ¡°En, don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t eavesdrop on your private conversation with your parents.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you hear.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled. ¡°I just wanted to tell them that I¡¯m doing fine now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, I feel relieved for your parents,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    After a long while, Zhao Yelan suddenly asked: ¡°Are you still taking a day to rest tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah.¡± Yan Mingting said with a yawn.


    Unexpectedly, the other party rustled about and sat on top of him, lowering his head to lick his ear: ¡°I won¡¯t go out tomorrow.¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s mind was thrown into disarray at once: ¡°If you say that, I won¡¯t be sleepy anymore.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled softly and whispered in his ear: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you are a little bit cruel.¡±


    The next day, Zhao Yelan really didn¡¯t go out, and didn¡¯t get up until the afternoon. He hugged a hot water bottle and collapsed on the recliner. Inside was the tiger skin, and a blanket was placed on his knees. He sat leisurely under the eaves to enjoy the snow and watch Yan Mingting teach Xiao Gao martial arts.


    Ten days later, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. The Emperor would hold a family banquet with the feudal lords, and no officials would be required to attend, so everyone could spend a peaceful New Year¡¯s at home.


    The General¡¯s Mansion was very lively this year. Housekeeper Qin had not been so busy for many years. He went to pay his respects early in the morning and invited people to be guests.


    Near noon, the guests arrived one after another.


    The Li Yucheng father and son, Ruan Xian¡¯s family, several lieutenants including He Cuizhang, Zuo Ran, Yin Pinglu, and Kan Chuan¡¯s family of three.


    Everyone else had a good relationship with Zhao Yelan, but when they saw Kan Chuan, they were inevitably a little surprised.


    Yan Mingting smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for giving me face, Kan-daren.¡±


    ¡°The General is joking. I am lucky to have received the General¡¯s invitation.¡±


    The two exchanged pleasantries, and everyone thought he was a friend of Yan Mingting, so they let go of their doubts.


    In the past few days, Yan Mingting would communicate with Kan Chuan, and when other officials saw this, they only thought that the two had similar interests. After all, Yan Mingting got along with everyone.


    ¡°Where is Zhao-daren?¡± Yin Pinglu asked.


    ¡°He is writing New Year¡¯s Eve couplets in the study, and he¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    Talk about a person and he will appear. Zhao Yelan came to the front hall in vermillion robes suitable for the occasion, along with a flowing cloud hairpin. With his fair skin and black hair like a waterfall, he made a dazzling winter scene. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the sight a few times before making their greetings.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside, let¡¯s eat first,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    The table was full of delicacies. Men, women, and children gathered together. Because Li Yucheng, a talkative fellow, and He Cuizhang, a fellow regarded as an outsider were making jokes, the dinner table soon became full of laughter and the unfamiliar people gradually became acquainted.


    After the meal, Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu gravitated toward Li Niang, who was holding the baby. Together with Ruan Xian¡¯s wife, the four women gathered around to play with the child. Li Niang told them about the hardships of being pregnant, but her eyes were full of tenderness. Ruan Xian¡¯s wife was not pregnant yet, but she was a little afraid of having a baby.


    Zuo Ran and Yin Pinglu crouched to the side and looked at the child with smiles, saying that she had worked hard and praising the child for being so cute.


    Perhaps seeing so many strangers made her uncomfortable, because the child cried loudly and couldn¡¯t be coaxed no matter how hard they tried.


    Yin Pinglu asked: ¡°Does she need to drink milk?¡±


    ¡°She just ate, ah, so she shouldn¡¯t be hungry,¡± Li Niang said. She hastily got up and walked with the child in her arms. ¡°You accompany me to find Zhao-daren.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was appreciating a calligraphy painting with Kan Chuan, Li Jinyu, and Ruan Xian in the study room. It was the birthday gift from Kan Chuan last time.


    After the group of people praised the calligraphy painting with clever words, they also talked about court affairs. As they were speaking of the relationship with Nanjiang, they heard the voices of a few girls outside, hurriedly calling Zhao-daren, Zhao-daren.


    Then Kan Chuan saw his wife and two young girls run in and hand the child to Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Zhao-daren, the child keeps crying, can you see if you can make her stop?¡±


    Zhao Yelan had no experience in holding children, so he froze for a moment, stiff all over. Then he put his arms around the crying child and asked them blankly: ¡°Like this?¡±


    Seeing this, Kan Chuan stepped forward with a smile and said to let him, the father, try. Just as he was reaching out, he witnessed the child in Zhao Yelan¡¯s arms stop crying.


    Kan Chuan: ¡° ? ¡±


    The others: ¡°Wow.¡±


    Ruan Xian clapped his hands and said with a laugh: ¡°Kan-xiong, I don¡¯t think the real father can match up to Zhao-xiong. Why don¡¯t you just let your child recognize him as a godfather.¡±


    Kan Chuan took advantage of the situation and said: ¡°This is not a bad proposal. I wonder if he would like it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked down at the child and smiled: ¡°All right, ah.¡±


    So in full public view, Zhao Yelan accepted a goddaughter openly and aboveboard, and gave her lucky money according to custom.


    ¡°How can there be no General Yan on this occasion? Where are the others?¡± Ruan Xian asked.


    Zuo Ran said: ¡°A few of them are fighting outside.¡±


    The group of people walked outside and came to the back courtyard, where they saw Li Yucheng pestering Yan Mingting to teach him martial arts, wanting to fly like Xiao Gao and hold heavy weapons like He Cuizhang. But Yan Mingting just pushed him casually and he fell to the ground.


    Everyone looked at Li Jinyu one after another, worried that the old fellow who doted on his son would blame Yan Mingting, but Li Jingyu stroked his beard and laughed: ¡°Yan Mingting, beat up this kid as you like!¡±


    ¡°Dad, are you still my real father or not, ah!¡± Li Yucheng howled, and went to pester Yan Mingting again.


    ¡°You run five laps to warm up first,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll run.¡±


    ¡°I mean five laps around the capital.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You bully! Zhao Yelan said that he ran around the General¡¯s Mansion five times at most!¡±


    ¡°He is my wife, so naturally he can bargain for a price. Who do you think you are?¡±


    Everyone laughed, and Zhao Yelan helplessly covered the child¡¯s ears with his hands. Some things shouldn¡¯t be heard.


    In the evening, everyone said their goodbyes one after another and went home. Only the residents of the General¡¯s Mansion were left. After Zhao Yelan asked the servants to pack up the food, he had them take a rest and have a good New Year¡¯s Eve.


    The servants happily took the reward silver and went to the street to purchase things, leaving only the two masters in the mansion. After the two had eaten, there was nothing else to do. There were so many people on the street now, and Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to go out into a crowd of people. He grabbed an orange picked in the woods out back and ate a few mouthfuls before saying: ¡°What should we do to pass the time now?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± Yan Mingting sat beside him and also peeled an orange.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be time for the New Year¡¯s money?¡± Zhao Yelan remembered that when he was young, his parents would give him New Year¡¯s money, and he would then use it to buy brushes and paper.


    ¡°Okay, ah, how much do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want ten thousand taels of gold, can you give it to me?¡±


    ¡°No problem, just wait a moment.¡± After a while, Yan Mingting gave him an IOU with a flourish.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Look at the other side,¡± Yan Mingting reminded him.


    Zhao Yelan turned it over and saw that there was a drawing of a figure holding a gold ingot. He was immediately amused: ¡°Are you childish?¡±


    Yan Mingting refused to admit it, saying that he was clever. Then he took out a bank note from his bosom and handed it to him: ¡°Here, New Year¡¯s money.¡±


    Zhao Yelan took it and found that the banknote had some scuff marks, asking suspiciously: ¡°Where did it come from?¡±


    ¡°My mother gave me this New Year¡¯s money when I was young. On the last New Year¡¯s Eve before I left Beijing, she told me to take it to the border to buy food, and not treat myself badly.¡± Yan Mingting laughed out loud. ¡°When I went to the border, it was difficult for me to buy good things, so I just kept it.¡±


    ¡°Then keep it for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t keeping it with you the same thing?¡±


    Zhao Yelan considered this for a while and found that it made sense, so he accepted it and then dug in his pockets. Yan Mingting stared straight at him as he dug around for a long time, and the other said: ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯m just digging around, there¡¯s nothing in here.¡±


    Yan Mingting rubbed his toes together and asked with disappointment: ¡°You really aren¡¯t giving me anything?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked him up and down, and finally took out a jade bracelet from his sleeve with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s this, do you want it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve become wicked and learned to play tricks.¡± Yan Mingting smiled and leaned over to look. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°My mother left it for her daughter-in-law.¡± Zhao Yelan gazed at him intently. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ah, since it is a gift prepared by my mother-in-law, I will naturally accept it ~¡± Yan Mingting replied coyly. He laughed out loud and tried to put it on for a long time, making his hand all red without success. ¡°It¡¯s impossible, when mother-in-law was preparing the gift, didn¡¯t she consider that her daughter-in-law could have big hands?¡±


    Zhao Yelan almost laughed to the point of tears.


    This bracelet was secretly given to him by his mother while in prison. She had whispered in his ear: ¡°Mengting, I originally wanted to give this to your wife when you grow up and get married. If¡­..I mean, if I don¡¯t get out of here, you must get out. You must live and find someone you like and want to marry, all right?¡±


    He knew that this was his mother leaving him a memory and entrusting it to him, fearing that he would commit suicide after his family was destroyed. So he lingered on and lived alone, but was fortunate enough to actually find someone he liked and get married.


    The bracelet still could not be put on, so it was taken away by Yan Mingting to be placed in storage. Seeing him put it into a box with eighteen locks, Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°You could compete with Gu Niaoniao when it comes to hiding things.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She uses a dozen boxes to hide things, and you use a dozen locks. I really don¡¯t know who is better.


    A large number of fireworks were set off in the palace, almost lighting up the entire night sky, and the common people came to watch and bid farewell to the old and welcome the new together.


    The sky was on fire outside, but inside the house was another scene. When the two people settled down, they sometimes murmured in whispers and sometimes panted endlessly. It was clearly still winter, but it seemed like a boundless spring.


    The colors of the fireworks passed by the window. Zhao Yelan grasped the bed curtains as the waves rose and fell, subconsciously glanced outside, and then the waves stopped.


    He looked at Yan Mingting blankly. There was still an unfading sea tide in his eyes, and he was about to speak when he saw Yan Mingting lower his head and bend down.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes trembled violently, and he heard the explosions of the fireworks outside as if they were blooming in his heart and mind. He opened his mouth, and his wanton voice was drowned by the sound of the fireworks. Only Yan Mingting could hear it clearly.


    After New Year¡¯s Eve, the vassal kings and envoys from all over the country should leave, and Yan Mingting was responsible for sending these people out the city gate. It was only that the king of Nanjiang had not left for a long time. He said that he enjoyed the delicious food in the capital and wanted to stay for a day or two, so he waited another two days before leaving with the princess of Nanjiang.


    When the princess of Nanjiang saw Yan Mingting, she scoffed coldly and rolled her eyes, which were full of mockery.


    Yan Mingting turned a blind eye to her, and after seeing them off, he returned to the General¡¯s Mansion to wait for Zuo Ran.


    ¡°Why did the king of Nanjiang wait these two days?¡±


    ¡°The princess of Nanjiang vanished from the inn for a few days,¡± Zuo Ran replied in a low voice. She had been placed at the inn by Yan Mingting as a female guard in order to care for the female relatives, but could only stay inside the inn to avoid suspicion. ¡°The king of Nanjiang¡¯s people only found out about it last night, and they quarreled. I eavesdropped for a while and it was something about men and going to bed. I figured the princess was out to meet a man privately.¡±


    Yan Mingting frowned. He found He Cuizhang again and asked him to investigate which men had been loitering outside without going home these past few days. However, after several days of searching, He Cuizhang shook his head and sighed: ¡°Because of the visiting envoys, the curfew was particularly strict this year. Except for those who stayed in brothels, the other men honestly stayed at home to celebrate the new year.¡±


    That was strange. A dignified princess couldn¡¯t go to a brothel to find a man, could she?


    Thinking of the disdain in the princess of Nanjiang¡¯s eyes when she left, it could be seen that the status of the man they were looking for was not simple.


    He told Zhao Yelan about this and asked, could it be Zhao Xuan?


    ¡°It can¡¯t be him,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°I heard that he has been staying in Concubine Xian¡¯s palace for the past few days. And if he wanted to recruit the princess of Nanjiang into the palace, wouldn¡¯t it be better to do it in an upright manner instead of sneaking around?¡±


    ¡°But I really can¡¯t think of anyone with a higher status than me¡­..¡± Yan Mingting said, and suddenly gave Zhao Yelan a meaningful look.


    ¡°Do you want to be beaten?¡± Zhao Yelan angrily twisted his ear. ¡°Who has been sleeping next to you every night these days?¡±


    ¡°You, you, you, who else but you?¡± Yan Mingting repeatedly begged for mercy. ¡°It¡¯s just habit. After all, your status in my heart is indeed very high.¡±

 CH 82

    Today, Zhao Yelan was summoned to the palace. Three days later would be the worship ceremony for the late emperor, and Zhao Xuan invited him to discuss some important details.


    Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t want to make it too grand, but the Xuan Dynasty had always attached great importance to worship rituals, so a superficial attempt was necessary.


    But Zhao Xuan came to him not only to discuss how to hold the worship ceremony, which the Ministry of Rites was in charge of, but how to deal with the people in the other palace.


    There was also a former prince under house arrest in that palace.


    When Zhao Xuan seized the throne, the deposed prince was the first to be toppled, and then the other families began to move and seek power. When the Second Prince and Fourth Prince saw that Zhao Xuan was beginning to show his power, they joined forces and sent people to assassinate him. However, there was no danger at that time. The Gold Collar Guard rescued him in time, and Zhao Yelan also blocked an arrow for him. Afterwards, the two planned to kill the two princes.


    Now, apart from Zhao Xuan, there was only the former Crown Prince and a timid and simple Fifth Prince. After Zhao Xuan ascended the throne, the Fifth Prince was sent to the northern border as a vassal lord. During the New Year, he even went to Beijing to attend the state banquet, but had not returned at this point and would wait until the ceremony was over before departing.


    ¡°The people from the Ministry of Rites say that the former Crown Prince should participate in the worship ceremony. Is there any way to prevent him from participating?¡± Zhao Xuan asked.


    ¡°There is, assassinate him before he can participate,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Zhao Xuan laughed: ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that give the Ministry of Rites and that Imperial Censor more topics to play with?¡±


    Zhao Yelan sighed: ¡°Why is that fellow still not dead?¡±


    It was called the ¡®other palace,¡¯ but it was actually a deserted cold palace on the mountainside on the outskirts of the city. There were only a dozen or so servants to clean it, and the former Crown Prince, who was self-indulgent by nature, suffered a lot.


    They had originally thought it would take a few years for him to die, but last year, Yu Junliang was sent to visit the other palace, and when he returned, he said that the other party was a bit crazy, but still alive.


    ¡°No matter, forgive him for not being in good condition. Let him participate, and let the Father Emperor in the sky also see how shameful his favorite prince is now,¡± Zhao Xuan said. ¡°You take someone to the other palace to inform him.¡±


    ¡°Shi.¡±


    After Zhao Yelan left the palace, he set off immediately. When he passed the market, he happened to bump into Yan Mingting, who was on patrol.


    Yan Mingting asked where he was going, and he told him about the other palace.


    ¡°I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± Yan Mingting glanced at the dozen or so guards the other party had brought and whispered, ¡°Why bring the Imperial Guard? Don¡¯t you know that your husband is a great general, ah? There are so many people under him. You can go to the training grounds and pick a few who are better than these people.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was amused, and said: ¡°The Emperor arranged it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, wait until I find some new people.¡± Yan Mingting called out a few times on the road, and after a while, He Cuizhang, Zuo Ran, and some others appeared.


    Listening to the chirping of the group behind him, Zhao Yelan felt that he had brought a flock of birds along with him.


    ¡°When we get to the other palace, you should keep quiet. Do you hear me?¡±


    ¡°We hear you.¡± Everyone agreed again and again.


    The mountain road to the other palace was rugged. Fortunately, Yan Mingting was pulling him, and picked him up after walking for a while. When they came before the other palace, he quickly patted Yan Mingting on the back: ¡°Okay, okay, let me down quickly.¡±


    ¡°Why, we¡¯re already an old couple and you¡¯re still shy, ah,¡± Yan Mingting teased, letting him down.


    ¡°You all wait outside.¡± After speaking, Zhao Yelan turned around and walked inside, only to find that Yan Mingting had also followed. He said, ¡°You also wait for me outside, ba.¡±


    ¡°Not possible, I heard that the former crown prince is a little crazy. I must protect your safety.¡±


    Zhao Yelan still had some misgivings, and urged: ¡°Then he will talk some nonsense later, you must not worry about it.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Yan Mingting looked around. The palace had been abandoned for a long time, and even the servants were somewhat perfunctory.


    Zhao Yelan had been here several times, so when the servants saw him, they called out ¡®Zhao-daren.¡± But when they looked at Yan Mingting again, they were a little dazed, as if they didn¡¯t know who he was.


    There was no access to news here, and even the food was brought up by people from the bottom of the mountain. It was likely that Yan Mingting deeds were rarely heard of, let alone his appearance.


    The two of them didn¡¯t intend to make more introductions, and walked straight inside until they came to a door and saw a person lying on the floor beside the bed, holding a jug of wine in his hand. He held it high, and half of the wine fell into his mouth while the other half dripped on his face. He laughed loudly: ¡°Good wine, good wine, waiter, serve me another jar.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked inside and said: ¡°The worship ceremony of the late emperor will be held in three days, and the First Prince is invited to attend.¡±


    Turning to look at him, Zhao Xu asked after a while: ¡°Zhao Yelan? You¡¯re here again?¡±


    Zhao Yelan remained silent.


    Zhao Xu sneered and threw the jug at him, only to be stopped by Yan Mingting, who frowned at Zhao Xu with displeasure.


    Zhao Xu¡¯s eyes fell on him again, and they were full of mockery. He then said: ¡°Zhao Yelan, lapdog, how are you worthy of talking to me?¡±


    Unperturbed, Zhao Yelan walked up to him and stepped on his hand that was on the ground. He looked down and said: ¡°If I¡¯m a lapdog, who are you? A beast that is not as good as a pig or a dog.¡±


    He would always remember that when he was in the dungeon, this beast swaggered into the cell and picked out young and beautiful women. This pair of rotten hands even touched his mother¡¯s chin as he said sarcastically: ¡°Good-looking is good-looking, but you¡¯re a bit old. I¡¯m looking for young birds.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Zhao Xu¡¯s fingers were crushed hard, and after Zhao Yelan lifted his foot, he immediately rolled on the ground with his arms folded, his eyes red. ¡°Zhao Yelan! You just wait! Sooner or later, I will definitely peel off your skin!¡±


    Zhao Yelan slapped him across the face: ¡°Then how about I kill you now?¡±


    ¡°You dare!¡± Zhao Xu covered his face and looked at him furiously. Glancing at Yan Mingting from the corner of his eye, he thought of something and sneered, then suddenly said, ¡°I have something to tell you. Troubling you to make Zhao Yelan get out.¡±


    Yan Mingting was displeased, and ignored him altogether.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know the real cause of the old general¡¯s death?¡± Zhao Xu asked.


    Yan Mingting was startled at once, and looked at him in disbelief: ¡°What do you know?¡±


    Zhao Xu glanced at Zhao Yelan with obvious meaning.


    ¡°You go outside and wait for me for a while,¡± Yan Mingting whispered.


    Zhao Yelan walked out the door anxiously, and couldn¡¯t hear the voices from inside.


    Yan Mingting walked up to him: ¡°Will you speak now?¡±


    ¡°It was ordered by Zhao Xuan.¡± Zhao Xu lowered his voice.


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Yan Mingting controlled his temper.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t want to believe it. Did the Imperial physician he sent to the border for you win the father and son¡¯s hearts?¡± Zhao Xu paused and said, ¡°I heard with my own ears when he ordered the Imperial physician to poison the old general¡¯s wine. This was in order to let you take charge of the army, so that you would be obedient because of a little kindness. Look, aren¡¯t you qualified as a dog now?¡±


    Yan Mingting became short of breath. After a while, he took a deep breath and looked at him fixedly: ¡°Is what you said true?¡±


    ¡°I swear to Heaven.¡±


    Zhao Yelan waited outside the door for a while, and when he heard the door open, he stepped forward anxiously and asked: ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°Go home first, I have something to do.¡± After speaking, Yan Mingting asked Xiao Gao and Zuo Ran to take him back, then called He Cuizhang aside, giving him a few instructions with a hasty expression before leaving quickly.


    ¡°Yan Mingting!¡± Zhao Yelan shouted. The other disappeared in the blink of an eye, and he turned to ask He Cuizhang what had happened.


    He Cuizhang also wore an extremely nervous expression, and he only asked Xiao Gao to take him back to the General¡¯s Mansion quickly before disappearing with the others.


    Zhao Xu¡¯s wild laughter came from the room.


    ¡°What exactly did you tell him?¡± Zhao Yelan asked, walking in quickly with a dark expression.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, you became Zhao Xuan¡¯s lapdog. Did you ever think that he would die one day?¡± Zhao Xu said sorrowfully, ¡°Especially dying at the hands of Yan Mingting?¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s pupils shrank abruptly.


    ¡°If Yan Mingting murders the emperor and rebels, do you want to help Yan Mingting or Zhao Xuan?¡±


    Zhao Yelan immediately guessed that the killer he mentioned was Zhao Xuan.


    He couldn¡¯t be sure if it was Zhao Xuan, just as Zhao Xuan didn¡¯t know that he had arranged a spy in Beijing. It was impossible for him to know everything about Zhao Xuan like the back of his hand.


    But he intuitively felt that it wasn¡¯t him. Although Zhao Xuan did everything possible to win his position, it was true that he had the country in his heart, and there was no reason to kill the old general.


    But what if¡­¡­


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t dare to think about the one in ten thousand possibility. He walked quickly out of the other palace and descended the mountain with haste. However, the terrain was rough, and his footsteps were too slow. It was already evening when he returned to the city, and he walked without stopping toward the palace.


    ¡°My Lord, the General and Brother He asked me to take you back home,¡± Xiao Gao said awkwardly.


    ¡°Then you go follow them instead of me.¡± After speaking, Zhao Yelan saw a horse at the side of the road. He quickly mounted it, tossed a piece of silver to its master, and hurried to the gate of the palace.


    Xiao Gao had no choice but to run behind fearfully, worried that he would fall off. Fortunately, the General had taught his disciple well, and his lord arrived at his destination quickly and steadily. He was, however, a little flustered when he got off the horse.


    Xiao Gao couldn¡¯t follow him further inside, so he took the short weapon from Zhao Yelan¡¯s body.


    It was forbidden to bring weapons through the palace gate unless one had a special status, such as the General.


    Zhao Yelan asked the guards in a fluster: ¡°Has Yan Mingting entered the palace? Did he leave behind his sword?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, it¡¯s been half an hour since he went in.¡± As soon as the guard finished speaking, Zhao Yelan turned around and ran in.


    The number of guards patrolling the palace had clearly increased by a lot. Zhao Yelan questioned them all the way, and finally came to a side hall. He heard that Zhao Xuan was arranging defenses with the new commander of the Imperial Guard, and hurried into the hall.


    ¡°Why are you here? Didn¡¯t anyone pass you a message?¡± Zhao Xuan stopped and gave the commander a meaningful look, and the commander promptly retreated, leaving only the two of them in the hall.


    ¡°Did Yan Mingting come to look for you?¡±[1] Zhao Yelan blurted out.


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Xuan raised his eyebrows. ¡°You¡¯re so nervous that you forgot your honorifics?¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t pay it much mind, asking: ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°Not here,¡± Zhao Xuan said.


    ¡°Where did you take him?¡± Zhao Yelan asked, stepping forward.


    Zhao Xuan gazed at him silently.


    After staring at each other for a moment, Zhao Yelan lowered his voice and asked word by word: ¡°Did you send someone to poison the old general?¡±


    Zhao Xuan frowned, looked into his eyes, and suddenly pointed at him and laughed. Supporting himself on the desk behind him, he laughed uncontrollably and then swept the booklets on the desk to the floor.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan! Who are you speaking to? Who are you suspecting?!¡±


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°I want you to say it, was it you or not?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for so many years, am I actually this kind of person in your heart?¡± Zhao Xuan spoke in a hoarse voice. He had forgotten to use his honorific title, as if they had returned to the old days, but this was not truly the past.


    Zhao Yelan sized him up for a while, paused for a moment on the throbbing veins on his forehead, and then crouched down and picked up the booklets one by one, saying: ¡°It¡¯s good that it wasn¡¯t you.¡±


    Zhao Xuan looked down at him: ¡°What if it was me? Would you rebel with him?¡±


    Shaking his head, Zhao Yelan got up and put the booklets back on the table, saying: ¡°I never thought of turning against you. No matter what, you are my savior. Without you, there would be no Zhao Yelan today. But if you want to kill my person¡­¡­¡±


    The following words were unfinished, but Zhao Xuan had already guessed them. He smiled desolately: ¡°You are actually willing to abandon me for him and bear the charge of regicide?¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyes: ¡°Not only for him, but also for myself. If something happened to him, it would be difficult for me to live on, so I would definitely stand by his side.¡±


    ¡°What live on?¡± Yan Mingting appeared at the entrance of the main hall.


    Zhao Yelan turned his head and went to him in two or three steps, asking with a frown: ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I just went to arrange the defenses of the palace and the capital.¡± Yan Mingting touched his somewhat messy hair. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go back to the mansion first? Why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°Could I go home with peace of mind?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yan Mingting smiled: ¡°That¡¯s right, thanks for your hard work. If you didn¡¯t make a show for Zhao Xu, I feared he would not make his next move.¡±


    ¡°What move?¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes darkened slightly: ¡°Do you still remember the private meeting between the Princess of Nanjiang and a man after New Year¡¯s Eve?¡±


    ¡°Could it be him?¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded his head: ¡°Zhao Xu told me that His Majesty sent an Imperial physician to poison my father. I just asked His Majesty for confirmation. You were the one who sent the Imperial physician to the border, and during this time, His Majesty never intervened in the matter. And you, there is absolutely no way you would do such a thing, so Zhao Xu could only have lied.¡±


    ¡°When he finished talking about this, I was thinking, the servants in the other palace didn¡¯t know who I was, so why did he recognize me? He also knew the two of us had a good relationship, and even knew everything about my father being poisoned? Either he really heard His Majesty make that order, or¡­¡­.he was the murderer.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    ¡°So you came to the palace to seek confirmation?¡± Zhao Xuan had calmed down by now. Recalling the scene in the other palace, he suddenly said, ¡°You deliberately snubbed me in front of him, and then secretly sent He Cuizhang and the others to guard the other palace?¡±


    Yan Mingting nodded: ¡°For him to hit the grass to startle the snake like this, he must have a second move planned. And he has long lost his eyes and ears in the capital, unless he found a new backer and a way out.¡±


    ¡°The Princess of Nanjiang.¡± Zhao Yelan turned to ask Zhao Xuan, ¡°When the King of Nanjiang came to the capitol, did he bring the princess with him?¡±


    ¡°He did one time, and it seemed that they came to talk about a marriage. It was the Second Princess, not the Eighth Princess. But I was still in confinement back then, and Zhao Xu, the Crown Prince, was in charge of receiving them,¡± Zhao Xuan said.


    Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting exchanged glances: ¡°It is very likely that they have been secretly working in the dark.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As soon as the Princess of Nanjiang left, Zhao Xu couldn¡¯t wait to raise this matter to anger me. On the one hand, he wanted to see if he could instigate me, and on the other, he had already arranged to escape from the capital, and he was worried that we would bring him directly to the palace to participate in the ceremony, which would ruin his plans.¡±


    ¡°Then when the Princess of Nanjiang said she wanted to marry you, that was just to test you out,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting nodded, glancing sideways at Zhao Xuan: ¡°Your Majesty, if I beheaded the First Prince with the Chisha Sword, would you blame me?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Xu had an affair with the princess of another country, and had the intention of committing treason. You can cut first and ask permission later.¡±


    Yan Mingting cupped his hands. The veins in his hands stood out, and with dark but resolute eyes, he turned and left the hall while gripping the sword on his body.


    Then, it was unknown what he had thought of, but he turned around to call: ¡°Mengting, just wait for me here.¡±


    The palace was much safer than outside. Zhao Yelan walked to the door and sadi: ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Yan Mingting whispered in his ear worriedly, ¡°You just stay here, don¡¯t get too close to him, do you hear me?¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Zhao Xuan: ¡°I can hear you.¡±


    Yan Mingting hadn¡¯t controlled his volume at all, and said it on purpose. He just raised his chin and left with haste.


    Zhao Xuan resignedly walked to the door to watch him go, and Zhao Yelan subtly moved two steps to the side.


    ¡°¡­¡­.Am I some kind of plague god?¡±


    Zhao Yelan also felt that his subconscious action was a little funny, and touched his nose in embarrassment, laughing softly.


    [1] Zhao Yelan uses the casual ¡®you¡¯ here (Äã) instead of a more respectful honorific when addressing the emperor. ?

 CH 83

    Yan Mingting returned to the mansion first, took the Chisha Sword, and went to the ancestral hall to burn incense for his father before going out with the sword.


    When he rushed to the other palace without stopping, He Cuizhang and the others were no longer there. Only a group of flustered servants remained.


    He found one of them and asked: ¡°Where is Zhao Xu?¡±


    ¡°He, he fled,¡± the servant said tremblingly. ¡°Just now, a group of men in black suddenly appeared and fought with a group of soldiers, and then secretly took him away.¡±


    Yan Mingting searched around again. If he fought He Cuizhang and the others, there would definitely be some casualties. In the end, he found some scattered corpses on the way down the mountain.


    He tore the mask off a corpse. The costume and headgear were obviously from Nanjiang, and his face was already turning black, likely because he had poisoned himself.


    At this time, a flare lit up in the sky. This was their signal arrow. He immediately ran in that direction and found He Cuizhang and the others outside the city gate.


    ¡°General, those people were using poisoned arrows and gas, and escaped,¡± He Cuizhang said guiltily.


    ¡°Which way did they go?¡±


    ¡°They were very clever, and scattered in all directions. I have sent people to chase them separately, but there are not enough people and I fear their tricks,¡± He Cuizhang said.


    ¡°You go back and send more people to chase after them, I¡¯m afraid something big is going to happen.¡± After Yan Mingting gave orders in a heavy voice, he followed the main road to Nanjiang until dawn. Seeing neither the fleeing group nor hearing from the other teams, he returned.


    Morning court had already started, so Yan Mingting walked directly into the main hall, reported the previous night¡¯s situation, and said: ¡°The Nanjiang people took away our prince without fear, either because of internal problems, or because the entirety of Najiang has the intention to rebel.¡±


    The officials were in an uproar. They didn¡¯t expect that the King of Nanjiang would dare to do such a rebellious thing not long after he left Beijing. They were also surprised that the useless prince still found a chance to escape. The goal was very clear ¨C most likely, he was coming for the throne.


    Zhao Xuan said: ¡°General Yan did not return last night, so I have already sent someone to spread the order to search all the strongholds. This person must be brought to justice. There are people arranged by us in Nanjiang, and if there is any change, we will definitely be informed.¡±


    Not only that, but Zhao Xuan also mentioned the cause of the old General Yan¡¯s death. The officials were indignant, and asked Yan Mingting for details.


    Now that the murderer had been identified, Yan Mingting explained everything in detail. In any case, he would kill Zhao Xu with his own hands sooner or later, so as to save the Imperial Censor time impeaching him for the great crime of disrespecting the royal family.


    After learning that the death of the old general was related to Nanjiang, some people who had attended the banquet began to recall the details.


    Li Jinyu suddenly said: ¡°Speaking of which, I remember one thing. When Nanjaing showed us Gu poison, I inadvertently saw the former prince and the Eighth Princess of Nanjiang exchanging poison in the corner. It¡¯s just that everyone was making exchanges at that time, so I didn¡¯t think much about it.¡±


    ¡°Was the poison colorless and odorless?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°It seemed to be so.¡±


    ¡°It appears that the matter has become clear. The former Crown Prince and the Eighth Princess knew each other in the early years, and secretly communicated with each other. They covertly gave and received poison, and poisoned General Yan, who was serving the country and the people, committing a heinous crime. Forthwith, the fugitive Zhao Xu will be hunted down across the nation.¡±


    After court was dismissed, Yang Mingting followed Zhao Xuan to the side hall, where Zhao Yelan was.


    As soon as he walked to the door, he saw Zhao Yelan seated on a chair, dozing off with one hand on his forehead and a city defense map on his lap.


    ¡°Mengting.¡± Yan Mingting walked in quickly.


    Hearing this voice, Zhao Yelan opened his eyes, and his voice was hoarse when he spoke: ¡°You¡¯re back? Have they been found?¡±


    ¡°They got away,¡± Yan Mingting said, removing his cloak and putting it on him. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting a long time, let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Zhao Yelan stood up, pounded his legs, and followed him to leave.


    ¡°Go back and have a good rest. I will let you know if something happens,¡± Zhao Xuan said.


    After returning to the General¡¯s Mansion, Yan Mingting brought him back to their room and asked: ¡°You¡¯ve been in the side hall since last night?¡±


    ¡°En, didn¡¯t you tell me not to run around?¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to get away so smoothly, so I was delayed until now.¡± Yan Mingting removed his outer layers and tucked him under the blanket. ¡°Sleep for a while, I will wake you up later.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t sleep.¡± Yan Mingting shook his head. He held his hand and remained quiet for a while, then, a little choked up with emotion, he said: ¡°Mengting, I can¡¯t sleep. I can¡¯t sleep when I think that my father¡¯s murderer and enemy escaped right out from under my nose.¡±


    Zhao Yelan touched his cheek: ¡°You will definitely catch him with your own hands.¡±


    Nodding, Yan Mingting turned around and went to the study. He took out a detailed map of the Xuan Dynasty and a border map, comparing the routes repeatedly and trying to block all possible escape routes.


    He Cuizhang and the others also came and awaited his orders.


    After the group of people discussed the tracking route, they heard footsteps outside, and Zhao Yelan appeared in the doorway: ¡°You said they fled without a trace?¡±


    ¡°Why are you up?¡± Yan Mingting walked to the door and replied: ¡°We chased them all night without finding any trace.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps Zhao Xu didn¡¯t escape from the capital at all?¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°I also thought of this possibility. I arranged for people to investigate in Beijing, but I haven¡¯t heard anything yet,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°Don¡¯t miss a single corner. He is probably hiding in the capital and waiting for an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°En, a meticulous search has been launched.¡± Yan Mingting coaxed him to sleep again.


    After three days and three nights of searching, no sign of Zhao Xu was found in the capital, and there was no news from other routes. Zhao Xu seemed to have evaporated from the world, and the trail became a mystery.


    The palace finally received some news involving a secret report from Nanjiang that a coup had taken place within the Nanjiang royal family.


    After the King of Nanjiang returned this year, he was put under house arrest jointly by the Eighth Princess and her elder brother, the Second Prince. Simultaneously, the eldest prince was executed. Just five days ago, the Second Prince ascended the throne as King of Nanjiang, and the reason was to emulate Zhao Xuan in seizing the throne. He also spoke wildly about expanding the territory and no longer bowing their heads to the Xuan Dynasty, and was actively persuading the subjects in Nanjiang to attack the Xuan Dynasty.


    ¡°Absurd!¡± Zhao Xuan was so angry that he threw the note in the hall. ¡°The new King of Nanjiang is raising such a clamor. What do you think?¡±


    The officials were furious, and the voices of the pro-war faction were the loudest. Today was different from the past. The soldiers had been back in Beijing for a year and had recharged their energy. They had sufficient combat power and enough strength to deal with the new King of Nanjiang.


    Yang Mingting even took the initiative to volunteer to lead the army out in person.


    Zhao Yelan only learned about this when he returned from the Imperial Academy in the evening, and didn¡¯t say a word during dinner. Yan Mingting picked dishes for him several times, bathed and washed his back in the evening, and told several jokes, but received no response.


    Lying down, Yan Mingting hugged him and became extremely quiet.


    The two of them kept silent with their eyes open for a long time before Zhao Yelan asked: ¡°When do you set off?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°The food, fodder, army, and horses are ready?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Zhao Yelan knew that he couldn¡¯t be stopped. Whether publicly or privately, Yan Mingting should go. He sighed deeply, then got up, lit a candle, and walked out the door.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Yan Mingting immediately chased after him.


    The two came to the kitchen one after the other. Zhao Yelan rummaged around for a long time, then packed up a lot of steamed buns and handed the bundles over to him.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry: ¡°We have prepared dried food.¡±


    Zhao Yelan ignored his words completely and kicked open Xiao Gao¡¯s door, causing him to be so frightened that he knelt up directly from the bed. He rubbed his eyes and asked sleepily: ¡°What does My Lord need from me?¡±


    ¡°Where are you hiding all your tanghulu?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Xiao Gao pointed to the drawer under the table.


    After opening it, Zhao Yelan confiscated the dozen or so tanghulu inside and stuffed them all into Yan Mingting¡¯s luggage. It could be described as aboveboard robbery.


    Xiao Gao was dumbfounded, and Yan Mingting was even more dumbfounded. Then he laughed.


    The two of them returned to the room. Zhao Yelan took out his two short knives and small crossbow and arrows, asking: ¡°Do you think these can be used?¡±


    Yan Mingting said with a smile: ¡°You can use these for self-defense.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was a little discouraged. It was unknown what occurred to him, but he went to the cabinet in the corner, fiddled with it furtively for a long time, and then took out a box and set it in front of him: ¡°Take this, ba.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Yan Mingting opened the box and found that it was full of bank notes. They were also exchanged into notes from various banks, so that one would not be afraid to travel all over the territory of the Xuan Dynasty.


    Looking at the thick stack of banknotes, he suddenly felt like his hands were burning a little: ¡°What are you giving me these for?¡±


    ¡°In the event that you run out of food and fodder, use this in an emergency,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°¡­¡­So many banknotes, are you willing?¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at it with an aching heart, then looked away and comforted himself: ¡°After spending money, I can make money back.¡±


    With a smile on his lips, Yan Mingting put the banknotes back, closed the lid, and handed it to him: ¡°This is your baby, I can¡¯t take it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I only need you to stay at home and rest assured that I will come back. You don¡¯t need to worry about things like military rations. If the Imperial court can¡¯t satisfy us with even this little thing, then we don¡¯t need to fight this battle.¡±


    Of course he understood this reasoning, but Zhao Yelan was worried and couldn¡¯t follow in person. The battlefield changed rapidly. Yan Mingting had fought for so many years, and his strength could not be underestimated. His own frail body could not be taken along as a burden to him. Furthermore, he wanted to ensure the smooth progress of the front lines from within the capital, so as to avoid things like what happened to the old general. He must urge the people in the capital to support the front lines honestly. There must be no mistakes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Second Prince and the Eighth Princess are just two jesters, I will be able to clean them up soon. I only hope that Zhao Xu has already arrived in Nanjiang so that I can kill him straightaway,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Zhao Yelan nodded. Thinking of something, he felt on his body and found a safety talisman, the one that Li-niang had beseeched him to take. He tied it around Yan Mingting¡¯s neck: ¡°It¡¯s too late to find a new one. Use what you have first, and I will ask for another one for you later.¡±


    Yan Mingting looked down and said with a smile: ¡°I remember you don¡¯t believe in gods or Buddha. During the drought, you said yourself that you don¡¯t believe in gods, and only believe that man can conquer nature.¡±


    Zhao Yelan raised his eyes and glanced at him. Without saying a word, he just fastened the string hard.


    After keeping so busy preparing things the whole night, Yan Mingting had more big packs, which he carried on his shoulders at dawn, and the feeling of parting became stronger.


    The two embraced silently for a moment, and then Yan Mingting led him outside. He Cuizhang was already waiting outside the door, and said: ¡°The soldiers have arrived at the city gates.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, ba.¡± Yan Mingting mounted his horse neatly and turned to look at Zhao Yelan.


    Zhao Yelan raised his head and said: ¡°Give me a ride. Just one ride.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Yan Mingting stretched out his hand and pulled him onto the horse, and the two rode toward the city gates.


    The common people had already heard the news that the General was about to leave again. They all came out one after another to see him off, and the road was soon full of people. The soldiers¡¯ relatives came to see them off, and Yin Pinglu was among the crowd, saying goodbye to Zuo Ran.


    Zhao Yelan dismounted when they reached the city wall, and in the blink of an eye, Yan Mingting was enthusiastically surrounded by the common people.


    At this time, someone grabbed Zhao Yelan, who was almost hit by someone. He turned his head and saw that it was Gu Niaoniao, so he walked to the corner and looked ahead, saying in a low voice: ¡°Is there still no news of Zhao Xu in Beijing?¡±


    Gu Niaoniao shook her head: ¡°None. How long will the General¡¯s trip be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhao Yelan looked at the man on the horse. ¡°He should be back soon, he¡¯s Yan Mingting, ah.¡±


    Yan Mingting accepted the blessings of the people and raised his head to seek out Zhao Yelan¡¯s figure, but saw him turn around and go up the city wall.


    The corners of his mouth curved. Riding the horse out the city gate, he went to the front of the team, and with the wave of a flag, led the mighty army to set off.


    After walking hundreds of meters, Yan Mingting could still see the vague figure on the city wall when he turned his head. At this moment, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Zuo Ran holding onto the safety amulet on her chest and asked: ¡°Where did you get the safety talisman?¡±


    ¡°Pinglu got it for me years ago,¡± Zuo Ran said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Yan Mingting pointed to the two big bundles on his shoulders. ¡°Mengting prepared these for me in a hurry last night. If he started preparing years ago, it is likely that there would be two carriages full. Can you believe it?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡±


    He Cuizhang: ¡°That¡¯s enough from you two! Can you have a care for this single man?¡±


    Until the team completely vanished from sight, Zhao Yelan continued to stand on the city wall, staring in the direction of their journey dazedly. Xiao Gao called him several times, but he didn¡¯t answer. It wasn¡¯t until a carrier pigeon flew onto his shoulder that he finally regained his composure.


    ¡°There¡¯s a letter.¡± Xiao Gao caught the pigeon curiously, removed the bamboo tube, and took out the letter inside, handing it to Zhao Yelan.


    The range within which pigeons could deliver letters was relatively small. Zhao Yelan guessed who had sent it immediately. He opened the letter promptly and saw that it read ¡ª


    Go back quickly to eat on time and rest early. Check back in with me.


    No matter the distance, I only hope you will be safe.

 CH 84

    Half a month after Yan Mingting left, there was nothing unusual about the General¡¯s Mansion, but Zhao Yelan was a little busier. He left early and returned late every day, and was often called into the palace to discuss matters about Nanjiang. At the same time, he did not give up searching for Zhao Xu¡¯s trail.


    Judging from the current situation, Zhao Xu may have fled to Nanjiang, united with the new king in order to seize power, and then triggered a war with the Xuan Dynasty in an attempt to usurp the throne.


    But Zhao Yelan also suspected that Zhao Xu may not have escaped yet and must still be hiding in some corner. He should have been in touch with Nanjiang long ago, but Zhao Xu probably still had eyes and ears in the capital.


    He informed Zhao Xuan of these concerns, and Zhao Xuan replaced the Imperial Guard with a group of loyal people, then searched the officials¡¯ mansions. He cast a wide net, but no one was found.


    Zhao Xuan even believed that the person had already fled to Nanjiang, and waited for Yan Mingting to execute these wolf-minded people on the spot.


    ¡°The army has been traveling day and night, and has reached the border of Nanjiang.¡± Zhao Xuan handed him the memorial.


    There were only a few concise words on it, reporting the itinerary and the battle plans, but Zhao Yelan looked at it for a long time, as if he wanted to read every stroke forever.


    Zhao Xuan snatched the letter from his hand: ¡°If you continue to read, it will be dark.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave an embarrassed smile.


    ¡°Did he not write to you?¡± Zhao Xuan asked curiously.


    ¡°He wrote.¡±


    Naturally, he wrote, but it was different from the solemn tone of this letter. The letters to him were full of Yan Mingting¡¯s distinct personal style.


    If he saw any strange flowers or birds on the road, he must describe them in detail, and then include a feather or a flower petal in the letter.


    Even though he traveled hard, he would complain for a full page, asking for comfort between the lines. Unlike the short sentence in this letter: ¡°Already at the border.¡±


    Yan Mingting probably wrote letters any time he was free, so Zhao Yelan received one or two letters almost every day. It was as if this person had never traveled far away, and kept nagging in his ear.


    He also wrote back, and when he received feathers and flower petals, he sent some freshly dried tea leaves from home.


    Yan Mingting mentioned missing him in the letters, so he drew a small portrait of himself. Smiling viciously as he picked up the brush, he drew it half-clothed.


    Yan Mingting opened it and almost got a nosebleed, then sent him back some erotic poetry.


    When Zhao Yelan received the letter, he couldn¡¯t help but blush slightly, thinking that he was becoming more and more shameless. If this letter were to be stolen, he would be too ashamed to live in this world.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? Why are you blushing?¡± Zhao Xuan asked.


    Zhao Yelan returned to his senses: ¡°Your Majesty misunderstands, I just¡­..feel a little hot. It¡¯s so hot today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡± Zhao Xuan pointed to the curtain of rain outside.


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    There was a lot of rain in spring, and when it didn¡¯t stop, Zhao Xuan asked him to stay for a meal. The two people ate and conversed about the current situation, which really reminded them of scenes in their past.


    Zhao Xuan noticed that he had been gazing outside at the rain and wet flowers, and asked: ¡°Are you still afraid of the rain?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback for a moment, and looked away. Many images suddenly appeared in his mind, and finally dispersed like a passing cloud. He shook his head and smiled: ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of my parents when it rains for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you thinking about?¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked to the side, at the rain-soaked flowers outside the door, thinking of this time last year. He had looked at the withered flowers and plants in the mansion the same way, his heart like ashes, as if the entire world was full of clouds and rain, unable to see a glimmer of light for the future.


    ¡°I was wondering when the sun would come out,¡± Zhao Yelan said with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s already youshi. Even if the rain stops, the sun won¡¯t come out.¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded, thinking that his sun had already risen.


    After the army entered Nanjiang, there were fewer letters. Firstly because the journey took them far away, and secondly because Yan Mingting became busy.


    Yan Mingting did not directly attack Nanjiang, but first went to meet with several other princes in secret. After finding allies, they decided to rescue the former king of Nanjiang together. They were willing to help Nanjiang clean up their internal affairs in the name of assisting them, on the condition that they restore the original friendly relations and make regular pilgrimages.


    The common people of Nanjiang were divided into two factions, those who advocated for war and those who advocated for peace. Not long after the civil strife broke out, Yan Mingting entered with the army of the Xuan Dynasty, and the situation became even more severe.


    The newly-appointed king and the Eighth Princess of Nanjiang directly led troops to confront Yan Mingting head-on, threatening to drive foreigners and traitors out of Nanjiang. War was imminent.


    The terrain in Nanjiang was remote and rugged, which was not conducive to immediate combat. In addition, the Gu poison in Najiang was very powerful, and the Eighth Princess and others dared to usurp the throne and start a war in advance because they had already made sufficient preparations for combat. This battle would not be an easy task.


    Before leaving, in order to reassure Zhao Yelan, Yan Mingting said that the battle in Nanjiang would be easy. But he knew that no war was easy.


    Zhao Yelan had not received a letter for five days. The last one said that he had reached a cooperation with several Nanjiang princes. Although these people were not very clever, at least they were well-educated and could understand the local environment, so they could give some guidance to the army.


    Zhao Yelan estimated the time. They should be in a state of war now, and it was finally no longer peaceful. It was difficult to sleep or eat.


    When everything was quiet at night, Xiao Gao heard movement outside and ran out quickly. He found Zhao Yelan running, and hurried to catch up: ¡°My Lord, why haven¡¯t you rested yet, ah?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I just got up to exercise,¡± Zhao Yelan panted.


    He laid in the room for a long time, and when he closed his eyes, he saw Yan Mingting¡¯s figure in battle. He was constantly anxious, and because he couldn¡¯t see it with his own eyes, he was even more anxious. Touching the cold mattress next to the pillow, he felt no drowsiness, so he simply got up and stretched his muscles and bones to make himself stronger.


    If this happened again, he must follow in person.


    ¡°My Lord, you can¡¯t run like this.¡± Seeing that he had no strength left to walk but was still struggling to move forward, Xiao Gao persuaded him, ¡°The body also has limits, so be careful of hurting yourself in the end. When the General comes back, he will blame me for not looking after you well.¡±


    When Zhao Yelan heard this, he stopped by the pillar next to him and gasped for breath, asking with a smile: ¡°What will you tell him when he comes back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell him that we all missed him and give him all the tanghulu I bought recently,¡± Xiao Gao said generously.


    Zhao Yelan laughed, laughing and laughing, and suddenly coughed again.


    ¡°No good, the wind is very cold at night. Please go back to the room quickly, my lord, so as not to catch a cold.¡± Xiao Gao began to worry about his health again. When the General was here, he didn¡¯t have to worry about these things. The General took good care of his lord, and he hadn¡¯t caught a cold for a long time.


    If his lord got sick again while the General was away, he would be blamed!


    Xiao Gao took him back to the room in a fluster, then ran to the kitchen to cook medicine. He brought it back to the room and said cautiously: ¡°It¡¯s been raining recently. Just in case, my lord, why not drink some medicine first?¡±


    In fact, Zhao Yelan had just sneezed twice suddenly. He felt that there was nothing wrong with it, but when he looked at the medicine bowl, he still decided to finish it in one gulp. If he really did get sick, it would be bad for Yan Mingting to come back and see him that way.


    Three days later, the Imperial court received a letter from the front lines. The current battle was fierce, but they had the upper hand.


    Zhao Xuan sent someone to the Imperial Academy to inform Zhao Yelan. After receiving the news, Zhao Yelan heaved a sigh of relief and ate much faster.


    Ruan Xian and the others sat around eating and discussing events on the battlefield with him. Although these civil servants usually thought the soldiers were uncouth, at this time, they had to admire them.


    Zhao Yelan briefly spoke with them about the current situation, and then hurried to the Ministry of War to make sure the food and fodder were sufficient and inquire if the delivery teams were doing well.


    After confirming these things, he returned to the General¡¯s Mansion to ask if there were any letters today, and Housekeeper Qin hastily handed him the letter received that morning.


    Quickly opening it, he read the letter word for word with a smile on his face.


    ¡°What did the General say in the letter?¡± Seeing his long-lost smile, Housekeeper Qin surmised that it was good news, and couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming back,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    The report to the Imperial court used conservative words, but his own letter stated that the Eighth Princess¡¯s party was at the end of its strength, and they would be able to return to the Imperial court within a month.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming back!¡± Zhao Yelan repeated again.


    ¡°I heard, I heard, this old servant heard.¡± Housekeep Qin turned around with a smile and told the others the good news.


    Zhao Yelan still had to go to the Imperial Academy. He packed the letter and didn¡¯t even sit in a sedan chair, rushing over quickly all the way. As he walked, he suddenly laughed and jogged forward.


    At the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone.


    ¡°Aiyo, where are you going in such a hurry?¡± The other party asked.


    Upon hearing a familiar voice, Zhao Yelan raised his head to look at Gu Niaoniao and said with a smile: ¡°Yan Mingting is coming back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, it¡¯s a good thing, ah,¡± Gu Niaoniao said.


    Zhao Yelan nodded and asked her: ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. There¡¯s a difficult guest in the building, and I have to help him find something,¡± Gu Niaoniao said.


    ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    ¡°No need, I can handle it.¡± The corners of Gu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth twitched, and she asked again, ¡°When the army returns triumphantly, won¡¯t the emperor come out to greet them in person?¡±


    ¡°He should, to show respect and to reward them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, I won¡¯t talk anymore, I must go to work.¡±


    Just as Zhao Yelan walked away from her, he heard her call out to him again.


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, take care of your health during this time.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Seeing that she hesitated to speak, Zhao Yelan asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Also¡­..a new batch of tea and spices has arrived. Have Xiao Gao come over to pick them up some other day.¡± Gu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°You know I only give the best things to my friends.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send someone to pick it up when Yan Mingting returns. I¡¯ve been busy recently.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Ten days later, the Imperial court received good news from the front lines that the Second Prince and the Eighth Princess had been captured by Yan Mingting and beheaded personally. The old King of Nanjiang was rescued by Yan Mingting and sat on the throne again, signing an agreement to be everlasting friends with the Xuan Dynasty and pay tribute on pilgrimages.


    Zhao Yelan wrote the edict together with several scholars, and when it was handed over to the palace, Zhao Xuan jokingly asked him what reward he would seek for Yan Mingting this time.


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°This time, I just ask Your Majesty not to give him another marriage.¡±


    Zhao Xuan frowned slightly and said in embarrassment: ¡°It won¡¯t happen this time.¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°Speaking of which, we must both thank Your Majesty for the marriage contract.¡±


    Smiling helplessly, Zhao Xuan gave him an intent look: ¡°Mengting.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback. He hadn¡¯t mentioned this name for a long time, so he was startled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never really liked me, have you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment, and finally raised his head to look into his eyes: ¡°No.¡±


    Zhao Xuan placed his hands behind his back, clenching his fingers hard and then letting go helplessly. Ever since Zhao Yelan stopped hiding his feelings for Yan Mingting, he could more or less see what it looked like when Zhao Yelan really liked someone.


    He pretended for a long time, taking it seriously, but when he saw that the other party was sincere, he discovered how ridiculous it was to pretend.


    The two were quiet for a long time. Then, Zhao Xuan suddenly smiled: ¡°I¡¯m being selfish, but you¡¯re right not to like me. Because for me, it is absolutely impossible to give up the country just because of marrying a man.¡±


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth curled up: ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Only Yan Mingting doesn¡¯t care. He¡¯s clever and you are even moreso, so it¡¯s good for him to marry you.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± The smile in Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes deepened. ¡°Your Majesty knows everything.¡±


    As the two talked, they both felt unprecedentedly relaxed. Zhao Xuan had been sitting on the throne for a long time, and was no longer as tense as he was in the early days. Instead, he wanted to return to the most simple state and have one or two close friends, or a close confidant.


    ¡°All right, if you have nothing to do, you can go back first. I must go to Concubine Xian for dinner,¡± Zhao Xuan said.


    Zhao Yelan returned to the General¡¯s Mansion and opened the letter he had received today. Yan Mingting wrote that he had found no trace of Zhao Xu at the southern border. There was no choice but to send some people to stay and help the King of Nanjiang deal with follow-up matters while continuing to search the southern border.


    And he himself would hurry back.


    Lying in bed, Zhao Yelan read the letter several times before folding it and placing it under Yan Mingting¡¯s pillow.


    It had been forty-six days since Yan Mingting left, and there were thirty-nine letters stored under the pillow.


    Soon, these letters would be replaced by a person.


    As he thought of this, a smile appeared in Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes and he fell asleep on Yan Mingting¡¯s side.


    For a normal journey, it would take more than twenty days to get from Nanjiang to Beijing, but if Yan Mingting was on the road day and night, it would be at least half as fast.


    Thus, from the eighth day after receiving the letter, Zhao Yelan began to guard the city gate.


    He bumped into Li Yucheng several times and was laughed at: ¡°Yo, the husband-watching stone is going to the city gate again!¡±


    Zhao Yelan kicked him in the ass: ¡°Go handle your own business.¡±


    Li Yucheng covered his rump and laughed: ¡°I say, can you pay attention to your appearance in public?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback, and subconsciously thought he was talking about his reputation. Then he remembered that he only fell asleep in the middle of the night these days, so he must look very haggard.


    ¡°Go find Yin Pinglu,¡± Zhao Yelan ordered.


    Afterwards, Li Yucheng stood in the rouge shop, watching Yin Pinglu choose the powder and cream for Zhao Yelan¡­.he had to give a thumbs up.


    ¡°In terms of beauty, there is only you, Zhao Yelan.¡±


    Zhao Yelan started to go to bed early and get up early. Every day when he returned from the Imperial Academy, he would go back to the mansion, put on his best clothing, and go to the gate of the city to wait.


    After a few such days, everyone in the city knew about it and went to the city gate to see the excitement when they had nothing to do, which turned into a spectacle.


    On this day, Zhao Yelan came to the city gate again, and when he heard Li Yucheng calling him, he saw that the fellow had placed a chair beside him.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ve prepared a special seat for you. How tiring it is to stand all day long,¡± Li Yucheng said.


    Zhao Yelan gave him a blank look, then sat down on it grandly.


    Li Yucheng handed him a bunch of grapes.


    Under the city tower, there were still people shouting: ¡°Zhao-daren, do you want to buy some melon seeds?¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, I have sweet candied fruit for sale!¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, tanghulu! I¡¯m selling tanghulu, General Yan¡¯s favorite!¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    The setting sun began to fall toward the west, dyeing half of the sky red, and the common people also set aside their desire to watch the entertainment, going about their own affairs. The streets were full of people coming and going.


    At this time, there was the sound of a horse neighing in the distance.


    It was Yan Mingting¡¯s sweat-blood horse.


    Zhao Yelan suddenly stood up from the chair and looked far away, only to see the figure of a fast horse in the distance, and hurriedly ran down the city wall.


    ¡°Aiyo, slow down.¡± Li Yucheng watched in horror from behind, afraid that he would fall down the city wall. Fortunately, Xiao Gao immediately followed, which made him feel more at ease.


    Zhao Yelan hurried outside the gate. Hearing the sound of horseshoes getting closer and closer, he couldn¡¯t help but be overjoyed. His heart was about to leap out, and he tidied his hair and clothes while pretending to be calm.


    ¡°How do I look now?¡± Zhao Yelan asked Li Yucheng.


    ¡°Very good.¡± Li Yucheng nodded vigorously.


    Zhao Yelan looked forward again until he saw the sweat-blood horse appear in the center of his vision little by little, but his smile gradually froze.


    He frowned slightly and looked at Li Yucheng and Xiao Gao with suspicion, but the two obviously hadn¡¯t expected this to happen, and were even more surprised than him.


    Zhao Yelan walked slowly to the horse¡¯s side and looked up at its back. There was nobody on it. Looking at the road ahead, there was no sign of Yan Mingting.


    He turned his head to look at the sweat-blood horse and his tone became cold: ¡°Where is your master? Why are you back?¡±


    The horse raised its head and neighed, then leaned its head over and rubbed against him.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you something! Why did you come back by yourself?! Where is your master? Where did you take him?!¡± Zhao Yelan pushed its head away, his eyes red as he roared hoarsely.

 CH 85

    Li Yucheng came back to his senses. Seeing that Zhao Yelan was on the verge of falling, he hurried forward with Xiao Gao to support him.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Zhao Yelan struggled to stand up. Turning to look at the road ahead, among the figures coming and going, there was no Yan Mingting.


    He ran to the road and interrogated them one by one, asking hoarsely: ¡°Have you seen Yan Mingting?¡±


    Those people were inexplicably caught to be interrogated, and seeing his red eyes, they were terrified. Afraid of getting into trouble, they waved their hands one after another and broke away, fleeing quickly.


    Zhao Yelan walked onward, watching the sun sinking bit by bit. He tripped and fell to the road.


    ¡°Oh, heavens, don¡¯t run around. Let¡¯s go back first, maybe he just got off the horse to take a piss and the disobedient horse ran back by itself,¡± Li Yucheng comforted, helping him up.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s dazed eyes gradually focused: ¡°You¡¯re right. Perhaps that is the case.¡±


    ¡°Ah? It is?¡± Li Yucheng was confused. What did he just say?


    Zhao Yelan forgot his body¡¯s pain and the dust on his clothing. He ran back quickly, and the sweat-blood horse also ran over.


    ¡°He just got off halfway, right? Take me to find him.¡± After saying so, Zhao Yelan rode on.


    Yan Mingting was right, the sweat-blood horse was still a bit difficult for him to control. The speed was too fast, and he lost his balance several times before he managed to stabilize his figure. Trying not to let himself fall, he called Yan Mingting¡¯s name along the way.


    ¡°Is he crazy?¡± Li Yucheng hurriedly asked Xiao Gao to follow, and returned to the city, where he hired a carriage to catch up.


    ¡°Yan Mingting! Yan Mingting, where are you!¡±


    Zhao Yelan shouted all the way. Li Yucheng and Xiao Gao followed behind and called out as well. It was completely dark now, and the three of them searched for a long time on the dark road. Xiao Gao held a torch and led Zhao Yelan on the path ahead.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s voice was so hoarse that he couldn¡¯t shout anymore. He gazed into the endless night and at the road ahead, and suddenly didn¡¯t know what he was doing.


    He should have returned to the city and called someone to start a blanket search, or he shouldn¡¯t have asked Yan Mingting to come back earlier, and just had him stay in Nanjiang for a while and return with the army. Then Yan Mingting would certainly not have disappeared on the way home.


    Or, he shouldn¡¯t have let Yan Mingting go to Nanjiang in the first place.


    There were so many people who knew how to fight, but there was only one Yan Mingting.


    Xiao Gao walked in front, and his ears moved slightly when he heard a faint sob. He turned his head and saw Zhao Yelan raise a hand and press his palm to his eyes. A teardrop rolled down the tip of his eye to his cheek.


    Xiao Gao was too shocked to speak, and pointed at him tremblingly. Just as he was about to speak, Li Yucheng gave him a meaningful look, and he belatedly closed his mouth. Looking ahead, he pretended that he hadn¡¯t seen anything.


    The horse continued to walk forward, and the three of them remained quiet on the road.


    Xiao Gao never heard him cry again, as if what he heard just now was his imagination. Or perhaps his lord just restrained and suppressed it, not daring to let them hear anything more.


    He didn¡¯t dare look back, but silently hoped in his heart that Yan Mingting would come home soon.


    There was no telling how long they walked, but many thoughts came to Zhao Yelan¡¯s mind, one here, one there, without any rhyme or reason. It was like walking on the summit of despair, hopeless and unrestrained, ready for whatever came.


    Suddenly, as if he had found his answer, the corners of his mouth twitched.


    No matter what, it would be fine. In any case, Yan Mingting wouldn¡¯t run away from him, and dying was impossible.


    At this time, the horse suddenly accelerated, and he simply trusted the horse and let it run wildly.


    ¡°My lord!¡± Xiao Gao hurried to catch up.


    ¡°Aiyo, you really want to torment me to death!¡± Li Yucheng quickly chased after him with the carriage.


    Soon, Zhao Yelan discovered that the horse was not running wildly, but seemed to be running in a certain direction. However, it suddenly calmed down again, lingering on the road.


    ¡°Are you looking for him?¡± Zhao Yelan leaned over and asked. There was joy in his eyes, but fearing that his hopes would be in vain, he restrained his voice and asked, ¡°Is he around here?¡±


    The horse certainly couldn¡¯t answer him. It circled around like a headless chicken, neighing.


    Just then, a whistle sounded from afar.


    The horse moved upon hearing the sound, and promptly ran over through the darkness.


    Zhao Yelan controlled his heartbeat and stared ahead until he saw a vague figure. The suppressed emotions surged up at once, and he cursed: ¡°Yan Mingting! What are you doing hiding here!¡±


    Behind him, Xiao Gao and Li Yucheng heard this and rushed to the front immediately.


    Xiao Gao raised the torch a little higher, and only then did he see Yan Mingting leaning against a tree in a state of embarrassment. He didn¡¯t forget to fold his arms in front of his chest in a  handsome way, raise his eyebrows at them, and then stretch out his hands with a smile: ¡°Mengting, you¡¯re here, let me give you a hug.¡±


    Zhao Yelan dismounted, staggered two steps, and then went forward and shoved him: ¡°What are you doing hiding here!¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled, hugged him into his arms, and took a deep breath: ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    Li Yucheng took Xiao Gao to the side to wait.


    Zhao Yelan shoved him a few more times, but did not push him away. Then he hugged him back and buried himself in the crook of his neck.


    After a moment, Yan Mingting noticed that a patch of his neck was wet with tears. He stroked the other¡¯s cheeks with both hands and lowered his head to kiss him longer than ever before, salty tears mixed in.


    The dark clouds dissipated and the moon was completely exposed, bright moonlight shining down on the two of them until Zhao Yelan could hardly breathe. Only then did he gently push this person away. He found that tears were also hanging on Yan Mingting¡¯s cheeks, and his heart was touched. He raised a hand to wipe them and asked: ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°Because I missed you?¡± Yan Mingting heard that his voice was hoarse and pressed his forehead against him, asking in a low voice, ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were dead,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting smiled silently.


    ¡°So why are you here?¡± Zhao Yelan asked again.


    Yan Mingting led him to the carriage and said: ¡°When I was on my way, I was in a hurry to piss, so I dismounted first and when I came back, I found that the horse was gone.¡±


    Hearing this, Li Yucheng was shocked and said: ¡°My god, I was right?!¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t believe it, but did not ask more questions at this moment, quietly following him into the carriage. Then he started to pick off the other¡¯s clothes without making a sound. Yan Mingting didn¡¯t resist, and let him check carefully, saying with a smile: ¡°I¡¯m not hurt, it really was an urge to pee.¡±


    Zhao Yelan beat him a few more times angrily: ¡°Then you can¡¯t tie up a horse well! Do you know when I saw only the horse come back, how much¡­..¡±


    He couldn¡¯t continue, and simply turned his head to look elsewhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t tie the horse properly, it¡¯s all my carelessness.¡± Yan Mingting coaxed him for a long time, but seeing that he was still indifferent, he moved his eyes and suddenly let out a painful ¡°hiss.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned and turned around: ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°It hurts a little.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Zhao Yelan hurriedly touched him.


    ¡°In here.¡± Yan Mingting pressed his hand to the left side of his chest, aggrieved. ¡°When you ignore me, it hurts here.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave him a blank look. He looked down and leaned his head against him, closing his eyes. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s good you came back. No matter what, it¡¯s good that you came back safely.¡±


    Yan Mingting placed his arms around his shoulders, lowered his head, and sniffed the smell of him. He smiled silently, but the depths of his eyes were as desolate as the night.


    When he returned to the General¡¯s Mansion, the servants had already gone to sleep, so Xiao Gao obediently went to the kitchen to prepare hot water.


    While bathing, Yan Mingting talked to Zhao Yelan about the war, blowing himself up into a majestic god of war like nothing in heaven or earth.


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth hooked up. If it were before, he would have already been irritated to no end, but presently, he wasn¡¯t irritated at all. He couldn¡¯t wait for him to talk more, as if he was also on the battlefield with him.


    ¡°By the way, did the Princess of Nanjiang tell you why she poisoned your father?¡± he asked.


    ¡°En.¡± Yan Mingting nodded, and said in a low voice, ¡°She finally confessed before she died and said that Zhao Xu asked her for the poison. Although the Yan family did not join any faction at that time, he found the Imperial doctor who treated me. He was worried that the Yan family might be biased toward your party, and in addition, he had begun to worry that my father would make great achievements after he ascended the throne, so he was ruthless.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes went slightly cold: ¡°Where is Zhao Xu, you haven¡¯t found him yet?¡±


    ¡°These days, I have also sent people to search covertly, to see if the person is alive and to find the corpse if he is dead.¡±


    Yan Mingting turned to look at his angry expression, laughed, and raised his hand to pinch his cheek: ¡°Okay, okay. It¡¯s fine for me to be angry alone, you have to be responsible for being happy.¡±


    ¡°Come out quickly after washing, the water is cold,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting got up to dry himself, put on his clothes, and took his hand to walk to the bed.


    Zhao Yelan suddenly felt his hand being squeezed hard. He looked sideways and saw Yan Mingting shake his head with a slight frown. Then he sat down on the side of the bed as if nothing had happened and patted his thigh: ¡°Come, I haven¡¯t hugged you for a long time.¡±


    Zhao Yelan sat and asked: ¡°Other than you, is everyone else staying at the southern border?¡±


    ¡°No, only a small number of people were left. He Cuizhang and the others will lead the army back tomorrow, I¡¯m just one step ahead of them.¡±


    ¡°I would rather you had returned with them and saved me some worry.¡±


    Yan Mingting smiled, placed him on the bed, and then practiced what it meant for absence to make the heart grow fonder.


    The next day, Zhao Yelan reported a leave of absence to the Imperial Academy, and when he got up, Yan Mingting was still lying in bed.


    When Housekeeper Qin heard that the General was back, he was so happy that he turned around and asked the kitchen to prepare a lot of food.


    Zhao Yelan kicked Yan Mingting while listening to the bustling commotion outside: ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to court today?¡±


    ¡°En, in any case, He Cuizhang and the others haven¡¯t returned yet, so I¡¯ll wait for the army to come back before going to court.¡± Yan Mingting had been exhausted for almost two months, and at this moment, he wanted to be lazy. He hugged Zhao Yelan and moaned, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go out, I just want to play with you.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back to sleep, ba.¡± Zhao Yelan patted him on the shoulder lightly and slept with him again, not getting up until noon.


    After eating, the two lingered in the room for another two hours, and Zhao Yelan kicked him exhaustedly: ¡°Are you going to let me live?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the time for you to be passionate?¡± Yan Mingting teased.


    Zhao Yelan supported his head with his hands and sent him a slanted glance. Yan Mingting leaned forward to kiss him a few more times and said contentedly: ¡°I¡¯ve been holding back for two months.¡±


    In the evening, after Zhao Yelan bathed, he found that Yan Mingting was not in the mansion. After asking Housekeeper Qin, he discovered that he was out running errands.


    As for what he was doing, Housekeeper Qin didn¡¯t know either.


    Zhao Yelan closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then turned and went back to the room. When Yan Mingting returned, he asked: ¡°What did you go to do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I went out and did a little shopping.¡± Yan Mingting took out a safety talisman from his bosom and gave it to him. ¡°I heard that this is very useful, and it is made of pure gold. I guessed you would like it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Zhao Yelan looked at such a big golden safety talisman and said speechlessly, ¡°I like gold, but I don¡¯t want to wear it when I go out.¡±


    ¡°Then keep it as a treasure at home. It¡¯s gold,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan watched him go and earnestly store it. Walking a few steps closer, he hugged him and then secretly sniffed him, smelling the faint scent of medicinal herbs.


    Others may not have noticed it, but he had been ill for a long time, so he was very familiar with the scent of medicinal herbs.


    ¡°Why so clingy?¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°Go to bed early.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going!¡±


    Like an energetic dog, Yan Mingting was about to squeeze him dry again. The next day, he went to the Imperial Academy slowly. In fact, it was possible to ask for leave, but he still had something to investigate.


    At noon, his colleagues ate, but he went to the Imperial Hospital. He found the busy Yao Muze in an empty corner and asked straight to the point: ¡°Did Yan Mingting look for you last night?¡±


    Yao Muze looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°What did he come see you for?¡± Zhao Yelan asked forcefully.


    Yao Muze¡¯s eyes wandered, as if he wanted to avoid this question.


    ¡°Think about it clearly, the price of hiding it from me is very high.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes were sharp. ¡°Moreover, even he wants to hide things from me. Can you bear the consequences?¡±


    Yao Muze¡¯s eyes flickered a few times. He truly didn¡¯t want to hide this news, so he could only temporarily let down the general¡¯s trust. Gritting his teeth, he replied: ¡°The General came to ask me last night if there is any antidote to the old general¡¯s poison, and how many days he could live at most¡­..¡±


    Zhao Yelan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and his face went pale.

 CH 86

    Zhao Yelan had sensed that something was wrong ever since he retrieved Yan Mingting.


    No matter what, he would never believe that Yan Mingting would allow the horse to run back alone just because he was in a hurry to urinate. Such a pathetic reason must be because something big happened, and he hadn¡¯t had time to figure out a lie.


    And during the two days of spending time with one another, he clearly felt that Yan Mingting¡¯s smile was not as worry-free as usual. There was a bit of helplessness behind it, and after it disappeared, there was an endless sigh.


    How perceptive was Zhao Yelan? He had expected that he was hiding something from him, but didn¡¯t expect it to be such a huge matter.


    The poison that killed the old general was colorless, odorless, and difficult to detect. The symptoms were dizziness and weakness of limbs.


    So Yan Mingting was unable to return with the horse that day perhaps because he lost consciousness and fell from the horse. It may be that with the last sliver of reasoning, he asked the horse to find someone to save him, or that the horse had the consciousness to save him and ran back alone to find someone to rescue him.


    ¡°Then¡­..is there an antidote?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Yao Muze shook his head in shame: ¡°I¡¯m not very knowledgeable. I only know that this kind of poison exists, but not how to cure it. From last night to now, I have searched all through the medical arts without finding a solution.¡±


    ¡°What about other Imperial physicians?¡± Zhao Yelan asked, and was about to go find those other people when Yao Muze stopped him.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. I already inquired about it this morning, and they haven¡¯t even heard of this poison,¡± Yao Muze said worriedly.


    ¡°In this huge hospital, there is not one useful person to be found. How is it worthy of being called a hospital! It¡¯s a bunch of trash!¡±


    Zhao Yelan cursed a few times, turned around, and strode away. Summoning Yu Dali and the other forty-eight people, he ordered: ¡°You go to Nanjiang now. No matter what methods you use, by whatever means, you must bring all the doctors with good medical skills to the capital. Hurry up!¡±


    After they left, Zhao Yelan walked forward in a daze, unknowingly returning to the General¡¯s Mansion. But just as he walked in the door, he heard Yan Mingting talking with Xiao Gao in the courtyard. He took a few steps back and told the guards at the door not to say anything, and then stood outside the door, listening to their voices.


    ¡°Xiao Gao, I will teach you everything I have learned all my life. You have to learn it quickly, all right?¡±


    ¡°Okay, ah!¡±


    After showing him his martial arts, Yan Mingting said: ¡°Three days. Can you learn it?¡±


    ¡°Three days is too fast, ba.¡±


    ¡°Then five days?¡±


    ¡°General, why are you in such a hurry? Isn¡¯t there still a long time ahead? Can¡¯t I learn a little each day?¡±


    ¡°If you finish learning earlier, you can protect your lord. Don¡¯t you want to protect him?¡±


    ¡°Want to, ah. Okay, I¡¯ll learn now.¡±


    Zhao Yelan listened to the sound of fighting inside. His throat tightened and he couldn¡¯t make a sound. Just as he raised his foot to step inside, he suddenly turned around and ran to the nearest sedan chair, held his face in both hands, and wept uncontrollably.


    ¡°Guest official, where are you going?¡± Asked the bearer.


    After a long time, Zhao Yelan said: ¡°The Imperial Academy.¡±


    The whole afternoon, Zhao Yelan sat alone in an Imperial Academy room. The door was closed tightly, and no one was allowed to go in and talk.


    His colleagues were a little puzzled, and Ruan Xian walked over and knocked on the door: ¡°Zhao-xiong, is something wrong? Talk to us, maybe we can help you?¡±


    There was no sound from inside. Ruan Xian came several times but received no response. He became increasingly worried and asked the guards to knock down the door.


    ¡°Zhao-xiong, I¡¯ll have to offend you.¡±


    After the door was knocked open, Ruan Xian stood in the doorway and was stunned when he saw the scene inside.


    He saw Zhao Yelan sitting at the table like a normal person, writing with a brush. The man gave him a slanted look: ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, it seems I¡¯ve interrupted you.¡±


    Ruan Xian insipidly closed the door, and for a moment, he didn¡¯t know what had happened to him.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes returned to the table. On the rice paper spread out in front of him were instructions on what to do with his property.


    After returning to the General¡¯s Mansion at night, Xiao Gao excitedly told him that he had learned a very powerful move from the General today and wanted to show him.


    Yan Mingting walked up to him, and the two of them watched Xiao Gao show off his skills. Yan Mingting gave a few words of instruction from time to time, and asked Zhao Yelan with a smile: ¡°How about it? What do you think about the apprentice I¡¯ve taught?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve barely done anything,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°Xiao Gao is naturally talented.¡±


    ¡°No matter how talented you are, you must be guided by a good master.¡± Yan Mingting raised his eyebrows.


    Zhao Yelan scoffed coldly: ¡°Then I was also taught by you, so why am I not like him?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just your level of talent?¡±


    ¡°So it does come back to natural talent?¡±


    ¡°I say, I can¡¯t win against you.¡± Yan Mingting scratched his head and laughed, then took his hand to go eat. ¡°Let¡¯s go, the kitchen has made your favorite dishes tonight, and I went to Huichun Tower to buy some snacks. I¡¯m sure you will like them.¡±


    After dinner, Yan Mingting proposed going out for a walk. He took him to the streets and bought a lot of things.


    ¡°Jinxuan¡¯s is up ahead, let¡¯s go buy some clothes.¡±


    ¡°No, there are too many at home.¡±


    ¡°You actually think you have too many clothes?¡± Yan Mingting asked in surprise.


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment: ¡°Let¡¯s go then, ba, we¡¯ll go shopping for clothes.¡±


    In the end, Yan Mingting bought a dozen or so items for Zhao Yelan, and found that Zhao Yelan also bought a dozen or so items for him.


    ¡°Why buy so much, I won¡¯t be able to wear it all in my next life,¡± Yan Mingting lamented.


    Zhao Yelan paused and gave him a blank look: ¡°Then you have to buy more, buy ten more pieces, and wrap up all the clothes for your next life.¡±


    Yan Mingting laughed loudly and handed over the pile of clothing to Xiao Gao, asking him to send them back to the residence first.


    When passing by the gold shop, Yan Mingting once again didn¡¯t control his steps and went in to buy a few golden locks, rings, and pendants. After paying the bill and coming out, he found Zhao Yelan coming out of the weapons shop opposite with several swords in his hands.


    Yan Mingting didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry, and took those things: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time and just wanted to buy you something, why do you want to give gifts in return?¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of money and it¡¯s burning a hole in my pocket, can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, you can burn whatever you want.¡± After Yan Mingting finished speaking with a smile, he didn¡¯t know which word jabbed Zhao Yelan, but the other party stepped on him several times.


    The two of them walked around for nearly an hour before returning home. Housekeeper Qin looked at their bags and said in surprise: ¡°What day is it today? Or are you going out for a long trip?¡±


    Both of them were silent for a moment, avoiding the question one after another.


    After returning to the room, Zhao Yelan threw the tanghulu he had bought onto the table: ¡°Eat, ba.¡±


    ¡°You bought so much, when can I finish it?¡± Yan Mingting said with a muffled laugh. This fellow had bought nearly all the tanghulu on the entire street.


    ¡°Eat it until your teeth rot,¡± Zhao Yelan said viciously.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know, I would think today was my birthday,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    At these words, Zhao Yelan gave him a sharp look: ¡°You liar.¡±


    Yan Mingting asked blankly: ¡°When did I lie to you?¡±


    Who said on last year¡¯s birthday, ¡®May you have today¡¯s glory forever!¡¯


    Zhao Yelan was so angry that he beat him for a long time and then kicked him out: ¡°Scram, I need a bath.¡±


    Yan Mingting received this long-lost outburst of temper and felt a little happy, standing outside the door for a long time. After going to bed, he was somewhat worried that the other party¡¯s body would not be able to handle it, so he hugged him and slept in a well-behaved manner.


    Who knew that Zhao Yelan would ask: ¡°Are you dying?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned over and sat on him, bent down, and kissed him a few times: ¡°Isn¡¯t this very good?¡±


    Yan Mingting wore a look of shock and watched his up and down movements in disbelief. No matter how hard it was to restrain himself, he rocked with him again.


    In the second half of the night, Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t show any sign of weakness. He clung to his shoulders, smiled coldly, and whispered: ¡°Yan Fangli, let¡¯s just die in bed like this.¡±


    Yan Mingting was worked over hard by him, and the two of them embraced each other practically to death in bed.


    The next day, when Yan Mingting got up, Zhao Yelan immediately sat up and asked: ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°The army is back, I must meet them outside the city gate. The Emperor will lead the courtiers to greet them. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to go to the Imperial Academy, so you can sleep for a while.¡± Yan Mingting tucked in the blanket for him.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going too.¡± Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t miss a moment. He stood up. ¡°Change clothes for me.¡±


    Yan Mingting admired the mottled marks on his body first, then put on his clothes, fondling his neck for a moment with his fingertips: ¡°Ah, there are also marks here. Where is your ointment?¡±


    ¡°Never mind that, let¡¯s go.¡± Zhao Yelan pulled him along and walked outside.


    The two had to separate temporarily. Zhao Yelan walked to the palace, followed the group of the monarch and his subjects, and went to the gate of the city to greet them.


    The Imperial army stood guard on both sides of the road, and the mighty troop drew in the common people to stop and watch. Everyone was waiting for the Imperial army with joyful smiles on their faces.


    Zhao Yelan followed Zhao Xuan to the city gate and saw a hundred thousand troops falling neatly into rank on the endless road. As dawn arrived, Yan Mingting sat heroically on horseback.


    ¡°Open the city gate and welcome the soldiers,¡± Zhao Xuan said.


    The city gate was opened, and Yan Mingting was followed in by a group of lively lieutenants, then soldiers, and the common people cheered and called Yan Mingting¡¯s name.


    After Yan Mingting waited for Zhao Yelan and the others to descend the city wall, he led the lieutenants to step forward. Zhao Xuan praised them for their bravery and fearlessness, and ordered the armed forces to be rewarded.


    Just as everyone¡¯s attention was drawn, suddenly, dozens of people in the crowd shot arrows at Zhao Xuan.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Yan Mingting reacted first and drew his sword, intercepting the nearest arrow. ¡°There are assassins!¡±


    The street became chaotic in an instant, and people screamed and ran around in fear. The lieutenants immediately protected the Emperor and courtiers as they dealt with the sudden sneak attack.


    While evacuating the common people, the Imperial army located the assassins.


    After Yan Mingting handed Zhao Yelan over to He Cuizhang, he jumped out to kill the assassins, slaughtering a dozen of them in a short while.


    His intuition told him that these people were arranged by Zhao Xu.


    Something came to mind, and he turned his head to look toward Zhao Xuan, only to see a man dressed as a person from the Western Regions with a veil covering his face sneaking past him.


    His eyes darkened, and he picked up the bow and arrow from an assassin¡¯s body. Aiming at that person with endless hatred in his eyes, he shot the arrow.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zhao Xu had just clenched the knife in his hand and was about to approach Zhao Xuan, when his chest suddenly hurt. He looked down at the blood flowing from his torso, turned his head in a daze, and then knelt down weakly on his knees.


    Only then did the people around discover his identity. Zhao Xuan said furiously: ¡°It really is you!¡±


    Yan Mingting walked up to Zhao Xu in a few steps, looked at his kneeling posture, and kicked him to the ground. Lifting the sword in his hands, he was about to give him another fatal blow, but was stopped by Zhao Yelan.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Zhao Yelan rushed in front of him, grabbed Zhao Xu by the collar, and asked forcefully, ¡°Where is the antidote for the poison you used on the old general!¡±


    Zhao Xu opened his mouth, and blood gushed out.


    ¡°Mengting¡­..¡± Yan Mingting slowly looked at Zhao Yelan with an astonished expression. ¡°You know everything?¡±


    However, Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t have time to answer at all, and continued to press Zhao Xu: ¡°Speak up, ah! Where is the antidote! Do you think I won¡¯t skin you alive? Speak quickly!¡±


    Zhao Xu spat out a mouthful of blood and suddenly laughed: ¡°Ha, haha, it seems that he has also embarked on the road of his father¡¯s fate. The antidote¡­¡­.I don¡¯t have one either, ah, hahaha. The antidote was only available to the Eighth Princess, didn¡¯t he kill her? This is just life, ah!¡±


    Zhao Yelan released his grip expressionlessly and looked at Yan Mingting: ¡°Kill him.¡±


    Yan Mingting raised the sword, and at last cut down his father-killing enemy. Blood spattered on his hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get his dirty blood on you.¡± Zhao Yelan took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands.


    ¡°Hurry up and escort His Majesty back to the palace!¡± Eunuch Gao shouted.


    The nearest dozen or so Imperial guards came forward to protect Zhao Xuan, and when they passed by Zhao Yelan, she suddenly smelled a faint fragrance.


    Zhao Yelan was stunned.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°Wrong, wrong.¡± Zhao Yelan frowned. ¡°Zhao Xu has been hiding in Beijing, and neither we nor the Emperor found him, so where was he hiding?¡±


    Yan Mingting was taken aback for a moment, starting to think about this question, but Zhao Yelan said with a pale face in the next moment: ¡°Hongxiu House, he hid in Hongxiu House!¡±


    There was a secret passage in Hongxiu House that outsiders were unable to find at all, and he had automatically ruled out this place when he sent people to search.


    ¡°And during the New Year, the curfew was strictly controlled. The Eighth Princess had private meetings with men, but all the men stayed home. Only one place was open.¡±


    ¡°Hongxiu House,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    Recalling the familiar scent just now, a trace of panic appeared on Zhao Yelan¡¯s face: ¡°Quick! Gu Niaoniao is likely to be among those soldiers, go and stop her!¡±


    As soon as he spoke, a scream sounded in the distance: ¡°His Majesty! Come quickly, His Majesty has been assassinated!¡±


    Yan Mingting rushed over immediately.


    Zhao Yelan dragged his feet slowly, walking toward the chaotic crowd, but didn¡¯t dare to go up and investigate when he approached until the people in front dispersed. He saw Gu Niaoniao.


    Dressed as an Imperial soldier, Gu Niaoniao was already under control, and countless swords were aimed at her.


    She also saw Zhao Yelan and threw away the bloody knife in her hand. Raising her lips, with a bloodstain on her cheek, she revealed a coquettish smile: ¡°You¡¯re here. I¡¯ve left some of the best spices and tea leaves for you. Remember to go fetch them.¡±

 CH 87

    The dungeons were perpetually dark and damp, with a foul and rotten smell in the air. No matter how many times he came here, it always made Zhao Yelan grimace.


    Walking slowly to the innermost cell, he heard a low-pitched nursery rhyme that children in the capital would hum when they were young: ¡°Crescent moon, crescent moon, like a mother¡¯s arms¡­¡­¡±


    The person inside was restrained with heavy shackles on both hands and feet. Hearing movement, she raised her head and sighed when she saw him: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave Beijing as planned last year? If you had left, we wouldn¡¯t be meeting here today.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do this?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    The corners of Gu Niaoniao¡¯s mouth twitched.


    ¡°I searched every corner of the capital, but I never suspected you,¡± Zhao Yelan said in a heavy voice.


    Gu Niaoniao stood and walked slowly to the door with the dull, heavy sound of her shackles dragging on the ground.


    The two of them looked at each other for a moment, separated by a cell door, and Gu Niaoniao asked: ¡°Is he dead?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the Imperial Hospital is trying to save him. He is still unconscious, but his condition has improved a bit. We will wait for him to wake up,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    On the day of the assassination, everyone in the capital was shocked. Zhao Xuan was already unconscious when he was sent back to the palace, and the people in the Imperial Hospital were busy coming in and out for three days before they managed to pull him back from the gates of hell. However, he still hadn¡¯t woken up yet, and someone was guarding him day and night.


    After seeing Zhao Xuan¡¯s injury, Sun Muyun was filled with grief and couldn¡¯t control her emotions for a while. She had unbearable abdominal pain, and gave birth to a prince prematurely. Fortunately, the mother and child were safe, but they also needed to be taken care of by Imperial physicians. The palace was very busy at the moment.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­not dead yet. I chose the wrong location, right? Clearly, I was aiming at the heart, ah.¡± Gu Niaoniao smiled helplessly. ¡°It seems like fate.¡±


    ¡°Gu Niaoniao.¡± Zhao Yelan gritted his teeth as he called out to her. ¡°Why on earth did you do this? Are you not afraid of death?¡±


    ¡°Death?¡± Gu Niaoniao¡¯s shoulders trembled and she laughed out loud. ¡°I am most afraid of death, I only fear that before I die, I won¡¯t be able to take some people with me. But it¡¯s okay, Zhao Xu went to the underworld before me. It was worth it.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned upon hearing this: ¡°Aren¡¯t you on the same side as him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and also no.¡± Gua Niaoniao¡¯s lips curled up in a smile. ¡°Years ago, I heard that the Princess of Nanjiang wished to marry Yan Mingting. I wanted to check her details for you, but who knew that I would find out something interesting. She had an affair with the First Prince.¡±


    ¡°So you helped them meet privately?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I pretended to help him regain the throne and passed on news from the two countries to him, and he believed it like a fool. Believe it or not, no one else in the capital was willing to help him.¡± Gu Niaoniao smiled contemptuously. ¡°The people who went to the other palace to take him away were killed by Yan Mingting¡¯s subordinates, and I sent someone to rescue him back to Hongxiu House.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to help him win the throne at all, otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have let him carry out the assassination in public.¡±


    ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t help that dog. I just reminded him that the Emperor may leave the palace from time to time. He stayed in the secret passage for a long while, and his mind became confused. He could only think of one thing, which was to kill Zhao Xuan and replace him,¡± Gu Niaoniao said.


    ¡°He failed, but gave you a chance to succeed.¡±


    ¡°Correct. He was just a jester, and I let him go out and jump around a bit first, waiting for a chance when everyone was focused on him.¡± Gu Niaoniao smiled. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to wait for Zhao Xuan to leave the palace. I thought it would take a long time to carry out this plan.¡±


    ¡°So your purpose was to have the brothers kill each other?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Gu Niaoniao raised her chin and said calmly: ¡°That¡¯s right. I want the Zhao family to die a miserable death. Don¡¯t you find it interesting that father and son, brother and brother, can all kill each other?¡±


    Zhao Yelan guessed that this was related to her childhood experiences, and said: ¡°Those things back then were done by the late emperor and had nothing to do with Zhao Xuan. Moreover, he indirectly helped us get vengeance, and now the land has stabilized¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It had nothing to do with him?¡± Gu Niaoniao suddenly laughed out loud. The laugh was a bit hoarse, and she clutched a pillar tightly with her hands, veins protruding. She asked through gritted teeth, ¡°Then those things back then, did they have anything to do with me? With you? Why is it that when killing us, our entire families are implicated, and they would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go, but when it is their turn to be a group of murderers, they are separate and have nothing to do with each other?¡±


    Zhao Yelan gazed at her silently. He had seen hatred in her eyes before. He¡¯d thought it was just that the other party couldn¡¯t hide it, but he didn¡¯t expect that the hatred went so deep.


    ¡°Gu Niaoniao, your life is on the line.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Gu Niaoniao.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback.


    ¡°Gu Niaoniao died long ago by the executioner¡¯s knife. My surname is Jiang.¡±


    Zhao Yelan gave her a look of shock. Among the people involved in the case of the Marquis of An, there was only one family named Jiang, and that was the Marquis of An¡¯s.


    ¡°You are¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I am my father¡¯s youngest daughter.¡± Gu Niaoniao recalled the distant past. ¡°I had been studying and learning calligraphy since I was a child. My teacher was the current Imperial Grand Tutor, and my previous knowledge was no worse than that of Yin Pinglu. If I studied for a few more years, perhaps I would have been a female top scorer in the Imperial examinations. My father taught me martial arts, saying that his daughter should have the means to protect herself, and it would be even better if she could protect her family and country. It was a pity that I only learned how to hold a sword, and no one taught me further.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Yelan, you watched your parents die with your own eyes, and endured humiliation for so many years. What about me? Hundreds of people in my family were killed by the sword. Have you ever seen an actual river of blood? My infant brother was thrown into a well before he could even speak. What did he have to do with anything? Regardless of age, regardless of distance, there were more than twenty thousand people who had a relationship with our family and were killed or injured. Even innocent people like you were involved and ended up in ruins. You want me to let it go?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let it go, ah,¡± Gu Niao cried out with a sob.


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression was downcast, and he couldn¡¯t recover for a long while.


    He had never suspected Gu Niaoniao, because the two of them had experienced the same tragedies and could understand one another¡¯s pain without saying many words. However, he had still underestimated Gu Niaoniao¡¯s determination and forbearance for so many years. She was able to hide everything completely, and even he had never noticed the difference in identity.


    But he was likely the only one who could understand Gu Niaoniao¡¯s choice. If it were him before, he would probably be just as desperate.


    He handed in a handkerchief. Gu Niaoniao took it, but her hands were bound and her smile was uglier than her crying: ¡°Wipe it off for me, ba.¡±


    Zhao Yelan wiped her face slowly. Gu Niaoniao raised her head and said: ¡°Actually, when I was first locked up in prison, I really didn¡¯t want to live anymore, but every time I saw you, I felt like I could keep going. You didn¡¯t seek death, so why should I do it first?¡±


    Zhao Yelan said: ¡°Your family must have hoped that you could live a good life.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t live, I¡¯m really tired of living in this world.¡± Gu Niaoniao looked up at him. ¡°When you were about to feign death, you probably thought the same way, ba. The great revenge had been accomplished. There was nothing worth remembering in this world, so it was better to leave.¡±


    Zhao Yelan did not deny it.


    ¡°But you were lucky, ah, you met Yan Mingting, who made you miss him so much that you couldn¡¯t bear to part with him.¡± Gu Niaoniao said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have such luck.¡±


    Zhao Yelan silently accompanied her for a while. Visiting time was ending soon. Gu Niaoniao whispered: ¡°All my savings over the years are in the room we used to meet in. You take those silver taels and arrange a good place for the girls, ba. They are all innocent and don¡¯t know anything about me.¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°I left something for you in the building, don¡¯t forget. You are not short of money, so I could only leave some spices and tea leaves for you. The spices are the Western Region incense I personally selected. For so many years, I have always used incense like you, as if it could cover up the filthy smell on my body over time.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.En.¡± Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes. His throat rolled, and his tone was cryptic. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°You and Yan Mingting should be fine. He treats you well. Don¡¯t let your temper out all day long, and live a peaceful and beautiful life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll accept your good words.¡± Zhao Yelan lifted the corners of his mouth with difficulty and asked, ¡°Have you ever heard Zhao Xu mention the Nanjiang poison?¡±


    ¡°What poison?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression dimmed.


    ¡°There is one last thing you must help me with.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you able to kill Yu Junliang directly in prison before?¡± Gu Niaoniao said, ¡°I would rather die by your hand than that of the executioner, with my head separated. Can you give me my dignity?¡±


    After a long time, Zhao Yelan replied: ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. In my life, the most valuable thing was to know you as a friend,¡± Gu Niaoniao said with red eyes.


    Zhao Yelan asked with a stuffy nose: ¡°What is your name?¡±


    Gu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment, and after ten years, she at last said her name slowly: ¡°Jiang Mu. My name is Jiang Mu.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Jiang Mu.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Mengting, take care.¡±


    After he emerged from the prison, he glanced around and suddenly wanted to see Yan Mingting. He got into a sedan chair, but thought that the sedan chair was too slow, so he disembarked halfway and ran all the way back to the General¡¯s Mansion and started shouting as soon as he entered the gate: ¡°Yan Mingting, Yan Mingting!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Yan Mingting walked out of the bedroom and Zhao Yelan ran up to him, stretched out his arms, and embraced him.


    ¡°You saw her?¡± Yan Mingting asked, lowering his head.


    Zhao Yelan nodded.


    Yan Mingting rubbed his head and said softly: ¡°Let¡¯s go inside, ba.¡±


    Zhao Yelan let go of his hand, and just as he stepped over the threshold, he suddenly heard a bang. He turned his head in a panic to look at Yan Mingting, and found that he had slammed one tightly clenched hand on the door and fell down in a daze.


    ¡°Yan Mingting!¡± Zhao Yelan immediately went to help him.


    Slipping to the ground, Yan Mingting leaned his back against the door and smiled at him with a pale face: ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m just a little dizzy. Just take it easy, go to the kitchen and pour me a cup of water.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going, I¡¯m not going anywhere!¡± Zhao Yelan hugged him. ¡°Don¡¯t you try to find excuses to drive me away.¡±


    Yan Minging leaned into his arms and said with a smile: ¡°But, but I¡¯m a little dizzy now, I want to sleep for a while¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Not allowed to sleep!¡±


    ¡°Alright, no sleeping, I won¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°General, my lord, what is the matter with you?¡± Xiao Gao followed the noise and stood at the door, startled.


    ¡°Go and get a cup of water,¡± Zhao Yelan immediately ordered.


    ¡°Coming, coming, water is coming.¡±


    Xiao Gao went to pour a cup of water and handed it to Yan Mingting. When he lowered his eyes, he found that Yan Mingting¡¯s entire body was tense, his hands holding onto his thighs. ¡°General, why are you pinching yourself?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was taken aback for a moment, and then noticed that he had been secretly torturing himself to stay awake, and a line of hot tears immediately rolled from his eyes: ¡°Why, why do you have to¡­..¡±


    ¡°Mengting, don¡¯t cry, ah.¡± Yan Mingting raised his hand and wiped away his tears, saying with a pale face, ¡°Go and find Yao Muze.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡± Zhao Yelan handed him off to Xiao Gao, then got up and went out. Walking outside the door, he waited for a moment, and heard Yan Mingting¡¯s restrained groan of pain inside. It was as if his heart was being whipped back and forth, and the pain was so terrible that he almost lost consciousness.


    Almost all the people in the Imperial Hospital were in the palace, so Zhao Yelan went from the hospital to the palace and brought Yao Muze out.


    Seeing his expression, Yao Muze knew that the situation was not good. He quickly followed him to the General¡¯s Mansion, and Yan Mingting seemed to have recovered, half reclining in bed and eating melon seeds like a normal person.


    ¡°I really troubled you to make a trip,¡± Yan Mingting said with a smile.


    ¡°The General is courteous.¡± Yao Muze opened the medical box. ¡°This poison occurs intermittently. I will give you acupuncture first, in hopes of relieving your pain during an attack.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡± Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Yelan again. ¡°Mengting, go and see if dinner is ready. Let¡¯s have Doctor Yao stay for dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go.¡± Zhao Yelan sat down at the table calmly and said, ¡°Do the acupuncture. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    One by one, thin needles were inserted into the acupuncture points. Zhao Yelan felt as if he was about to die from pain just looking at them. However, Yan Mingting had yet to close his mouth, and was chatting with Yao Muze: ¡°Doctor Yao, help me see if my wife is secretly wiping away tears now?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± Yao Muze said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, I¡¯m really afraid that you outsiders will see it. You don¡¯t know, he was born so beautiful, and he¡¯s even more captivating when he cries. Ai, it¡¯s better that no one ever sees him cry, or I¡¯ll be so angry.¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren doesn¡¯t cry easily.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡­Hey, Doctor Yao, do you think there is anyone in this world who is worthy of him except me, a handsome and dashing man?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡± Yan Mingting smiled.


    Listening to their conversation, Zhao Yelan remained silent, as if he didn¡¯t exist, and just watched Yan Mingting quietly.


    At night, Zhao Yelan lay beside him and talked about Gu Niaoniao, and Yan Mingting sighed endlessly.


    ¡°Do you know what she said?¡±


    ¡°What did she say?¡±


    Zhao Yelan propped up his upper body and looked at him. ¡°She said, we should live a good life in the future.¡±


    Yan Mingting touched his cheek and whispered: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡±


    He had obviously been paying attention. After entering the southern border, he ordered everyone not to eat food other than military rations, and had people strictly guard those rations. But he didn¡¯t expect that the Eighth Princess herself would use herself as a source of poison. Knowing that he would press to find out the old general¡¯s cause of death, she poisoned him before she died.


    And after years of refinement, the poison was more toxic than in the past, with no reaction in the beginning. He was eager to return and see Zhao Yelan, so he rushed back without stopping. It wasn¡¯t until he was about to enter the capital that he had a sudden severe headache and fell off his horse due to weakness in his limbs, and realized that he might have been poisoned.


    ¡°I thought I could face it calmly, but I can¡¯t, ah¡­..¡± Zhao Yelan even made arrangements for the funeral, and planned to leave together after Yan Mingting departed. But today when he saw Yan Mingting fall to the ground with his own eyes, he realized that he had overestimated his ability to endure. He couldn¡¯t watch the other party die in his arms at all.


    ¡°My parents are dead, one friend is unconscious, with his survival uncertain, and another is waiting to die in a dungeon. Even you must leave me¡­¡­Why can¡¯t I keep anyone I want to keep? I beg you, Yan Fangli, I beg you, can¡¯t you survive?¡± Zhao Yelan held his hand and pleaded hoarsely. ¡°I will never lose my temper with you again, don¡¯t leave me alone¡­..¡±


    Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes became hot. He pulled him into his arms and asked, a little choked up: ¡°Mengting, tell me, am I really an evil star? Now it¡¯s fallen on me, and even harmed you¡­..¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡± Zhao Yelan covered his mouth, kissed his eyes, and took his lips again. The two people¡¯s tears mixed together, and they couldn¡¯t tell whose was whose. They only hoped that this night would pause forever, and that tomorrow would never come.


    T/N: Um¡­¡­is anyone else crying?

 CH 88

    Because Zhao Xuan was still in a coma, morning court was temporarily suspended, and the two of them stayed in bed until noon.


    After Yan Mingting finished his meal, Zhao Yelan dragged him to find a doctor. From the Imperial physicians in the palace to the barefoot doctors among the common people, he questioned them one by one, and the more he questioned, the more hopeless he became.


    Zhao Yelan grew angry at the sight of them shaking their heads and sighing, and smashed up several shops. Yan Mingting followed behind and spoke well of compensation.


    ¡°They¡¯re all rubbish! Quack doctors!¡± Zhao Yelan walked back in a fury.


    Yan Mingting coaxed him with a few words, but to no avail. He tugged Zhao Yelan¡¯s sleeve, pointed to the small stall next to them, and said: ¡°Mengting, I want to eat that rice cake.¡±


    Zhao Yelan stopped and bought him two rice cakes: ¡°What else do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°I want to eat roasted peanuts!¡±


    The two went to the shop to buy roasted peanuts, and when they got home, they ate a big bag of them, somewhat overwhelmed. Zhao Yelan woke up thirsty in the middle of the night and found that Yan Mingting was not in the room, so he looked around in a panic and saw a light on in the kitchen. As soon as he walked to the door, he was choked by a cloud of thick smoke.


    ¡°Why are you up?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhao Yelan walked in while covering his mouth and nose, and pulled him away from the stove.


    ¡°I wanted to make some stuffed steamed buns for you. I just don¡¯t believe it won¡¯t be successful. It¡¯s only that this smoke¡­..is too choking, cough cough cough cough!¡± Yan Mingting quickly ran out and coughed a few times before returning to see that Zhao Yelan was holding the tongs, taking a few pieces of firewood out and burying them in the pile of ashes next to him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t light it like this, some space should be left in the middle. If you add too much firewood, it will definitely not ignite.¡±


    The smoke became thinner and gradually dissipated, and the fire began to ignite. Yan Mingting looked at him in surprise: ¡°You can light cooking fires?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so difficult about it? I lit them every day when I was a child.¡± Zhao Yelan raised his head as he spoke.


    Yan Mingting stared intently at his face smeared with black and his eyes still red from the smoke, and couldn¡¯t help laughing: ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression darkened, and after setting up the firewood, he went to wash his face. Then he went to take a look at Yan Mingting kneading the dough.


    ¡°Can you do this too?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°No, kneading the dough was my father¡¯s job.¡±


    ¡°I can do it, hehe,¡± Yan Mingting said proudly. Intending to show off his kneading skills, he kneaded vigorously a few times and the cutting board flew out.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to wonder if you picked up those buns off the floor that I ate before?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible! This time was just a small mistake!¡±


    ¡°Is the filling ready?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, ba.¡±


    ¡°Let me do it.¡±


    ¡°Aiya, ancestor! You be careful with that knife. Let me do it, you leave it alone.¡±


    After working for a long time, the dough and fillings were ready. Yan Mingting moved over two small benches and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do the filling.¡±


    The two sat at the small table in the kitchen, and Yan Mingting taught him step by step how to make the little pouches. Zhao Yelan looked at that pair of hands accustomed to holding a sword awkwardly cradling the bun, a very serious expression on his face, and the corners of his mouth curled up subconsciously.


    When the rooster crowed, a few servants got up and came to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Seeing the two masters standing by the stove, staring at the pot in a daze, they couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°My Lord, General, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± Yang Mingting said seriously. ¡°Keep it down.¡±


    The servant automatically covered his mouth, walked in lightly, and then heard Zhao Yelan say as he turned his head to stare at the oven: ¡°It¡¯s time, hurry up.¡±


    Yan Mingting quickly and nimbly lifted the tray, and a gust of hot air rushed toward his face.


    The servant went over to take a look, and saw about twenty buns steaming in the pot.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s it?!


    ¡°I¡¯ll taste it first.¡± Yan Mingting reached in directly and took one. It was a little hot, and he tossed it in the air a few times. Only then did he hold it firmly and take a bite. His eyes lit up, and he boasted: ¡°It¡¯s even better than my previous ones! You try it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhao Yelan lowered his head and took a bite. The taste was indeed better, but it was still far inferior to Mingji¡¯s buns. ¡°Not bad, this time it was a success.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Yan Mingting found a food box and packed the twenty or so buns, leading Zhao Yelan back to the room excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat buns.¡±


    The servants: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    In the morning, Kan Chuan came to the mansion. This was not only to discuss the emperor¡¯s critical illness with Zhao Yelan, but also for the sake of Yan Mingting¡¯s body. Everyone knew about such a big event, and spared no effort to help search all over the country for a good doctor.


    The two talked in a room for more than half an hour, when Zhao Yelan suddenly saw a red string hanging against his chest and asked, ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°A safety talisman. Li Niang asked for it for me at Lingyun Temple.¡± Kan Chuan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t she also ask for one for you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded: ¡°Does it work?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only for peace of mind. This thing is all about faith. A few days ago, the child was crying all the time, and I also had a small physical problem, so she went to ask for amulets for the whole family. As a result, both my child and I got better. She insisted that it was because of the safety talismans, so I went along with her. After all, it was her good intentions.¡± Kan Chuan said with a smile, ¡°She just asked for them from the bottom of the mountain, so they won¡¯t be so useful.¡±


    Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment, then asked again: ¡°What¡¯s wrong with getting them from the bottom of the mountain? Are they not effective?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t bad, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve heard if you go up the mountain to ask, it will be more effective due to the difficulty of the road, and the nine gods and Buddhas will bless them.¡±


    After the afternoon meal, Yan Mingting passed out again unexpectedly, and Yao Muze administered acupuncture in the room. Zhao Yelan looked on for a while, then called Xiao Gao to go out.


    Lingyun Temple was not located in the capital, but in the neighboring county, where incense flourished and there were many believers. A great many people came to the foot of the mountain to seek marriage and safety. Zhao Yelan asked someone to inquire, and many people said that they were effective here, especially if you could walk up the mountain and enter the temple. The gods and Buddha would see your sincerity, and your wishes would be more easily realized.


    But so many people remained at the bottom of the mountain because the temple was very high. There were three thousand steps, and the terrain was steep and rugged. Ordinary people would lose half their lives just climbing up.


    The monks guarding the foot of the mountain said that the road should not be abandoned halfway, and there was no turning back. If you were not sincere, you would be blamed by the gods and Buddha, so most people were satisfied to worship at the temple at the foot of the mountain.


    Xiao Gao looked up at the steep mountain road and said worriedly: ¡°My Lord, you really want to go up? How about I go for you?¡±


    However, as soon as he spoke, Zhao Yelan had already taken the first step.


    Wasn¡¯t it just three thousand steps? What was there to fear?


    Xiao Gao had followed him and served him for many years, and knew his lord¡¯s physical fitness best. Even Yan Mingting only dared to make him run five laps at the most when he took him out to exercise. These three thousand steps would kill his lord.


    However, he couldn¡¯t stop him, and was unable to do anything but watch his lord climb up slowly and stubbornly.


    Halfway through the journey, Zhao Yelan¡¯s vision was a little blurred and he stumbled on the ground, but was fortunate to catch himself on the tree next to him and avoid falling down, giving Xiao Gao a fright.


    He gazed up the stairway whose end still could not be seen. The sky had already darkened, so he continued to move as if he could no longer feel the pain, just climbing numbly and relying on only one belief to keep him moving on.


    As night fell, the two of them climbed in the dark for an unknown amount of time. Xiao Gao called: ¡°My Lord, let¡¯s take a break and eat something.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t dare to stop. He feared that if he stopped, his body would never get up again, and he was even more afraid of wasting time. After being out for so long, he didn¡¯t know if Yan Mingting had woken up. He must have been very worried when he found out he was not at home. He had to return sooner.


    Xiao Gao couldn¡¯t persuade him, so he just continued to climb along with him. To be honest, even he, who was adept in martial arts, felt very tired now.


    When climbing the last leg, Zhao Yelan was already a little delirious. Rubbing his hands on the steps, he murmured that he was almost there, that he would be able to go back to see Yan Mingting immediately.


    When reaching the last step, Xiao Gao cried, sobbing loudly: ¡°Wuwuwuwu My Lord, we¡¯re here! We¡¯re finally here!¡±


    The corners of Zhao Yelan¡¯s mouth twitched, and as soon as he took a step forward, his knees gave way weakly and he fell directly to the ground.


    ¡°My Lord!¡±


    ¡°Quickly¡­¡­take me in quickly,¡± Zhao Yelan said in a hoarse voice.


    Xiao Gao helped him walk into the temple, and felt that the other¡¯s legs seemed almost unable to walk at all. He practically dragged him in.


    It was almost midnight now, and there were still monks chanting scriptures in the temple. Seeing them coming, they asked, ¡°Why did the benefactors come so late at night?¡±


    ¡°I want to seek safety for one person,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°Follow me this way, please.¡± A monk led them into the main hall in the rear. The Buddha statue was majestic and silent, but it seemed they could hear the chanting and prayers of the monks outside.


    Zhao Yelan knelt down before the statue, slowly raised his eyes, and clasped his hands together, saying piously: ¡°Before, I didn¡¯t believe in gods or Buddha, and never paid homage to you because you never gave me faith. People in the world say heaven has eyes, and that good and evil are rewarded. I did all of the wicked things, so why should the people around me be hurt? I¡¯m not defending or praying for myself, I just beg you to see Yan Mingting.¡±


    ¡°He has never done anything evil in his life, ah.¡±


    ¡°His Yan family has been loyal and good for generations, and he has risked his life for the people of this country. Living on the battlefield for half his life, he has never shown the slightest selfishness. He, Yan Mingting, defeated Mongolia in the north and conquered Nanjiang in the south. One sword brought order to the land. Is it because he is too good, so you all are jealous of a talent?¡±


    ¡°If you can rescue him, I will definitely do more good deeds and worship you more in the future. But if not, I will trample you gods down. Good and evil will be rewarded, what kind of scrap metal gods and Buddhas can¡¯t open their eyes!¡±


    ¡°Benefactor, be careful!¡± The monk hastily stopped him, and was about to take him away when a figure suddenly appeared beside him.


    ¡°Mengting.¡±


    Hearing the voice, Zhao Yelan was startled and quickly turned his head to look over. Yan Mingting stepped forward and bent down to embrace him.


    After feeling that warm embrace, Zhao Yelan smiled: ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°En, when I woke up, I found that you were gone. Uncle Qin said you were here,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Are you dizzy?¡± Zhao Yelan looked up and patted his head.


    ¡°Not dizzy.¡± Yan Mingting looked into his eyes and thought of him climbing here himself, and his eyes turned red uncontrollably. When he was outside the door and heard what he said, his chest was boiling hot. He bowed his head to kiss the other¡¯s lips: ¡°Mengting, heaven is not jealous of talents, I just love you too much. They are jealous that I can be loved by you, so they want to take me away.¡±


    Seeing the two kissing in front of the Buddha statue, the monk went pale in shock, and was about to stop them when Xiao Gao covered his mouth and took him out.


    Originally, benefactors who came to the temple to worship Buddha sincerely would be prepared a meal, but the monk felt that they were not sincere, so he canceled their meal.


    When the presiding monk heard that it was General Yan, he scolded him for his ignorance, then personally led a group of monks to the main hall and saw that they were still kissing. He hurriedly covered his eyes and retreated, ordering the others in embarrassment: ¡°Go and prepare the vegetarian meal, and remind them later.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After the two had eaten, the presiding monk approached and asked if they needed to stay for the night before leaving. Zhao Yelan¡¯s original plan was to go back and see Yan Mingting after worshiping, but since Yan Mingting had come after him, it didn¡¯t matter if he returned or not.


    ¡°All right, we¡¯ll go tomorrow.¡± Yan Mingting took Zhao Yelan¡¯s body into consideration, and after they rested, he massaged him. Zhao Yelan complained of pain wherever he touched, but couldn¡¯t walk at all in the end.


    ¡°It seems you must carry me down the mountain,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m willing to carry you all my life.¡± Yan Mingting bowed and kissed him. It got out of control again, but the other was in pain all over his body, so they just continued to kiss.


    The next day, the three set off down the mountain. Yan Mingting descended with him on his back and walked very slowly, spending most of the time admiring the scenery along the way.


    They couldn¡¯t go outside the city to enjoy the flowers this spring, so they made up for it here. Whenever Yan Mingting saw any flowers or plants, he would ask him what they were. Zhao Yelan explained them to him tirelessly, and when he encountered something he didn¡¯t know, he would say it was a red flower, green leaves, or a big tree.


    Xiao Gao laughed heartily when he heard this from behind, and after laughing, he couldn¡¯t help falling into long-term worries ¡ª if only they could stay like this forever.


    Halfway down the mountain, the three of them sat down to rest for a while. Yan Mingting went to the side to pick a large bouquet of wildflowers. He inserted the most beautiful one into Zhao Yelan¡¯s hair, and gave the rest to him.


    Zhao Yelan held the flowers in one hand, with one hand around his neck, laying carefully on his back. He looked down the mountain and said: ¡°You slow down a little, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be afraid if you call for your husband.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    When they returned to the capital, it was already dusk. After the three of them descended the mountain, they hired a carriage to return to the General¡¯s Mansion. Yan Mingting carried him off the carriage and crouched down in front of him again.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a short distance, just help me inside,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting insisted on carrying him in, so Zhao Yelan had no choice but to obey him and lie against his back.


    However, just a few steps away, he heard someone shouting in the distance: ¡°General, General Yan, Zhao-daren!¡±


    Yan Mingting turned and saw Yao Muze running over in a hurry, followed by a panting old man.


    ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Yao Muze panted heavily, pointed to the old man behind him, and said, ¡°General, you are saved! Haven¡¯t you been sending people to search for Master¡¯s traces? They found him, this is my master!¡±


    Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan looked at the old man following him in simultaneous surprise.


    ¡°Master went to Nanjiang two years ago, so he lost contact all this time. He also met a very powerful witch doctor in Nanjiang who has thoroughly studied the poisons there! What¡¯s more, that witch doctor just happened to come to Beijing with him this time, and he can detoxify you!¡± Yao Muze said excitedly.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s pupils slowly dilated, and he subconsciously went to hug Zhao Yelan. He turned around in place, overjoyed: ¡°Mengting! Where is Mengting? Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­On your back.¡± Zhao Yelan was about to be dizzy because of him.

 CH 89

    Yao Muze¡¯s master, a former envoy of the Imperial Hospital, resigned due to old age and returned to his hometown, and then traveled around the country as a doctor. Two years ago, he went to Nanjiang to study the local Gu poison. This was a mysterious and unsolvable problem for the people of the Xuan Dynasty, so he wanted to find a solution.


    In Nanjiang, he met a local hermit witch doctor. The two became fast friends and exchanged medical knowledge, and after studying for two years, he invited the other party to travel to the Xuan Dynasty. Unexpectedly, he was found by Yan Mingting¡¯s people as soon as he stepped foot into Xuan Dynasty territory.


    The court envoy respected the Yan Mingting father and son, so he brought his friend to accompany him to Beijing. The two masters of the General¡¯s Mansion were unexpectedly not there, so he could only seek out his apprentice first.


    Yao Muze had come to the General¡¯s Mansion many times to stand watch, and he just happened to catch them on the fourth time he came here.


    The group of people sat in the front hall. Zhao Yelan looked at the envoy, and the witch doctor who followed him, and had Housekeeper Qin make tea. He asked nervously: ¡°Do the two of you really have a way?¡±


    The hospital envoy had heard about the situation from Yao Muze and discussed the treatment with the witch doctor, so he said: ¡°We can give it a try, let¡¯s hurry up.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± Zhao Yelan immediately urged Yan Mingting to bring the two old gentlemen to their room, and stood up by himself. But his legs and feet were so swollen that he couldn¡¯t walk. In a dilemma, he was about to call Xiao Gao over, but Yan Mingting had already walked over and picked him up.


    Never mind other people, there were still two unfamiliar doctors here. Zhao Yelan buried his face into the other¡¯s chest as much as possible and said in a low voice: ¡°Can you put me down?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Zhao-daren, don¡¯t worry.¡± The envoy happily stroked his beard. ¡°When we passed through Jiangnan, we had already heard stories about the two lords. I was surprised when I heard the news of you two getting married last year, and didn¡¯t expect that you would be a match made in heaven.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression grew even more unnatural. He was unaccustomed to elders mentioning feelings in front of them. Fortunately, they had already reached the bedroom. Yan Mingting put him down, then sat on the bed and let the two doctors strip off his shirt to check his health.


    The witch doctor was a man of few words, so he examined him carefully and said: ¡°The poison has already spread. According to the time you were poisoned, it should not have spread so quickly. Do you often use internal force to suppress it?¡±


    Yan Mingting subconsciously glanced at Zhao Yelan, then nodded.


    Zhao Yelan immediately realized that this fellow was always suppressing it in order not to worry him, but this made the poison spread faster. He asked the doctor almost pleadingly: ¡°Do you have a solution?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Doctors usually didn¡¯t give a definite answer when encountering serious injuries, especially this kind of serious poisoning where the risk was very high. The hospital envoy said: ¡°We must cut the vein and drain the poison.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s face paled.


    The two doctors prepared separately, and the envoy asked Yao Muze to watch and learn. Housekeeper Qin followed the doctors¡¯ orders and went down to make preparations.


    Zhao Yelan staggered to the side of the bed, took Yan Mingting¡¯s other hand, and leaned down silently to lay on his chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t there hope now? You have faith in me, how could I be willing to leave you?¡± Yan Mingting stroked his head, comforting him softly.


    The witch doctor prepared the antidote on the side, and brought out a bowl of medicine for him: ¡°Drink this first.¡±


    Everything was soon ready. The envoy came over with a sharp knife, placed a basin by the bed, and said: ¡°Zhao-daren, why don¡¯t you go out and wait?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you go out and wait,¡± Yan Mingting also said.


    Zhao Yelan sat up and shook his head: ¡°I¡¯ll stay here. I definitely won¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    The envoy didn¡¯t try to persuade him any more. If there was someone watching by the side, perhaps it could give Yan Mingting some encouragement. He said: ¡°Then we will start.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Yan Mingting stretched out his hand, and when he felt the cold blade against his thin skin, he raised his other hand to cover Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes.


    Zhao Yelan took his hand away and clasped it in his own. When he looked over again, blood had already started to drip into the basin.


    Time passed bit by bit. Zhao Yelan watched as his face became paler and paler until his lips were bloodless. He took the other¡¯s hand in distress and kissed the back of it, distracting his attention, and said: ¡°It¡¯s almost your birthday, what gift do you want?¡±


    ¡°A gift, ah¡­¡­to be able to celebrate your birthday with you this year is the best gift,¡± Yan Mingting said weakly.


    Zhao Yelan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said: ¡°We¡¯ll definitely be together, so you can say what you want.¡±


    ¡°Anything is fine?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    ¡°Then I have to think about it¡­¡­.¡±


    The witch doctor came over and their conversation was interrupted. He pressed the wrist, then applied the prepared ointment to the wound and said: ¡°This contains Hecao, which is unique to Jiangnan, along with several other herbs that can stop blood poisoning.¡±


    Zhao Yelan breathed a sigh of relief: ¡°Is this the end?¡±


    ¡°No, it is just the first time,¡± the envoy said. ¡°It must be cleared several times in the next two days, so be sure to take as much tonic as possible.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks,¡± Yan Mingting said with a pale face.


    When the court envoy brought the basin out, Zhao Yelan glanced at, pursed his lips, and silently turned away.


    Everyone let Yan Mingting rest for a while, then called him up to eat. Not long after eating, the second round of detoxification started.


    It had to be cleared every three hours, even in the middle of the night. Zhao Yelan felt that his body temperature was getting lower, so he quickly embraced him to try to give him warmth.


    After going on like this for two and a half days, Yan Mingting completely passed out. Zhao Yelan said in a panic: ¡°He isn¡¯t speaking to me anymore, what should be done? Can you wake him up?¡±


    ¡°This is the last step. It is very rare that he has survived until now,¡± the envoy sighed.


    ¡°En, he is very capable.¡± The witch doctor had also treated many people. Most of them would be delirious when they were detoxified for the first time, and the only person who could persist until now was the person in front of them.


    Next, the two doctors and Yao Muze worked together to move Yan Mingting into a tub. After soaking in a medicinal bath for half an hour, the hospital envoy applied acupuncture again and then put him back on the bed, saying: ¡°The poison in his body is almost cleared, and the next step is to wait for his good fortune. If he is able to wake up, his life is basically safe.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks.¡± Zhao Yelan hurried to get the banknotes and handed them to him, but was rejected.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m treating General Yan, how can I accept these extraneous things?¡± The envoy said.


    The witch doctor also forfeited it, saying: ¡°General Yan put down the civil strife in Jiangnan. We Jiangnan people are grateful to him for coming.¡±


    Zhao Yelan bowed to them solemnly: ¡°Thanking the two doctors.¡±


    ¡°You should also rest earlier. You haven¡¯t closed your eyes for two days and nights. He won¡¯t be able to wake up anytime soon, so rest for a while.¡± After speaking, the hospital envoy left with the witch doctor and Yao Muze.


    It was already late at night. Zhao Yelan hugged Yan Mingting and closed his eyes for a while, then suddenly awoke from a dream and subconsciously put his head on the other¡¯s chest. He was relieved after hearing the sound of a heartbeat and kissed his lips in the dark, then fell back asleep.


    As soon as it was daylight, he opened his eyes, and his legs and feet could barely move after two days of rest. He opened the door and called: ¡°Are the kitchen things ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready, ready, I¡¯ll bring it right away.¡± Housekeeper Qin brought over a bowl of porridge. The kitchen had been busy for the past two days. Food must be prepared at any time, but Yan Mingting was now in a coma, so he could only be fed some porridge.


    After Zhao Yelan fed him the porridge, he stayed in the room and only came out during mealtime.


    At night, there was still no sign of him waking up. He began to panic a little, and his face was full of worry.


    The candles in the room were always lit, never going out. He whispered: ¡°Do you want to hear a story? You used to tell me stories, so let me tell you one now. Don¡¯t dislike me for being annoying.¡±


    ¡°What should I tell?¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you about Xiao Gao. Eunuch Gao is his uncle, his only family member. After Xiao Gao¡¯s parents passed away, he came to the capital to join him. Eunuch Gao didn¡¯t want him to enter the palace as a young eunuch, so he didn¡¯t let Zhao Xuan know of his existence, but sent him to me.¡±


    ¡°I happened to be in need of another guard boy, and he was skilled but not too smart, just what I wanted, so I let him follow me.¡±


    ¡°He was young at that time and had never been deceived before, so I could scare him with a few words. When I said that those who betrayed me would be quartered by five horses, he was so frightened that he immediately swore that he would not betray me. I said that Yan Mingting was an old pig spirit, and he asked me if I could not marry one, but do you know who his second favorite person is now? You old pig spirit, he has been secretly wiping tears for these two days, why don¡¯t you wake up and laugh at him?¡±


    The person on the bed still showed no sign of waking up.


    In the afternoon of the next day, Ruan Xian paid a sudden visit.


    Housekeeper Qin came to the room to pass the message. Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t want to leave the room at all, so he asked Housekeeper Qin to send him away.


    Unexpectedly, Ruan Xian rushed into their bedroom without hesitation. He looked at Zhao Yelan, who was guarding the bed with a serious expression, and asked: ¡°How is the General?¡±


    ¡°Just waiting for him to wake up,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    But Ruan Xian heard that the General had been in a coma for a long time, so he had to ask: ¡°What is your plan?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhao Yelan turned his head and looked at him blankly.


    Ruan Xian took a few steps closer, and only then did he see the other¡¯s emaciated appearance. Then he caught sight of Yan Mingting, who had lost half his life, laying in bed, and was momentarily at a loss for words. After a long time, he sighed deeply and took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, saying: ¡°This is your signed letter left in the Imperial Academy a few days ago. I happened to enter that room today and found it by accident.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhao Yelan seemed to be unable to remember.


    ¡°Your final letter!¡± Ruan Xian couldn¡¯t control his volume, and spread out the paper. ¡°This clearly arranges your funeral, and even the rabbit was not left out. What are your plans?!¡±


    Zhao Yelan stretched out his hand: ¡°Give it back to me.¡±


    Ruan Xian didn¡¯t return it to him, but tore up the paper and said: ¡°You¡¯ve planned everything out, and if General Yan leaves, you will follow?¡±


    ¡°You are not allowed to talk nonsense! He will not leave!¡± Zhao Yelan got up and pushed him out, not noticing that the person on the bed moved his fingers slightly.


    ¡°Zhao-xiong! Zhao Yelan!¡± Ruan Xian shouted from outside. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid, ah!¡±


    Zhao Yelan had someone throw him out the gate, then he dragged his sore legs back to the bed, wiped his face and hands, and whispered: ¡°I had a dream last night. I dreamt that the two of us were old and we were still playing snowball fights together. I couldn¡¯t even run anymore, and you still insisted on dragging me out to run in the snow. My legs nearly fell off because of you¡­¡­¡±


    Not long after Ruan Xian left, Housekeeper Qin came to the room again to deliver a message: ¡°My Lord, there are several girls outside the door who wish to see you.¡±


    ¡°Girls?¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Housekeeper Qin was a little embarrassed to speak, and said hesitantly: ¡°Brothel girls, they all look pretty¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Yelan estimated that it was Qingyan and the others. Now that Gu Niaoniao was in prison, business in the building had naturally stopped, and most of these girls were frightened.


    He had promised Gu Niaoniao that he would settle these people down, so he thought for a moment and said: ¡°I¡¯ll go see them.¡±


    Unexpectedly, just as he was about to get up, someone grabbed his wrist.


    He turned his head in surprise and looked down at the person on the bed.


    Yan Mingting slowly opened his eyes, and the corners of his mouth pulled up weakly. His voice was extremely hoarse and his eyes very aggrieved as he said slowly: ¡°I, I just fell asleep, and you found girls from the brothel again, and brought them to the house. You¡¯re such a lecher¡­¡­¡±

 CH 90

    The General¡¯s Mansion was busy again. Xiao Gao hurriedly went to the Yao residence to invite the two doctors over, and Housekeeper Qin excitedly went to order the kitchen to prepare a good meal.


    It was bustling inside and out. Housekeeper Qin remembered that there were guests outside the door, and trotted over to say to those well-dressed girls: ¡°My lord is too busy now, you go back and wait for news. He will come to you.¡±


    ¡°All right, thank you.¡± Qingyan took the girls away.


    It so happened that the two doctors and Yao Muze rushed over in a timely manner, and before they could catch their breaths, they were taken into the bedroom by Housekeeper Qin and Xiao Gao.


    As soon as they walked to the door, they saw Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting embracing one another. They exchanged glances, but no one made a sound.


    Housekeeper Qin coughed, and seeing that they didn¡¯t move, he knocked on the door. Zhao Yelan pushed Yan Mingting, who even turned to look at them with a bit of resentment.


    The doctors were also very helpless. They stepped forward to check his physical condition, and the hospital envoy said with a smile: ¡°Pretty good. You have a good foundation, and if you survive a catastrophe, you will have good fortune, ah. Next, you rest well and eat more to make up for it.¡±


    Zhao Yelan¡¯s heart that was hanging by a thread finally let go. He looked at Yan Mingting, who was also looking over, and they both smiled.


    The hospital envoy wrote a few more prescriptions, including diet and medication.


    Zhao Yelan thanked them solemnly, sent them out of the mansion himself, and then sent someone to fetch the medicine and returned to the room to take care of Yan Mingting¡¯s meal.


    This person who had just woken up did not have a good appetite. Where he could usually eat five bowls, he could only eat three this time.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Zhao Yelan swallowed. When he thought about his maximum meal intake of two bowls, he suddenly felt that if he were to lose so much blood, he might really not be able to make it through. It could be seen that it was sometimes a good thing to be a fool.


    When he was full, Yan Mingting assumed a posture conducive to having a long talk: ¡°I actually heard what you said.¡±


    Zhao Yelan rubbed his brows and explained: ¡°I didn¡¯t call the girls over, it was¡­..¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Yan Mingting looked at him with burning eyes. ¡°What happened to that letter Ruan Xian spoke of?¡±


    Zhao Yelan was momentarily dumbfounded.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this thing.¡± Yan Mingting frowned slightly and stroked his cheek. ¡°If something happens to me, you can¡¯t have the idea of committing suicide. You must live a long life, so that I can feel at ease.¡±


    ¡°What is the use of a long life alone?¡± Zhao Yelan glanced at him. He was originally alone, and if something happened to Yan Mingting, the years to come would torture him with endless loneliness. ¡°The dead are long gone, and the living are close. Do you think I will live happily?¡±


    Yan Mingting was silent for a long time. Knowing that he would definitely do this, his heart was so soft. He had been instilled with the idea of protecting his subjects since he was a child, and had persisted for so many years. For the first time, he tasted the feeling of someone else protecting him, and behind the heartache there was an endless hidden joy.


    ¡°Mengting, Mengting¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting embraced him and called his name, closing his eyes to sniff his fragrance. ¡°It¡¯s good to be alive, I can see you every day again.¡±


    Zhao Yelan put his arms around his back, took a deep breath, and smiled as the bitter times ended. He turned his head and kissed his ear, his cheek, his forehead, all the way to his lips.


    ¡°Fortunately.¡±


    Fortunately, you survived, and so did I.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s recovery was pretty good. He ate a lot every day and had to lie in bed most of the time, and he complained helplessly to Zhao Yelan: ¡°I¡¯ve never been in bed for so long, these days are so bitter.¡±


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t agree, because he loved lying on the bed very much. If he had nothing to do, he would prefer to lie down and eat every day, then eat and lie down.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while, you lie down well.¡±


    ¡°Why, are you going to find girls?¡± Yan Mingting was half-reclined on the bed, squinting at him while eating melon seeds.


    ¡°Yes, not only do I want to find girls, I also want to spend money on them.¡±


    Zhao Yelan made him choke. This fellow knew exactly what he was going to do, and if he insisted on making a show of jealousy, he would really give him leisure time.


    Zhao Yelan took Xiao Gao to the room where he usually had meetings, and searched around, taking out a locked box from a crack in the uneven wall.


    Xiao Gao located the key nearby, and was about to open it when he heard Zhao Yelan say that it was useless. But his key was inserted correctly, ah. He happily opened the lock, and was then stunned¡ª


    There was actually another locked box inside!


    ¡°Stinky girl, you didn¡¯t forget to play a little trick at this sort of time.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled and threw the box to Xiao Gao. ¡°Smash it open directly.¡±


    Right! But wouldn¡¯t it be broken if he smashed it directly?


    With all his strength, Xiao Gao smashed the box with his bare hands, then held his hands in pain and went to the corner to blow on them.


    Zhao Yelan picked up a stack of banknotes, walked into the tunnel, and came to the Hongxiu Building without anyone noticing.


    The building was bleak. Since Gu Niaoniao¡¯s misfortune, the doors had not been opened and some servants and girls had already snuck away. The remaining confidants, such as Qingyan and A-Chang, knew that Zhao Yelan was the master behind them, and were still waiting for news.


    Upon walking into Gu Niaoniao¡¯s room, he saw those girls sitting together wiping away tears.


    Qingyan saw him first, and asked with red eyes: ¡°Zhao-daren, can Sister Gu still come back?¡±


    The people here were all hard-working. Gu Niaoniao had been through the same experience, and usually treated them kindly, so they didn¡¯t leave, and were looking forward to Gu Niaoniao¡¯s return.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait.¡± Zhao Yelan put the banknotes on the table, and everyone got a share. ¡°She asked me to give these to you. Leave the capital. In the future, if you find a good family or not, these silver taels are enough for you to live comfortably in this life.¡±


    ¡°What about her? Is it true that she can¡¯t come back?¡± Qingyan asked with little hope.


    Zhao Yelan shook his head and sighed. ¡°Go quickly, this is not a place to stay for long.¡±


    The handful of people cried and packed their things, then left reluctantly.


    In the end, only Zhao Yelan was left. He looked around and opened a wardrobe, then took out the bag that was stored inside and opened it on the table.


    It contained the most exotic spices and his favorite tea.


    Every spring, Hongxiu House would secretly bring some tea leaves to him. When sending messages in the basket, in addition to some seasonal fruits, pears appeared the most, which had the effect of promoting hydration and relieving a cough, because he was always coughing. Quite a few of his sachets were given by Gu Niaoniao. Outsiders made fun of his love for incense, but only Gu Niaoniao knew where his obsession came from.


    They were not relatives, and they used each other, but they both considered the other a friend.


    After he returned to the mansion from Hongxiu House, Yan Mingting noticed that he was not in high spirits, and asked: ¡°You¡¯ve dealt with it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan nodded, yawned, and said that he was going to sleep.


    Yan Mingting embraced him from behind, comforting him silently.


    Gu Niaoniao¡¯s case had already been tried. She insisted that it was Zhao Xu who fled to her Hongxiu House and threatened her with murder. It had nothing to do with anyone else, such as the people in Hongxiu House, and she also did not expose Zhao Yelan¡¯s relationship with her. In the end, the result of the trial was to temporarily place her in the sky prison and wait for the emperor to wake up and personally deal with her.


    Zhao Xuan woke up once in the middle. The knife was only a little away from his heart, and it took a few days to temporarily preserve his life. He had been in a coma ever since. The night before last, he briefly opened his eyes for a moment and saw Sun Muyun standing beside the bed. He also heard that she had given birth to a dragon son, and propped up his body to establish him as the crown prince before passing out again.


    After Zhao Yelan got up in the early morning, he took care of Yan Mingting for a while and then went to visit the palace. He happened to bump into Sun Muyun, who was standing vigil piously. The other party needed to pay attention to her health so soon after giving birth, so she could only come to the bedroom occasionally to wait for a while.


    Li Jinyu and several ministers and others were also in the palace, and upon seeing him, they went outside to discuss government affairs for a while. They had to prepare for the worst, and everyone¡¯s faces were covered in gloom.


    Kan Chuan asked after Yan Mingting¡¯s health: ¡°I heard that the General has woken up. How is his recovery?¡±


    ¡°Fine, he eats more than I do,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, General Yan also suffered a lot this time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also thanks to you for mentioning Lingyun Temple.¡± Speaking of which, didn¡¯t he have to fulfill his vow and donate some incense money to the temple?


    ¡°What, you went to Lingyun Temple?¡± Kan Chuan looked around. ¡°You didn¡¯t go up the mountain, did you?¡±


    Zhao Yelan implicitly acquiesced.


    Kan Chuan was shocked: ¡°Three days later, you¡¯re so different. I really¡­¡­have a new level of respect for you, ah.¡±


    Because of his delay speaking with them, when Zhao Yelan returned home, he heard Housekeeper Qin say that Yan Mingting had refused to eat, and hurried to the room to see Yan Mingting staring bitterly at the food on the table.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you eat?¡± Zhao Yelan sat down beside him.


    ¡°Is his condition serious?¡± Yan Mingting asked.


    ¡°The Imperial Physicians say that he is better than he was previously. Yao Muze¡¯s master took the witch doctor for diagnosis and treatment, and prescribed a new prescription that could be useful.¡± Zhao Yelan placed some vegetables in his bowl.


    ¡°Then why did you come back so late?¡± Yan Mingting said aggrievedly, ¡°It was agreed that you would come back early for dinner.¡±


    ¡°I spoke with Kan Chuan and Li Jinyu for a while, so I came back late.¡±


    ¡°Really? Not because of the Emperor?¡± Yan Mingting glanced at him, then suddenly leaned close to his cheek and stared carefully into his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t cry for him, did you?¡±


    ¡°Why would I cry?¡± Zhao Yelan asked blankly.


    ¡°You always cry when I¡¯m hurt¡­¡­it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t cry for him. Eat, eat.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s appetite returned again. ¡°Feed me.¡±


    ¡°If you get an inch you want a foot.¡±


    Yan Mingting slowly raised his hand, and the scars on his wrist were displayed before him. Zhao Yelan¡¯s heart softened at once, and he fed him patiently.


    ¡°Aiyo, aiyo.¡± Housekeeper Qin came over to add some food. When he walked to the door and saw this situation, he almost fell down. Holding the plate in both hands, he said to Xiao Gao next to him, ¡°You cover my eyes.¡±


    In the afternoon, news suddenly came from the prison that the woman who assassinated the Emperor had died suddenly. However, the Imperial physicians were busy treating the Emperor, so after several jailors confirmed that she wasn¡¯t breathing, Li Jinyu had no choice but to have the assassin thrown into a mass grave.


    Two days later, good news finally came from the palace. Zhao Xuan had woken up. All the ministers rushed to the palace aside from Yan Mingting, who was still recovering from his injuries.


    Yan Mingting was lying in bed all these days, reaching out to be clothed and fed. At first he was quite carefree, and his tail was almost up to the sky.


    But even since Zhao Xuan woke up, he still needed to lie down and recuperate. However, he often took courtiers from the palace to discuss political affairs, trying to make up for the government affairs that had fallen behind, and he attached great importance to Zhao Yelan. Even if the other courtiers left, he would still remain to discuss matters.


    Yan Mingting was lying in bed, unable to see anyone all day long, and he began to plot calculations in his mind again. After catching Zhao Yelan, he began to complain: ¡°Lying down every day, I¡¯m growing mildew.¡±


    Zhao Yelan had been taking care of Yan Mingting at home for the past two days, and he had a backlog of things to do. He saw that he was eating and sleeping well now, recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye, and he was about to go to the palace to discuss proper business with Zhao Xuan, so he said: ¡°Then shall I find someone to chat with you to relieve the boredom?¡±


    But who to ask?


    Although He Cuizhang and the others often came to visit Yan Mingting these days, when Yan Mingting fell ill, they were needed in many more places and it was impossible for them to come and chat with him.


    As it happened, Housekeeper Qin¡¯s wife walked by him.


    Qin-furen was originally one of the old lady¡¯s maids, and after marrying Housekeep Qin, she still helped him run errands for the Yan family. She was mainly responsible for the tea trees and fruit trees on the back mountain, and brewed the tea herself.


    What a coincidence.


    Zhao Yelan asked her to put down the fruit she had just picked, and entrusted her to converse with Yan Mingting.


    ¡°This is a good thing, the General can be regarded as the one I saw growing up when he was a child, so I will go, ah.¡± Qin-furen went to look for Yan Mingting with a smile.


    Only then did Zhao Yelan feel relieved enough to go to the palace, and it was already nighttime when he returned. As soon as he entered the mansion, he asked: ¡°Did he eat?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Housekeeper Qin said.


    ¡°He¡¯s waiting for me again?¡±


    ¡°No¡­..aiyo, My Lord, you can go see for yourself.¡± Housekeeper Qin was too embarrassed to continue.


    Zhao Yelan followed him to the bedroom in a mystified manner, and heard laughter inside from a long distance away. When he walked to the door, he saw a pile of melon seed shells on the ground, and the two were eating them while talking and laughing. Qin-furen¡¯s voice still hadn¡¯t stopped, and she winked while saying in a melodious tone: ¡°As for the daughter of the family who sells sesame seed cakes in the vegetable market, she is eighteen years old, and hasn¡¯t talked about marriage until now. Guess what happened?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Yan Mingting asked enthusiastically.


    ¡°She eloped with someone else, and it turned out to be her cousin¡¯s fiance! In the end, after running away for half a year, he abandoned her when she was pregnant and she returned home. What do you call this, ah!¡±


    ¡°Such trouble!¡±


    ¡°There is something even worse than that. A scholar in the east of the city, his son¡­¡­¡±


    Housekeeper Qin looked at Zhao Yelan in embarrassment: ¡°Now you know why I put her on the back mountain, right? There are really too many things to talk about, and too many rumors to know¡­¡­¡±


    At first, Qin-furn had worked in the front courtyard, but she was too talkative and accidentally attracted a bunch of servants to listen to her gossip. Nobody wanted to work anymore, just like Yan Mingting, who didn¡¯t even want to eat.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Forget it, as long as he was happy, it didn¡¯t matter if he heard elegant storytelling and gossip from the city.


    The next day, everyone was discussing matters in the palace again. This time the main point of contention was the establishment of the crown prince. The crown prince was established too hastily before, and only the palace attendants and the Imperial physician knew. Seeing that the Emperor¡¯s life was safe now, they advised him to think twice. After all, Sun Muyun was the only one in the harem at present, and it would not be too late to delay crowning the crown prince for a few years. The Empress of the Palace had not made any movement yet, and there was still a need to consider the establishment of the order of succession.


    Zhao Xuan insisted on his own opinion to establish the heir to the throne.


    Under everyone¡¯s strong opposition, only Zhao Yelan stood forward: ¡°This official supports the establishment of the crown prince.¡±


    Zhao Xuan sighed: ¡°It is still Zhao-qing who understands me. There is no need to discuss this matter.¡±


    Zhao Xuan originally traveled a bloody path in the battle to seize the throne, and from the bottom of his heart, he didn¡¯t want his heirs to face such a situation. He and the Empress didn¡¯t have much affection at all, and in the harem, Sun Muyun was clever and lovely. Now that he had an eldest son, he should take advantage of the situation.


    Of course, the most important reason for him to establish an heir to the throne at that time was his physical condition. He worried that he would not be able to get up, so he simply established the crown prince first.


    After the others retreated, Zhao Xuan asked Zhao Yelan to say. He coughed a few times, and his face was pale as he said slowly: ¡°How is Yan Mingting recovering?¡±


    ¡°His life is no longer in danger, but he still needs some time to recuperate.¡±


    Zhao Xuan nodded. It happened that Sun Muyun was visiting him while holding the child, and Zhao Xuan touched the child¡¯s face with a smile, saying: ¡°His name is Zhao Sui.[1] May be be safe and healthy and have a smooth life.¡±


    ¡°A good name.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be perfunctory with me.¡± Zhao Xuan smiled. ¡°When he was still in the womb, I thought of many names with high hopes, and after a trip to the gate of hell, I realized that there is nothing happier than being safe and healthy.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Yelan felt the same way.


    ¡°In the future, you will be his Grand Tutor, ba.¡±


    The Grand Tutor was always selected from the people of the Imperial Academy. Zhao Yelan was just a bit surprised that Zhao Xuan was willing to entrust him with the heavy responsibility of teaching the Crown Prince.


    ¡°This concubine thinks so too!¡± Sun Muyun said with a smile. ¡°Zhao-daren is perfect.¡±


    Zhao Yelan had no choice but to accept this heavy responsibility under two expectant sets of eyes.


    Back at the General¡¯s Mansion, he was just in time for dinner, but found that Yan Mingting was looking at him strangely. He couldn¡¯t figure out why, and only talked about his promotion and how he was now the crown prince¡¯s Grand Tutor.


    Unexpectedly, Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes became even stranger. He stared at him for a while, dumbfounded, then put down his chopsticks without saying a word, laying down in bed pitifully and covering himself with a blanket in silence. His back looked quite aggrieved.


    Zhao Yelan was at a loss. When he left the residence the next day, he whispered a few words to Xiao Gao.


    The Emperor officially announced Zhao Yelan¡¯s promotion to Grand Tutor in public, and rewarded him with the Four Treasures of the Study.[2]


    Zhao Yelan returned home with several large boxes of rewards, and the servants bustled in and out. Yan Mingting heard the movement and looked at him even more aggrievedly, like a resentful woman who had been tragically abandoned.


    Zhao Yelan found Xiao Gao and asked: ¡°Didn¡¯t he have a good chat with Qin-furen these two days? Why is he so downtrodden?¡±


    Xiao Gao said: ¡°He was very happy at first, but he was not very happy to hear Qin-furen talk about her distant cousin.¡±


    ¡°What is the problem?¡±


    Xiao Gao cleared his throat and imitated Qin-furen¡¯s voice: ¡°Oh, Xiao Yan, you don¡¯t know how hard my cousin¡¯s life was after she got married. Her husband was good-looking and capable, and he attracted a lot of peach blossoms outside. He went out to socialize all day long, not staying at home all day, and brought back gifts from others when he returned. When asked, they were actually given to him from a sweetheart outside! This was probably because her husband disliked that she couldn¡¯t dress up at home all day long, and she had little knowledge, so he was looking for a companion outside. From my point of view, she should take care of herself more, and spend money where she should, otherwise, the money saved for her husband would be saved for other women! Tell me, do you think this is logical?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Zhao Yelan returned to the room, sat down by the bed, and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what is in those boxes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t want.¡± Yan Mingting turned his back to him and hummed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than something to please you, as if you don¡¯t already have it. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s annoying? The crown prince already has it all, why keep looking for you if he has nothing to do? I¡¯ve always suspected that he has bad intentions, so you must be careful.¡±


    Zhao Yelan pursed his lips and said with a smile: ¡°Those are rewards for you, for your expedition.¡±


    Yan Mingting was taken aback, and turned around: ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°En, if you don¡¯t believe me, go and see for yourself.¡±


    Yan Mingting really got up, checked the boxes one by one, and was satisfied. After returning to the room, he changed his clothes for some reason while Zhao Yelan was bathing.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan walked out, he saw him wearing a fancy outfit and sitting on the edge of the bed. He leaned against the bed curtain and coughed softly: ¡°Mengting ~ It¡¯s time to go to bed ~¡±


    A crack appeared in Zhao Yelan¡¯s expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden? What are you doing in my clothes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like these clothes?¡± Yan Mingting had heard from Qin-furen that if he wanted to win the heart of a man who was running around all day, he had to match what he liked first in order to hook him!


    Zhao Yelan rubbed his temples and went forward to take off his clothes, urging: ¡°Hurry up and go to bed.¡±


    Yan Mingting was stunned: It had a miraculous effect!


    He couldn¡¯t wait to quickly take off his clothes and go to bed, hehe!


    ¡°Wait.¡± Yan Mingting continued his efforts and quickly took out a sachet from the side drawer. He rubbed it on his body, trying to absorb some of the fragrance. It was said that it was very useful in the bedroom, and Zhao Yelan liked the fragrance so much that he would definitely be seduced by him.


    Under Zhao Yelan¡¯s dumbfounded expression, Yan Mingting finished his preparation and lay down immediately, hooking his fingers at him: ¡°Mengting, come quickly¡ª achoo, achoo!¡±


    Zhao Yelan couldn¡¯t watch any further, and snatched the sachet from his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, achoo!¡± Yan Mingting continued to sneeze.


    ¡°You grabbed the sweetgrass,¡± Zhao Yelan said blankly.


    Yan Mingting was dumbfounded: ¡°How could¡­..achoo, achoo!¡­..that be!¡±


    *


    T/N: Only two chapters left now. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s ending!


    [1] Sui (Ëì) means to be fulfilled. ?


    [2] The Four Treasures of the Study (ÎÄ·¿Ëı¦) are the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. ?

 CH 91

    The weather was gradually getting warmer. There was no need for heavy cloaks anymore, but mainly light, thin clothes, which helped Li Yucheng¡¯s Jiangnan silk shop make a fortune as people rushed to buy soft, comfortable, and breathable fabrics.


    In the evening, Yin Pinglu took the time to come to the General¡¯s Mansion, just in time to meet Zhao Yelan, who had returned from the Imperial Academy, and check the accounts with him.


    The two talked about business in the study, but it was very lively outside. Zuo Ran and He Cuizhang were dueling in the courtyard.


    Yan Mingting lay on a reclining chair, watching them fight. He held a bunch of grapes in his hand and said a few words from time to time, greatly enjoying it.


    According to Yan Mingting¡¯s words, if he stayed in the mansion every day, he would truly be too idle.


    Zhao Yelan first found Mrs. Qin to chat with him and relieve the boredom, but the old lady was so fond of gossiping that she nearly led Yan Mingting astray. Zhao Yelan had no choice but to invite the old lady to return to the back mountain, and and invited a storyteller to come to the mansion.


    When he heard the scene where Zhao Yun charged in and out of the enemy ranks seven times,[1] Yan Mingting waved his hands and said that he didn¡¯t tell it well enough. He snatched the other¡¯s xingmu from his hand, placed it on the table, and began to speak endlessly to the storyteller.


    As soon as Zhao Yelan returned to the mansion, he saw the storyteller and the servants squatting in the courtyard, listening to Yan Mingting vividly tell a battlefield story. It was so eventful and exciting that even he couldn¡¯t help but stop and listen for a while, and at night, he was still asking what happened next.


    But the storyteller was not paid, with the justification that he had only come to listen to a story, and a different storyteller was brought in who was a young girl.


    This time, it was not about the bloody battlefield, but an emotional story that moved heaven and earth. Yan Mingting was fascinated by it, and could not extricate himself from it.


    As a result, Zhao Yelan looked at him a few more times and said: ¡°Fellow, put away your dirty little thoughts.¡±


    Yan Mingting was swatted at by him, and he said: ¡°Do you know who you¡¯re beating? A prestigious general, a man favored by the heavens. No one else dared do this to me, you were the first. Very good, I¡¯ll make you pay.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Zhao Yelan tugged his ear and smiled wickedly. ¡°Hehehehe, fellow, are you trying to attract my attention in this way? Very good, you¡¯ve succeeded. Next, I¡¯m going to kiss you.¡±


    Zhao Yelan pushed his face away.


    Unfortunately, the female storyteller was also fired.


    But fortunately, Yan Mingting¡¯s body was healing well. He ate a lot and gradually gained weight, and was no longer as thin as he was at the beginning. Yan Mingting dared to look in the mirror now. At one point in the past, he was so ugly that he couldn¡¯t bear to look, yet Zhao Yelan never left, and he was so moved that he had to kiss him forcefully.


    Zhao Yelan: ¡°Scram.¡± The aftereffects of listening to an opera were so severe?


    Today, He Cuizhang happened to come to talk with Yan Mingting about some serious business. After the talk, they bumped into Zuo Ran, who had come to accompany Yin Pinglu, and the three of them chatted outside. Yan Mingting looked around and suddenly said: ¡°Let¡¯s have a competition, ba.¡±


    The two people: ¡°Why do you want to compete all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t supervised you for a long time, and I want to inspect how you¡¯re doing now,¡± Yan Mingting said without a change of expression.


    He called it an inspection, but it was actually a show.


    After the two finished, he set down the grapes and wiped his hands. ¡°Zuo Ran has made progress. He Cuizhang, you can stop going so easy on her next time.¡±


    Zuo Ran refused to admit defeat, and said: ¡°It¡¯s because I have memorized too many books recently, and delayed my practice time.¡±


    While they talked, the two people in the study emerged. Zhao Yelan said: ¡°It¡¯s getting dark, let¡¯s go eat first.¡±


    As soon as they sat down at the table, Li Yucheng rushed in, shouting: ¡°Zhao Yelan, I thought of another way to make money! You see if it can be done!¡±


    As he spoke, he squeezed beside Zhao Yelan, and Yan Mingting squeezed him back out. ¡°Go, go, go. Do not speak when eating or sleeping, don¡¯t you know? Finish eating and then talk.


    Li Yucheng pouted and sent a meaningful look at Zhao Yelan, signaling him to deal with this fellow.


    A smile flashed through Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes, and he said: ¡°Eat your meal first, ba.¡±


    Li Yucheng: ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Life is bitter.


    In June, after the doctor¡¯s examination and a full recovery, the first thing Yan Mingting did was rush to the training grounds to exercise, then he went to the Imperial Academy to pick up Zhao Yelan and go home.


    ¡°There are really no problems?¡± Zhao Yelan confirmed again and again.


    ¡°Not any more!¡± Yan Mingting patted his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just came back from the training grounds. Although I have to catch up to where I was before, and it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been active, I can catch up with practice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Zhao Yelan finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his teetering heart finally stabilized.


    At night, the two lay in bed and talked, and Zhao Yelan yawned several times but insisted on not sleeping.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to sleep, let¡¯s do something else.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say¡­¡­¡± Yan Mingting turned over and put his hands on his sides, looking down at him with a smile, ¡°¡­..Anything?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Ever since Yan Mingting began to recuperate from the detoxification, they hadn¡¯t done such things. The main reason was that Zhao Yelan feared something would go wrong and delay his recovery, so it was strictly prohibited, and he was pure-hearted and ascetic.


    Now, it seemed that he had fully recovered, and he was outrageously full of vim and vigor.


    Of course, he was no monk, and naturally had needs. So even if he was aware that Yan Mingting was asking the question while already knowing the answer, he still replied proudly, ¡°Anything.¡±


    ¡°What kind of anything?¡± Yan Mingitng asked with a smile.


    ¡°Such nonsense.¡± Zhao Yelan grasped his chin, lifted his head, and kissed him.


    While breathing heavily, Zhao Yelan faintly heard the sound of clappers being beaten outside and pushed the person away a little, his chest rising and falling slightly. He asked, out of breath: ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°June thirteenth, midnight.¡± Yan Mingting¡¯s eyes brightened.


    Zhao Yelan looked at him with a slight arc to his eyebrows: ¡°Fangli, it¡¯s an auspicious birthday.¡±


    ¡°En. This year¡¯s birthday wish is still the same as last year¡¯s. That we spend every birthday together in the future.¡±


    ¡°En¡­¡­hmm!¡±


    In the early morning, the sun shone into the room. Zhao Yelan was already fully dressed, and after eating longevity noodles with Yan Mingting, the guests arrived.


    Not only friends, but also many colleagues. When everyone heard that Yan Mingting had recovered, they all came to visit and celebrate his birthday.


    This time, Yan Mingting couldn¡¯t refuse their kindness again. They had spent time together for a year and were very familiar with each other, so a rather lively banquet was set up.


    It lasted until the afternoon, and the General¡¯s Mansion was bustling. Yan Mingting was busy greeting the guests when he suddenly realized that he hadn¡¯t seen Zhao Yelan for a while, so he went to Housekeeper Qin and asked where he was.


    Housekeeper Qin whispered back to him: ¡°Didn¡¯t all the guests bring gifts? My lord went to check on them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    For some reason, Yan Mingting burst out laughing. It was as if he was seeing that person who was addicted to the gift money on their wedding night again.


    The guests gradually dispersed. Yan Mingting sent them out the gate one by one, then turned to look for Zhao Yelan, but he was nowhere to be found. So he headed to the storeroom again, but there was still no sign, so he asked: ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    Housekeeper Qin thought for a moment, and then said: ¡°He and Xiao Gao seem to have gone to Zhao Mansion.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Mansion?¡±


    At this time, the Zhao Mansion was much more deserted than in previous years, and there were usually only a few servants to clean and maintain it.


    When Zhao Yelan stepped into the mansion again, he felt as if he had been in another world. Looking at the rather exquisite rockery, he unexpectedly felt that there was not enough vitality, and that he should add a chicken coop or a fish pond to make it livelier.


    Amused by his own thoughts, he returned to his previous bedroom, which was still clean and tidy. After looking around, he sat down by the window and admired the scenery in the courtyard until Yan Mingting appeared in his sight.


    Yan Mingting also wore ocher-colored clothes today, which Zhao Yelan chose for him. He had a similar outfit that he had worn on his birthday last year that Yan Mingting liked very much, so Zhao Yelan had gone out and had one made for him, which he didn¡¯t wear until today.


    This person usually only wore black and silver clothes. Suddenly putting on brighter clothes, he was even more flamboyant.


    However, Yan Mingting had still worn a more dazzling color. The vermillion wedding robes had made Zhao Yelan¡¯s eyes light up at first sight, as if his heart had been touched at the time.


    ¡°Look at that flower. It rained heavily last year, and it almost wilted. I thought it must have withered.¡± Zhao Yelan waited for him to approach the window before pointing to the flower outside the window and saying so.


    ¡°It looks pretty good now, ah,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s unexpectedly strong.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled to himself, remembering the moment he had just received the Imperial decree of marriage. Comparing himself to a flower on a rainy day, he only felt that he was at the end of his rope, and never expected that the clouds and fog would be lifted away to reveal the sun.


    At this thought, he suddenly recalled another thing and asked: ¡°At that time, I asked Xiao Gao to send you some broken flowers and withered willows. Did you ever receive them?¡±


    ¡°I received them.¡± Yan Mingting was a little moved. ¡°I received your kindness.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked bewildered: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The fallen flowers for desire, and the broken willows to express love, ah,¡± Yan Mingting said.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him slowly. Why didn¡¯t I know there was such a meaning?


    No wonder this fellow was so confident when they first married. It turned out that he made a mistake a long time ago.


    Just as he was thinking, he heard the sound of boxes being rummaged through. He turned his head and saw Yan Mingting poking around his bedroom.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been in this room,¡± Yan Mingting said with novelty. He later found several sachets stored in the room, and upon picking them up, he smelled the scent of sweetgrass. He tossed it out immediately, just as he had tossed out the one in the General¡¯s Mansion a few days ago.


    Zhao Yelan smiled helplessly: ¡°Do you know why I wore sweetgrass when we got married?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I just thought, ah, if you were an ugly monster with bad conduct, I would poison you to death first, and at worst, we would die together.¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Yan Mingting patted his chest in fear. ¡°Fortunately, I am handsome and dashing, and a family man.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked out of the bedroom and across the bluestone slabs step by step, thinking back to the spring of last year. He wore wedding robes as he walked down this path, and aside from the red before his eyes, he could only see the slabs under his feet. He didn¡¯t know what obstacles and difficulties would appear ahead, and didn¡¯t know where he would end up.


    At this time, a big hand suddenly reached out from the side and landed in the center of his vision, and he took it without thought.


    ¡°Your mansion is really elegant.¡± Yan Mingting gazed around.


    There was just a bit less of a human touch.


    Zhao Yelan had only lived in the Zhao residence for a few years, and hardly talked with the servants. It had a cold appearance each day, and there were no friends to visit, so it was even more quiet and deserted.


    The two walked outside the gate. Zhao Yelan entered the sedan chair, and Yan Mingting followed.


    After a while, Zhao Yelan lifted the curtain and looked outside. Someone spotted him and smiled at him before getting back to business.


    ¡°Last year, when I was sitting in the wedding sedan chair, many people cursed me on this street,¡± Zhao Yelan said.


    Yan Mingting was taken aback for a moment, and then realized that this street was the one the other party had taken when they married. He said: ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I was cursing you in my heart.¡± Zhao Yelan smiled.


    ¡°Actually, I also¡­¡­.¡±


    Zhao Yelan swiftly glanced at him.


    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t know what to say!¡± Yan Mingting promptly changed his words and raised his hands halfway in the air, making a gesture of surrender. ¡°At that time, I was waiting for the sedan chair in the mansion. My mind was full of guessing what you might look like, and whether we would still recognize each other.¡±


    Zhao Yelan put away his murderous gaze and said calmly: ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Then I realized that you had grown even more good-looking. I recognized you at a glance, but it is a pity that you didn¡¯t recognize me.¡±


    ¡°You should be glad I didn¡¯t recognize you, ba. If you still looked like you did when you were young¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget, forget, forget about my ugly face!¡±


    The sedan chair slowly returned to the General¡¯s Mansion. Yan Mingting got off the sedan chair and then reached his hand through the curtain. The familiar scene somewhat stunned Zhao Yelan, and the corners of his mouth hooked up.


    Compared with last year¡¯s hand, this hand had a few more scars. Zhao Yelan took it and was led to the door by him. He asked: ¡°I was wearing a veil and couldn¡¯t see other people. Did any of the guests look at us and mock us?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, they were all there to mock us,¡± Yan Mingting sighed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait to grab your veil and cover my head, but no, as the host, I had to be dignified.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    A very sumptuous dinner had been prepared in the mansion, and the two of them retired to their room after eating.


    Zhao Yelan took out his congratulatory gift, a safety talisman.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about food or clothing, and after much deliberation, I still wanted to give you health.¡±


    Zhao Yelan hung the safety talisman on him and said: ¡°This is the talisman I prayed for you last time in Lingyun Temple. I wish for you to stay safely by my side in the future.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Yan Mingting touched the talisman solemnly. This was what Zhao Yelan had begged for after crawling all day and risking half his life.


    Zhao Yelan pressed his hand again: ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Yan Mingting froze, and then saw him take out two concentric knot bracelets. They were made with red rope, and one was tied around his wrist to cover the scar.


    The other was handed to Yan Mingting. He slowly put it on for the other party, and it made his slender white wrist look even more attractive.


    The two red bracelets were like the red line of fate, holding them together in perpetual unity.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡­the thing you¡¯ve been working on for the past few days, is this it?¡± Yan Mingting suddenly realized, ¡°You made these yourself?¡±


    Zhao Yelan gazed at him silently.


    ¡°Really, ah?¡± Yan Mingting was amazed, and took his hands to rub them. ¡°Hard work, hard work, it¡¯s been really hard on these hands. I will definitely wear this for the rest of my life!¡±


    The two gazed at each other for a long moment, and Yan Mingting remembered something else. He went out for a moment, and when he returned, he held a jug of wine in his hand and said with a smile: ¡°We haven¡¯t drunk the wedding wine yet. How about we make up for it today?¡±


    Two cups of wine were placed on the table. Zhao Yelan walked over and the two picked up their cups, crossed their arms, raised their heads, and drank it all in one gulp.


    Zhao Yelan wrinkled his face and set the cup down, looking at him faintly: ¡°Very strong wine.¡±


    Yan Mingting averted his eyes guiltily.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m not a good drinker.¡± Zhao Yelen narrowed his eyes slightly.


    ¡°That is¡­..I just think you¡¯re very provocative when you¡¯re drunk, and you take the initiative to say a lot of love words.¡±


    ¡°Sleep in the study tonight.¡± Zhao Yelan drove him out.


    Not long after, Yan Mingting dove in from the roof, kissed that blushing and sweating person, and asked in a low voice: ¡°Mengting, who is your favorite person?¡±


    Zhao Yelan bit his lower lip, refusing to speak.


    Yan Mingting liked his appearance very much. His eyes revealed love and desire, but he was very proud and arrogant, waiting for his devout believer to offer him everything.


    And Yan Mingting was willing to be his only believer in this life.


    ¡°Mengting, I love you, I will never leave you.¡± Yan Mingting continued to kiss him.


    ¡°En, my love will never change.¡±


    Zhao Yelan caressed his cheek. There was light in his eyes, and this man stood in that light at all times.


    The two of them tangled together, and Zhao Yelan grasped a strand of black hair: ¡°Fangli, let¡¯s grow white hair together.¡±


    ¡°All right, it¡¯s a deal.¡±


    [1] This is a famous scene from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. ?

 CH 92

    Four years later, at the turn of spring and summer, Zhao Xuan passed away.


    Although his life had been recovered after the assassination, the injury was deep-rooted, and he required medicinal concoctions every day to maintain his health.


    Since the crown prince was young, he could only continue to be diligent regarding politics, on his feet early in the early morning and allowing himself no rest until late at night. His health went from bad to worse, and when he finally fell ill a month ago, medicine was ineffective.


    Lying on the hospital bed, Zhao Xuan still did not forget state affairs, convening with ministers to discuss policies that benefited the country and the common people every day, and rarely mentioned his own affairs.


    He only said a thing or two in front of people close to him.


    On this day, Zhao Xuan intentionally kept Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting behind. After first discussing border issues with Yan Mingting, he coughed loudly and gave a wan smile: ¡°No need to be so sad. You blocked an arrow for me before and saved my life, allowing me to live for so many years¡­..perhaps this is my fate, and I would have this result sooner or later.¡±


    Zhao Yelan frowned.


    ¡°It is said that before death, a person will constantly recall his own life.¡± The corners of Zhao Xuan¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°I¡¯ve thought for a long time, and found that my memory is only clear after getting to know you. I don¡¯t want to remember earlier things, they are all unbearable memories. What happened after, I don¡¯t want to think about too closely. I feel that I was gradually addicted to the power struggle, and even nearly lost a friend who had been with me for many years.¡±


    Zhao Yelan turned his face away. Yan Mingting walked up to him and pulled his head against his chest, patting him lightly.


    Zhao Xuan looked at them and smiled. Many things were difficult to see through the fog, and you would only notice them once you were out of the game. If these two people were not in harmony, or either one of them had a rebellious heart, his country would be in chaos again.


    At this time, Sun Muyun brought the crown prince to visit. The prince was cute and clever, with a personality more stable than his age, perhaps because of the temperaments of his father and Grand Tutor. But facing his mother concubine and the General, he became a little mischievous and naughty.


    Zhao Xuan touched the crown prince¡¯s head, smiled, and said with some difficulty: ¡°From now on, this child will be handed over to you. Please help me take care of him for a few more years.¡±


    Zhao Yelan looked at him and seemed to know what his intentions were. He said: ¡°This is a large matter, it had best be discussed with the other ministers¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ve made up my mind. It¡¯s just a waste of words to discuss it with them, they¡¯re only staring at the throne under me.¡± Zhao Xuan coughed a few times. ¡°Let this matter go, I only trust you now. If he¡¯s a good-for-nothing, you must teach him a lesson for me. If he¡¯s not cut out for it, you can replace him if you want, but I hope you can treat this mother and child kindly¡­¡­¡±


    The next day, Zhao Xuan was in good spirits and made a rare appearance at morning court. This time, he only spoke of his own affairs and nothing else, addressing the Imperial mausoleum and the specifications for the funeral.


    However, in the end, he announced a decision that shocked everyone.


    ¡ªZhao Yelan was to be promoted as Regent, temporarily acting in the crown prince¡¯s stead to handle state affairs.


    This move undoubtedly set off a huge wave of public opinion among the court and the people.


    There were few heirs in the harem. Other than the crown prince, there were only two princesses, all by Sun Muyun. After Zhao Xuan¡¯s death, the throne would naturally be in the pockets of those people with aspirations.


    Now Zhao Yelan, who was not part of the royal family, was given the post of Regent. It was tantamount to handing over the country to others, not to mention that Zhao Yelan was not one who was content to be idle. Who could be given this huge power and not be tempted?


    However, Zhao Xuan did his best to resist all the arguments, and after proclaiming his Imperial decree, he went to the harem and had lunch with Sun Muyun. Then he took a nap in bed that afternoon, and never woke up again.


    After the national funeral was held, Zhao Yelan took the seat of Regent in an orderly manner. The Crown Prince ascended the throne, and there was a chair for one of high status placed at the front of the throne room, which was Zhao Yelan¡¯s seat.


    Everyone was a bit unresponsive at first, looking at Zhao Yelan and then looking at each other. It was Yan Mingting who spoke first, asking if the Regent could organize the surplus soldiers in the capital into the Imperial Guard.


    Kan Chuan then asked how the vacant official positions should be filled.


    Seeing this, the other people could only slowly adapt.


    The most comfortable was Yan Mingting. Usually, coming to morning court was the thing he disliked the most. He would get up early and return just in time to go to the Imperial Academy, so the two of them could only see each other at night.


    Now it was different, and they could get up early together and go home together.


    He stared intently at the person who was sitting at the front of the hall at this moment. His demeanor was natural and poised, quite dignified, and he remained calm in the face of other people¡¯s difficulties. It was really hard to think that just half an hour ago, this fellow was still lying in bed, closing his eyes through the whole process of getting ready entirely through Yan Mingting¡¯s help. He didn¡¯t even want to walk, lying lazily on top of him and scolding him for not letting him sleep more.


    Whether it was the Zhao Yelan who was willful and unbridled, or the Zhao Yelan who was lazy and coquettish, only he, Yan Mingting, could see it.


    It took more than three months for Zhao Yelan to make the ministers surrender, and he also asked Yan Mingting to send troops to frighten the vassal kings who were starting to move around. Thus, he was firmly seated, and the court returned to calm.


    However, there was controversy amongst the public.


    Rumors came from an unknown source, saying that Zhao Yelan had wolfish ambition and coaxed the little emperor every day in order to replace him without needing a single soldier!


    Yan Mingting found out as soon as the rumor spread. After all, he was now more free than Zhao Yelan.


    He didn¡¯t let the news reach Zhao Yelan¡¯s ears, and didn¡¯t believe that Zhao Yelan would replace the crown prince at all, but there was one thing that he kept in mind.


    At night, after the two had finished enjoying themselves, Yan Mingting tapped his finger on the bridge of his nose and finally restrained himself enough to ask: ¡°Why did Zhao Xuan ask you to be the Regent? It isn¡¯t that his royal family has no other children. He has a fifth younger brother to the south, so it shouldn¡¯t be your turn, ba.¡±


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him and said: ¡°You pig brain, no matter how distant the children of other clans of the royal family are, they have the same blood, and it would be even more difficult to compete for the throne. If there were to be a legitimate reason, then the country left for the little emperor would be taken away by others.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t afraid of you taking it away?¡± Yan Mingting said sourly, ¡°Or did he feel guilty toward you, and even if you took the country away, he didn¡¯t care?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he care, he was just settling his affairs and making a bet.¡±


    ¡°Betting that you would have a conscience?¡±


    ¡°Betting on our relationship,¡± Zhao Yelan said. ¡°In the few days before his death, do you know why he called the two of us together from time to time?¡±


    Yan Mingting pondered: ¡°He was envious?¡±


    Zhao Yelan smiled helplessly: ¡°He wanted to make sure our relationship would last forever. Only in this way could he rest assured handing the crown prince and country over to me temporarily, because as long as our relationship lasts, we will have no heirs.¡±


    If Zhao Yelan really wanted this country, what was the use of taking it away for a few decades when he had no one to take over when he grew old? If he only wanted to enjoy power in those intervening decades, then he could enjoy it as the Regent, and had no need to be charged with conspiracy to usurp the throne.


    And Zhao Xuan had continuously told Zhao Sui to listen to Zhao Yelan for the sake of the overall situation, so that the relationship between the two could be harmonious and Zhao Yelan could help the little emperor more attentively.


    Plus, Zhao Xuan was far-sighted enough to give Zhao Yelan a death-exemption plate[1] without telling everyone, so that Zhao Sui would not turn against him when his wings grew stronger. This plate could save him from death, and it could also be regarded as repaying Zhao Yelan¡¯s kindness to the Zhao royal family.


    ¡°He was dedicated after sitting on the throne and only lived comfortably for a few days.¡± Zhao Yelan sighed and turned his head to look at him. He found that he seemed to have gotten rid of that sort of life only after getting married. ¡°It¡¯s very good now, I don¡¯t want to worry about those things like him¡­..¡±


    ¡°En, our lives should be a little more relaxed.¡±


    Yan Mingting picked him up and put him in bed, wrapping him tightly with a quilt and kissing his forehead.


    The next day was a rest day. It was still early spring, and the weather was a bit cold. Zhao Yelan stayed in bed until noon before being pulled up by Yan Mingting.


    ¡°I heard that the market is very lively today, let¡¯s go shopping together.¡±


    ¡°What is there to do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been very busy recently, and you haven¡¯t gone out with me for a long time,¡± Yan Mingting said rather sadly.


    Zhao Yelan glanced at him, and reluctantly agreed.


    Yan Mingting dressed him up thickly, and after having lunch together, cheerfully took him to the streets.


    If they were going to the streets, just go to the streets, what was he doing with a basket?


    What¡¯s more, it was on Zhao Yelan¡¯s forearm.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Zhao Yelan said coldly.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to buy a lot of things, so I brought a basket to put them in.¡± Yan Mingting chuckled and led him to the busiest market.


    When the common people saw Zhao Yelan, their expressions were a bit strange. When the rumors started these past two days, some people thought he might not be a good person, and now they looked at him with a bit of inquiry.


    Zhao Yelan also noticed everyone peeking at him, but subconsciously thought that these people found his act of carrying a basket strange.


    Then the common people discovered that Zhao Yelan had entered the vegetable market with Yan Mingting, and after a while, handfuls of green vegetables filled the basket, greener than Zhao Yelan¡¯s face.


    ¡°You just came to buy these?¡± Zhao Yelan asked.


    Everyone saw that Zhao Yelan was about to get angry, then heard the General say: ¡°Yes, ah, I just want to eat these, let¡¯s buy a few.¡±


    Then Zhao Yelan held back his anger.


    Really obedient, ah, the common people thought.


    Not long after, Yan Mingting was drawn to a nest of chicks and squatted down to stare at them, saying with a happy smile: ¡°You choose a few that you like.¡±


    ¡°What is there to choose? Won¡¯t they all go in the pot when they grow up?¡± Zhao Yelan could smell the odor from a long distance away, and covered his nose with a handkerchief, giving him a few glances. ¡°Can¡¯t you let the servants come buy them?¡±


    The onlookers felt that Zhao Yelan was about to lose his temper. This looked like the original treacherous official, ah, wouldn¡¯t he be even more terrifying now that he was Regent?


    ¡°The servants¡¯ purchases were unsatisfactory, don¡¯t you want to pick them yourself?¡± Yan Mingting gestured him over. ¡°Come and have a look, they¡¯re very cute.¡±


    Zhao Yelan didn¡¯t go.


    Yan Mingting held one and walked up to him: ¡°Pet it?¡±


    Zhao Yelan took a glance and found that it was indeed much cuter now than an adult chicken, so he touched it with a frown.


    The chick: ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±


    ¡°Hurry and finish buying so we can go.¡± Zhao Yelan just wanted to finish quickly.


    ¡°Then buy them all.¡± Yan Mingting picked up a basket of chicks and suddenly turned to look at him. ¡°Have you brought any money?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡± After Zhao Yelan paid the money, it really stunk to death, so he hurriedly left that place.


    But Yan Mingting lagged behind, chatting with the people around him casually.


    ¡°General, why did you come to buy vegetables yourself, ah?¡±


    ¡°Because he wanted to go out with me. It couldn¡¯t be helped, he¡¯s so clingy.¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Zhao-daren walking with you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in a hurry to go back and eat¡­¡­and make steamed buns. The buns he makes for me are very delicious.¡±


    ¡°He can make steamed buns?¡±


    ¡°En, he learned specially for me!¡±


    ¡°Really? Which of you usually has a higher status at home?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s me! If he is disobedient, I will¡­..¡± Yan Mingting waved his fist.


    ¡°Whoa! The General is mighty!¡±


    Not a few days after, the news that Zhao Yelan and Yan Mingting went to the vegetable market together spread all over the streets and alleys. Compared with the unknown matter of whether he would seize control of the country, they were more interested in the odds and ends happening in front of them, and everyone spread the word vividly and colorfully.


    When it reached Zhao Yelan¡¯s ears, the news had become like this¡ª


    It was said that Zhao Yelan was beaten every day. He had to repair the roof tiles when the house leaked and also work in the kitchen. He served his husband and was very obedient, so he never dared condemn people. Hey, the General is truly mighty!


    He learned this from the mouth of the little emperor. When he was taking the little emperor to review memorials, he heard Zhao Sui call in a childish voice: ¡°Taifu.¡± Zhao Sui was still more used to calling him by his title as the Grand Tutor.


    ¡°Taifu, it¡¯s getting dark. If you don¡¯t go back, aren¡¯t you afraid of being beaten?¡±


    Zhao Yelan: ¡° ? ¡±


    ¡°You must be working hard. You help me deal with government affairs every day, and you have to cook when you get home.¡± After Zhao Sui said this, he continued with some distress, ¡°If the General really beats you, you can tell me, and I will help you vent your anger!¡±


    When Yan Mingting came back from his work in the evening, he saw Zhao Yelan¡¯s cold expression, and the other party asked in an interrogator¡¯s tone: ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    ¡°I w-w-w-went to drink some wine with the Minister of the Ministry of War.¡± Yan Mingting took the initiative to admit his mistake, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the next time I drink, I will come back early!¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Zhao Yelan narrow his eyes slightly and take out a short knife. Feeling that something was wrong, he hastened to squat down obediently, explaining in detail: ¡°It was really just drinking, all big men and not a single girl!¡±


    Zhao Yelan scoffed and sat lazily on the edge of the bed, playing with the dagger with the tails of his eyes slightly raised: ¡°Let me ask you, where did the rumors come from?¡±


    Oh, it wasn¡¯t about the drinking. Yan Mingting heaved a sigh of relief, but didn¡¯t dare to stand up: ¡°They, they came from my dog mouth.¡±


    Zhao Yelan walked in front of him and looked at him with a haughty expression, his eyes lingering on his face as he thought of ways to punish him.


    Yan Mingting¡¯s throat tightened. When he looked at him like this, he felt a little distracted, and he reached out and pulled this person onto his lap. ¡°Madam, please take the seat of honor, you don¡¯t have to get up early tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Zhao Yelan raised his eyes. ¡°You are not allowed in my bed for three days.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Yan Mingting suddenly picked him up and put him on the nearby table, leaning over to kiss him. ¡°Then right here it is, ba.¡±


    Later, this rumor that had just been spread among the people was shattered by the daily life of the General¡¯s Mansion. The common people deeply believed that as long as Zhao Yelan was with Yan Mingting, General Yan would keep him under control and he would cause no trouble at all.


    But gradually, everyone discovered that it was Yan Mingting who made more trouble. And as for who was in charge in this family, it was still up for discussion.


    But that was all for later.


    According to historical records, the official career of Zhao Yelan could be described as tumultuous. From a nobody to the position of Regent, he assisted the Emperor by participating in and discussing state affairs. During the decade when the old emperor changed to the new, the common people lived and worked in peace and contentment, the court recruited talented people, embankments, roads, and canals were built, taxes were reduced, and commercial channels were opened up so that all nations could come to the court.


    Ten years later, he resigned from the position of regent, and Emperor Zhao Sui, whom he had personally taught, took over the country. He continued to follow his Grand Tutor¡¯s policies and pushed the dynasty to its peak.


    Apart from Zhao Yelan¡¯s legendary official career, the aspect most discussed by later generations was his love affair with General Yan Mingting.


    Although the two were both men, one civil and one military, they helped run the country and suppressed rebellions. Marrying because of an Imperial decree, they got to know each other and fell in love, never abandoning each other, and this became a good story passed down from generation to generation.


    According to unofficial history, after Zhao Yelan retired, he went with Yan Mingting to travel the mountains and rivers.


    Someone once saw them making tea and food in the countryside, laughing and cursing, so very happy; it was also seen that they drank fine wine and tasted delicacies high in tea houses, sharing worldly experiences.


    No matter what sort of record, time constantly passed, and places constantly changed.


    In this long life, it was truly difficult to find an intimate and understanding friend.


    The only constant was that Zhao Yelan would always have Yan Mingting by his side.


    *


    T/N: That¡¯s the end, everyone! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the journey! There are a whopping total of 13 extras coming up, including a 6-part alternate storyline showing what might have happened if ZYL really faked his death.


    [1] A death-exemption plate (ÃâËÀ½ðÅÆ) is a plate  bestowed by the emperor, allowing one to be exempt from the death penalty. ?