《The Crown Prince Chases His Wife》


 CH 1.1

    Chapter 1           Gu City (1/2)


    In the Northwest, outside the mountain pass, several carriages galloped through the continuous hills.


    In the carriage, a young man in brocade clothing was pale at the front and tried to resist the queasiness in his stomach. He let the fast-moving carriage jolt him up and down, and his body bumped against the wall of the carriage from time to time.


    ¡°Uncle Luo, how long will it take, how long will it take to get to Gu City¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the young man quickly stuck his head out of the carriage window and finally couldn¡¯t help but vomit.


    On the other side of the carriage sat a middle-aged man in a plain long shirt. He frowned and lifted the carriage curtain on the other side, looking at the barren rock mound in front of him, his frown smoothed out slightly.


    ¡°It is less than ten miles away from Gu City after we get out of the mountain pass up ahead. I hope the people from the escort bureau can hold it back.¡±


    This middle-aged man was Wen Luo, the shopkeeper of the wealthy businessman of the Yu family in Yangzhou, and the adopted son of the old master of the Yu family. He had experienced many ups and downs in the business world for many years. He had a calm personality and ruthless behavior.


    Three years ago, when the old master passed away, and the day after the old master was buried, Wen Luo was sent to the Northwest to explore trade routes by the current head of the family, Wen Luo¡¯s adopted elder brother, Yu Shenghai.


    At that time, the Great Xia had a truce with the Turks and Xirong* for less than a year. The Great Xia reopened the border city and encouraged border trade with the Western Regions with extremely low tariffs. At that time, he was sent to the Northwest, under the pretense of seizing business opportunities, but it was also to kick Wen Luo out of the center of power at home.


    (Xirong* ¨C tribesmen of the western borders in the Zhou dynasty)


    Gu City, which was located a hundred miles away from Xiaoguan* on the northwest border of the Great Xia, was located on the only road from the Great Xia to the Western Regions. At the same time, it was also the common border of the three kingdoms, Great Xia, Xirong, and the Turks Empire. It was originally an unregulated zone, where refugees, fugitives, swordsmen, bandits, and other people from different countries were all mixed.


    (Xiaoguan* ¨C is an important pass in the Northwest)


    Since the Great Xia reopened the border city, a group of silver armored cavalry occupied Gu City with an unyielding attitude and turned it into a border trade port between the Great Xia and the Western Regions. These cavalrymen were called Silver Armored Guards, and the leader was called the City Master of Gu City.


    Now that border affairs were stable, the trading establishment run by Wen Luo had also established a foothold in Gu City and had made a lot of profits.


    A month ago, Wen Luo returned to Yangzhou to worship his ancestors. The young man beside him, Yu Qing, the youngest son of the head of the family, wanted to follow Wen Luo to Gu City on the grounds of learning business.


    How could Wen Luo not understand this? It was true that Yu Qing wanted to learn business, but it was also true that he came to Gu City to stare at his business.


    This adopted brother was really worried about his cheap brother.


    ¡ª¡ª


    A frantic horse¡¯s hooves, mixed with shouts, came from the rear of the convoy. It was the horse bandits chasing after them and the people in the escort bureau were probably unlucky.


    ¡°Young Master, abandon the carriage and get on the horse. It¡¯s important to save your life.¡± Wen Luo said solemnly to the young man.


    Yu Qing threw the handkerchief that he used to wipe his mouth out of the window, ¡°Abandoned the carriage? If I lost the goods the first time I ran the business, what face do I have when I go back? I might as well die here!¡±


    Hearing this, Wen Luo sighed in his heart.


    There were so many people in the world struggling to survive, but for this little young master who grew up in a kind and wealthy countryside was so easy to say death!


    ¡°Uncle Luo, the elders of the clan say that you have the true inheritance of my grandfather, and your methods and foresight are even better than my father¡¯s. You can¡¯t even handle this situation? Isn¡¯t it exaggerating?¡± Yu Qing¡¯s tone was slightly sarcastic.


    Before the words fell, the horse bandits forced the heavy-loaded convoy to stop. The bandits beat the horses and shouted wildly around the convoy. The horses of the convoy kicked anxiously.


    ¡°What to do, what to do, Uncle Luo?¡±


    Yu Qing changed his teasing tone just now and looked at Wen Luo eagerly with a face full of fear.


    Wen Luo thought about whether it would be worthwhile to exchange the goods for their life, although the goods and road expenses were a big loss. If the goods were lost, the head of the family in Yangzhou would seize this matter and make a big fuss. At this point, perhaps he could not ask for more.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Silver Armor Guards! It¡¯s the Silver Armor Guards!¡±


    The sudden commotion outside interrupted Wen Luo¡¯s thoughts.


    Wen Luo immediately lifted the curtain of the carriage, and a team of silver-armored cavalrymen in front of them rushed from the direction of Gu City with billowing smoke and dust. The hoofs roared, and there were thousands of troops. It was the famous Silver Armor Guards of the Gu City outside the pass.


    Oh, life should not end!


    The bandit leader looked at the approaching silver-armored cavalrymen. Although he was reluctant to part with these cash cows, he was afraid of the ferocity of the Silver Armored Guards. These soldiers were all well-equipped and skilled. They were not like soldiers, but rather like hungry wolves. There was no chance of winning in a head-to-head confrontation with them.


    The bandit leader gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Brothers, retreat!¡±


    The bandits quickly scattered and fled from the mound.


    The silver armored guards stood on their horses before the convoy, and did not chase the fleeing horse bandits, but remained silent.


    The surrounding was silent, only the sound of the horses¡¯ neighing was heard as if they were waiting for something.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Suddenly, Wen Luo heard the sound of a carriage and turned his head to look.


    He saw a black carriage coming from behind them. The horses in front of the carriage were tall and strong, with shiny hair. Wen Luo recognized that it was the best Dawan horse, and a horse was worth thousands of gold.


    With two Dawan horses to pull the carriage, who was so arrogant outside this pass?


    As the carriage approached the convoy, the speed slowed down, and the silver armored guards shouted in unison, ¡°City Master!¡±.


    When Wen Luo heard the Silver Armored Guards call out city master, only then did he realize it, and immediately asked the convoy to move out of the way. He got out of the carriage immediately and stood beside the carriage.


    When the carriage passed by, Wen Luo bowed with his hands held in front.


    ¡°I¡¯m Wen Luo, the shopkeeper of the Yu family¡¯s trading establishment in Gu City, thank City Master for the rescue. If City Master needs our trading establishment in the future, please feel free to tell me.¡±


    At this time, the curtain behind Wen Luo was lifted, and a head arched out.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone? Uh¡­¡±.


    Yu Qing¡¯s mouth was covered tightly by Wen Luo, who turned back. Wen Luo really didn¡¯t want this idiot young master to collide with the city master and cause trouble.


    The carriage stopped, and the driver was a young lady in a black dress. The young lady jokingly glanced at Wen Luo and the young man behind him.

 CH 1.2

    Chapter 1             Gu City (2/2)


    ¡°Shopkeeper Wen, you can watch the time next time. You won¡¯t be able to enter the city after youshi (5 pm ¨C 7 pm). You will have to feed to wolves in this barren countryside.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Yu Qing couldn¡¯t help but shuddered.


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, we¡¯ll go now, we¡¯ll go now.¡± Wen Luo said while bowing.


    The girl flicked the reins, and the carriage drove straight to Gu City. The Silver Armored Guards also followed the City Master¡¯s carriage and left.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On this side, Wen Luo stuffed Yu Qing, who was still looking forward, into the carriage, and told the coachman to enter the city quickly.


    Yu Qing looked curious, ¡°Are all the girls outside this pass so pretty? It just that they don¡¯t have a good temper.¡±


    Wen Luo leaned back against the wall of the carriage and closed his eyes to rest and did not continue.


    ¡°Eh? Uncle Luo, isn¡¯t she on her way? Why do we still need to thank them specially?¡±


    Wen Luo couldn¡¯t help but wonder, did this young master really has businessman material?


    Wen Luo sighed softly and said patiently, ¡°In the business field, it is not easy to connect with high-ranking officials and nobles. If you can have a relationship with a reputable person, you must seize the opportunity. The most important thing is to owe favors. If you owe or repay, you can establish a connection when you have dealings with them. This is the second lesson for the young master in this business trip.¡±


    ¡°Second lesson? What about the first lesson?¡± Yu Qing was puzzled.


    ¡°The first lesson is punctuality. As I said, in the daytime, the Pingxi Army of Xiaoguan and the Silver Armor Guards of Gu City will patrol this road to protect the caravan. However, before sunset, the patrolling army will return to camp, and this road is no longer safe. Young Master should not be greedy for the scenery, get off the carriage frequently and miss the time.¡±


    ¡°I know, Uncle Luo.¡± Although he didn¡¯t like his uncle¡¯s long-windedness, Yu Qing still remembered that before going out, his father¡¯s repeated instructions made him stare at the management of Gu City¡¯s business and learned Uncle Luo¡¯s methods carefully.


    Wen Luo leaned back against the wobbling carriage wall and pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand. For the first time in many years, he felt tired. Walking on this trade route for so many years, he had never made such a mistake. Over the years, Wen Luo had done his best for his family. Wasn¡¯t it time to go back to his hometown to marry a wife and have children, and find a place with beautiful scenery to live for the rest of his life?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Exactly at youshi, Wen Luo and his tired convoy finally arrived outside the east gate of Gu City before the city gate closed.


    Although Yu Qing with a young man¡¯s temperament was tired and frightened after a day¡¯s journey, he still looked around with great interest and looked at the scene around him that was very different from Jiangnan*.


    (Jiangnan* ¨C regions south of the Yangtze River)


    Different from the fineness and exquisiteness of Yangzhou, the landscape here was full of earthy yellow and rough contours. The dry air was mixed with the smell of dust and horse manure, and the sight and smell all affected Yu Qing¡¯s senses.


    The city wall of Gu City was standing tall, with traces of reinforcement and renovation, and it seemed to have experienced brutal attacks and defenses. Under the city wall was a thirty-foot-wide moat and Yu Qing and his convoy were entering the city on the suspension bridge over the moat.


    Looking up, the cold scabbard of the guards who were on duty could be seen on the city wall, but Yu Qing¡¯s hanging heart, who had just been chased by the horse bandits, fell to the ground.


    After submitting the documents, the convoy slowly entered the city. Wen Luo did not forget to instruct Yu Qing, ¡°Young Master, the city is full of crooks mixed with the honest folk, so be careful when you speak and do things.¡±


    Yu Qing extended his head out at the moment and replied impatiently, ¡°I know! I know!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    There were various shops and vendors in the street market, shouting and bargaining one after another, and occasionally there were foreign languages ??that Yu Qing did not understand. People came and went on the street, and many people from the Central Plains were also mixed with blond and blue-eyed faces from the Western Regions.


    The dazzling array of goods was even more dazzling. In addition to silk, porcelain, and tea, there were also calligraphy and painting, and study utensils from the Central Plains. These were treasures of great value in the eyes of merchants in the western regions, which were sought after by nobles in the Western Regions.


    In addition to the goods of the Central Plains, there were also jewelry and leather goods, all kinds of spices, and colorful woven blankets from the Western Regions. Looking at this bustling street market, Yu Qing couldn¡¯t believe that this was bitter cold outside the pass, which was not the prosperous Yangzhou.


    When the carriage drove past an intersection, there was a sudden animal roaring. Yu Qing bounced back into the carriage in shock, widened his eyes, and looked at Wen Luo who had a smile on his face.


    Wen Luo smiled and comforted, ¡°That is the lion of the Western Regions. There are many rare and exotic animals in the horse market, which are not seen by ordinary people in the Central Plains. The powerful people in the capital city will buy them to keep in the gardens or hunt them for fun. If Young Master is interested, you can go for a stroll tomorrow.¡±


    Yu Qing was stunned, but couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity, and stuck his head out again.


    Vendors were cleaning up their stalls one after another. Occasionally, guards wearing black armor and holding sabers passed by on the street. People seemed to be accustomed to it, and it did not affect their bargaining ability at all.


    Here, maintaining order by force was not a threat to the people, but a guarantee of life and property.


    There were two Persians and a merchant from the Central Plains in front of them. The three had red faces and were arguing in a low voice, which looked very strange.


    Yu Qing asked Wen Luo to take a look. Wen Luo glanced at it, and explained, ¡°If you make trouble without a reason, you will be expelled from the city. The risk outside the city is too great. Losing money is a trivial matter, but losing your life is not worth it. If the price is at a stalemate, you have to hold back your voice to avoid being labeled as a troublemaker. That¡¯s why this hilarious scene happened.¡±


    While speaking, the convoy had arrived at the Yu family¡¯s trading establishment and assistance from the trading establishment came to take over the goods.


    After more than a month¡¯s journey, he could finally sleep peacefully today.


    Looking back at the bustling street market, Yu Qing couldn¡¯t help but feel a little curious.


    Gu City gathered caravans from all over the world, maybe there were spies from enemy countries, and occasionally some fugitives who licked the blood on the edge of the knife, but it was a scene of a peaceful and prosperous age.


    What kind of a powerful person was the City Master of Gu City who could withstand all these bad guys?


    The author says:


    The geographical location of Gu City is located on the northern line of the eastern section of the ancient Silk Road, out of Xiaoguan, outside Guyuan, and roughly in the areas of ??Pingchuan and Haiyuan.

 CH 2.1

    Chapter 2             Qin Yan (1/2)


    In the north of Gu City, in front of the heavily guarded City Master Mansion, Ji Nanfeng stood quietly in the wind, waiting for the arrival of the City Master.


    The City Master¡¯s confidant, Mister Ji, was only in his early twenties, with white clothes and black hair, a handsome appearance, and a gentle temperament that seemed out of place with the guards standing solemnly on both sides of the mansion gate. But everyone in the mansion knew that Mister Ji seemed to be gentle on the outside, but his methods were really ruthless.


    The carriage stopped, and the black-clothed girl Shen Ying put down the horse stool and lifted the curtain. A woman in a plain robe, with a white fox cloak and a hood, got off the carriage.


    Ji Nanfeng stepped forward to salute, ¡°Master¡±.


    Qin Yan nodded and then strode into the mansion.


    After days of bumpy journeys and the harsh spring cold, Qin Yan just wanted to soak in the fragrant hot pool to wash away the dust.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After entering the gate, the sound of practicing boxing came from the practice ground on the left. Qin Yan turned around and walked straight into the corridor beside the practice ground.


    At the entrance was a handsome young man, shirtless, who practiced punching in the empty practice ground. He punched with style and sweated profusely.


    As if feeling the scrutiny¡¯s gaze, the young man, Jiang Mu, turned his head abruptly and was stunned when he saw Qin Yan and her group.


    Ji Nanfeng put a single fist on his lips and coughed lightly. Jiang Mu hurriedly turned around, walked quickly to the weapon rack, pulled his coat, and hurriedly put it on.


    Jiang Mu¡¯s ears were slightly red as he was embarrassed. Didn¡¯t she travel far away? He turned around and glared at Qin Yan angrily, ¡°Can it be, you this woman doesn¡¯t know how to be ashamed? How can you stare so directly?¡±


    Qin Yan chuckled lightly, praised ¡°not bad¡±, then turned and left.


    Those who didn¡¯t know thought that Qin Yan was praising the young man¡¯s punching skills, and those who knew it, such as Shen Ying, immediately understood that her master was praising Jiang Mu¡¯s¡­ figure.


    Her master always had no resistance to good-looking people. If Uncle Huai was present, he would keep harping about it again.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ji Nanfeng knew the temperament of this master. As early as when the City Master entered the city gate, he ordered the servants to prepare the hot pool.


    Qin Yan was very satisfied with this. Even though she had been in this bitterly cold place in the Northwest all these years, she still vaguely felt that she was in the capital with Ji Nanfeng managing the mansion.


    In the inner courtyard, the flowing water on the stone wall beside the hot pool was trickling, and the light muslin was fluttering. A curl of light smoke wafted from the incense burner in one corner, and the surface of the pool was filled with white mist. The beauty bathing in the pool was faintly visible, with silky black hair like a waterfall, floating in the water.


    Qin Yan closed her eyes slightly, feeling the heat immersed in her body inch by inch, soothing the fatigue of her whole body. Her arms like suede white jade were casually placed on the edge of the pool, and her slender fingers that hung down naturally stirred the water surface one after another, causing layers of ripples.


    With the sound of footsteps, Shen Ying¡¯s voice came, ¡°Master, Uncle Huai is waiting in the study, saying that there is news from Xiaoguan.¡±


    Qin Yan opened her eyes slightly and sighed softly, what should come would always come. She slowly got up, walked up the pool steps with her bare white jade feet, put on her robe, and walked outside while tying her belt.


    Standing outside the white jade landscape screen, Shen Ying secretly glanced at the beautiful shadow that appeared through the light and shadows and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Seeing her master¡¯s figure, as a woman, would also make her heart palpitate.


    Qin Yan put on her shoes and walked out of the screen. She took the green tea from Shen Ying, took a sip, and put it back on the tray in Shen Ying¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Have Mister Ji go to the study,¡± Qin Yan¡¯s voice was slightly cold.


    After she finished speaking, she walked out with the lamp carried by the maid.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan walked through the corridor and saw Shen Huai waiting outside the study from a distance.


    Shen Huai hurriedly took two steps to greet her.


    ¡°Master, is there any news about the young lady on this trip?¡± Shen Huai¡¯s tone was full of urgency.


    Qin Yan shook her head, and the light in Shen Huai¡¯s eyes dimmed.


    Qin Yan looked at Shen Huai with graying hairs on his temples and sighed in her heart. In this world, only a few people remembered her mother.


    Entering the study, Qin Yan took the main seat, ¡°Uncle Huai, sit down.¡±


    Shen Huai sat down next to Qin Yan, sorted out his thoughts, and said, ¡°Master must have received the news of the Emperor¡¯s summoning the Pingxi Army to return to the court a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°The imperial decree for the Duke has already arrived at Xiaoguan, in addition to Eunuch Chang who issued the decree, the minister of the Ministry of War, Chen Xun, who will be taking over the defense of Xiaoguan, and the minister of Taipu Temple*, Li Bi.¡±


    (Taipu Temple* ¨C managing the emperor¡¯s logistics, including carriages and horses)


    ¡°The people from Taipu Temple may have their eyes on the Mulan Horse Farm.¡± Shen Huai looked worried.


    Qin Yan raised her eyes, ¡°Uncle Huai, how many years has it been?¡±


    Shen Huai was stunned for a moment, then reacted, ¡°We have been in the Northwest for twelve years.¡±


    ¡°Twelve years, ah. When we go back, we still have to submit our pledge of loyalty.¡±


    Qin Yan laughed self-deprecatingly, perhaps things had changed in the past twelve years.


    ¡°Uncle Huai, prepare the horse farm documents. In the name of the City Master of the Gu City, invite the minister of Taipu Temple to enter the city tomorrow. Also, invite the minister of the Ministry of War to hand over the affairs of the Gu City.¡±


    Shen Huai was surprised as the handover of the Gu City was an established procedure, but the Mulan Horse Farm was his master¡¯s private property.


    However, he had to admire her. His master had been very open and cooperative over the years, and she had the style of her grandfather, Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan. In contrast, he was always overcautious and indecisive. Shen Huai was ashamed and ordered to retire.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan rubbed a gilt hand stove on the table, with her eyes drooping slightly as if she was a little tired.


    Shen Ying¡¯s voice sounded at the door, ¡°Master, Mister Ji is here.¡±


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    The elegant man walked in and glanced at Qin Yan, who was wearing a single robe and leaning in the chair. His face sank, ¡°Shen Ying!¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± Shen Ying, who was behind the man, shuddered. She was the most afraid of Mister Ji. He seemed gentle, but he had some means of making people in an extremely painful situation.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you take care of Master. Don¡¯t you know that Master can¡¯t stand the cold?¡± Ji Nanfeng had always been soft-spoken and composed, but her back had chills when she heard it.


    Shen Ying hurriedly took the white fox cloak from the maid¡¯s hand and quickly walked over to put on Qin Yan. She murmured in her heart, didn¡¯t she just go to invite him? Her master was lazy and didn¡¯t pay attention to it, so he tormented her.


    ¡°Mister Ji, we are leaving.¡±


    After Shen Ying retreated to one side, Qin Yan spoke slowly.


    Ji Nanfeng took the tray from the maid¡¯s hand, walked slowly to the desk, took the green-glazed bamboo hat* in front of Qin Yan, and replaced it with the flower and fruit tea he had just prepared.


    (bamboo hat*- ¨C a teacup that is shaped like a hat)


    ¡°The capital city is more suitable for Master to recuperate her body than in the Gu City. Several houses bought in the capital city a month ago have been arranged for people to take care of them, and the furnishings are all arranged according to Master¡¯s preferences. The matters in Gu City have been arranged properly, and the heads of the trading establishments in various provinces were also notified.¡±


    ¡°Mister Ji took a lot of trouble.¡±


    Qin Yan picked up the white porcelain cup at hand, and the mist of tea covered the coldness in her eyes. It had been a long time, Capital City.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the capital city at the Qin Mansion of the Right Prime Minister, Song Mei was combing her hair in front of the bronze mirror in the Qiushui Courtyard of Xi Garden. The woman in the mirror was no longer young in age, and her thin body could not afford the thin clothing on her body, which made her look even weaker. The Right Prime Minister, Qin Wenzheng, saw such a scene when he was walking into the warm room in the main room.


    Prime Mister Qin had a scholarly temperament. Even though he was middle-aged, his figure was not fat, and there was still vaguely his youthful demeanor. He walked straight to the soft couch at the south window and sat down, pressing his forehead lightly.


    Song Mei was overjoyed when she saw the corner of the purple official robe flash across in the mirror. She got up slowly, called ¡°Prime Minister¡±, walked over with ladylike steps, and sat down next to Prime Minister Qin. A pair of hands that did not wear any jewelry sneaked onto Prime Minister Qin¡¯s shoulders, massaged the man gently, then stopped talking.


    This was the long-standing tacit understanding between the two. Song Mei scrupulously abided by her duty as a wife and never crossed the line.


    Oh, she was not the first wife*, she was just a concubine.


    (first wife* ¨C the legitimate wife)

 CH 2.2

    Chapter 2             Qin Yan (2/2)


    It was late spring, and the begonia flowers in the courtyard were blooming particularly thriving. The night breeze brought wisps of floral fragrance into the window. In a trance, Qin Xiang remembered the years when he first became the Prime Minister.


    At that time, he was appointed the Prime Minister straight from Hanlin Imperial Academy, and many people in the court were jealous, saying that he was relying on the power of the Duke of Zhenguo of his wife¡¯s family.


    In the court, the Left Prime Minister¡¯s fraction had repeatedly fought against him due to political disagreements. His family background was not profound, which was far inferior to the Left Prime Minister who had Empress and Imperial Concubine in the family. Moreover, Taizi* was still the Left Prime Minister¡¯s nephew.


    (Taizi* ¨C the crown prince, the heir to the throne)


    At that time, he also went straight to Xi Garden whenever he returned to the mansion. What awaited him was not the current gentle beauty, but another woman who was bright and flamboyant and whose mind and means were not under his control.


    The two incisively commented on political affairs and analyzed the situation in the court. At that time, Shen Shiying was his wife, friend, and also an aide to the Prime Minister Mansion.


    Over the years, Emperor had intentionally supported him to balance the situation where the power of the Left Prime Minister¡¯s fraction was greater than him.


    Now the two sides were locked in a stalemate, which was supposed to be equal to each other, but since Taizi returned to the capital, Emperor ordered Taizi to supervise the country on the grounds of recuperating. In the past two years, there had been dozens of ministers above the fifth grade who had been impeached by the Imperial Censor Bureau alone. Taizi asked the Imperial Court of Judicial Review to investigate strictly, without exception. Many people had been demoted, dismissed from the court, and even had their mansions raided.


    Today, the Imperial Censor Bureau impeached the minister of the Ministry of Finance for corruption, and Taizi ordered the Imperial Court of Judicial Review to suspend him from duty and investigate. This minister of the Ministry of Finance, An Binghuai, was the younger brother of Taizi¡¯s Taifu*, An Shifeng. Taizi was really merciless.


    (Taifu* ¨C assistance minister of the court and the teacher of the emperor)


    Taizi, Feng Zhan, had been trained for many years in the army, and he was very decisive in making the decision. One after another decrees made people confused, and everyone in the court was at risk.


    Prime Minister Qin had been feeling more and more exhausted recently. Now that the war in the Northwest had ended, Emperor ordered the Pingxi Army to return to the court and take a break to support the people. The Chief Commander of the Pingxi Army was the Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan. When he returned to the capital this time, he was afraid he would settle the accounts of Shen Shiying that year. Piles of piles, which was really overwhelming.


    ¡ª¡ª


    A few soft coughs interrupted Qin Xiang¡¯s thoughts. Qin Xiang turned his head and asked, ¡°Is Madam suffering from a cold?¡±


    Song Mei turned around and took out the silk handkerchief, covered her lips, and coughed a few more times.


    Qin Xiang instructed his servants to close the window, took Song Mei¡¯s hands, and said softly, ¡± I neglected my duty as a husband, and I forgot that Madam can¡¯t bear the cold.¡±


    Song Mei hurriedly said, ¡°Prime Minister must not spoil this concubine. When I was pregnant with Ming¡¯er, my pregnancy was not good. It was a blessing from Heaven to be able to give birth to Ming¡¯er safely. My body is constantly tired, and it is Heaven¡¯s reward to be able to live a few more days.¡±


    ¡°Madam has worked hard. How is Ming¡¯er recently? I¡¯ve been busy with work these past few days, and I haven¡¯t been able to look at his study.¡± Qin Xiang attached great importance to carrying on the family line, and he loved his only son Qin Ming even more.


    Song Mei said softly, ¡°Ming¡¯er is all right. Today, the teacher praised him for his good writing. He is looking forward to Prime Minister taking a look.¡±


    Prime Minister Qin¡¯s eyebrows stretched out, ¡°It¡¯s too late at this time. I¡¯ll go see him tomorrow. Ming¡¯er looks up to me, and I look up to you, without insulting the status of our scholarly family.¡± After speaking, he also laughed happily.


    Song Mei suddenly lowered her eyes and wanted to cry.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Madam? Tell your husband if you have suffered any grievances.¡± Prime Minister Qin said hurriedly.


    Song Mei raised her handkerchief and tried to reach the corners of her eyes, her voice trembling slightly, ¡°In a few days, Niannian is about to reach marriageable age, and it¡¯s time to discuss marriage.¡±


    ¡°Although many madams of noble families in the capital like Niannian, they still have reservations because Niannian is not born from the first wife.¡±


    ¡°Niannian is a daughter, whereas Ming¡¯er is the only son of the Prime Minister. If they miss a good marriage and miss a good future because of my lowly status as a mother, then I¡¯ll be to blame.¡±


    Prime Minister Qin¡¯s expression became complicated, he sighed and remained silent.


    He knew Song Mei¡¯s heart knot over the years. There was no one else in his rear courtyard, except for his wife, Shen Shiying, who married in the big sedan chair, and also Song Mei. In recent years, Song Mei had been in charge of the family, and the mansion regarded Song Mei as the mistress. The two treated each other as husband and wife, but the status was really difficult.


    ¡°How about let Ming¡¯er be adopted under Madam¡¯s name¡­¡± Song Mei said tentatively.


    ¡°It¡¯s not right!¡±


    Prime Minister Qin interrupted Song Mei¡¯s words, ¡°You are still alive, and Shen Shiying has already¡­¡±


    ¡°For so many years, Duke of Zhenguo Mansion insisted that Shen Shiying is missing and refuses to mourn. It was because I cared about Duke of Zhenguo, who has been guarding the Northwest for all these years, that I couldn¡¯t raise your status.¡±


    Prime Minister Qin also knew that the only son he loved was not the son of the first wife and also knew how much he was criticized in the capital city, where there were many noble families.


    But adoption was absolutely impossible!


    In the beginning, he was ridiculed by his colleagues because he relied on his wife¡¯s family, which meant that he lived off a woman, but now he could not let his son be ridiculed!


    ¡°After a while, when Duke of Zhenguo returns to the capital, I will personally go to Duke of Zhenguo Mansion to announce about raising you as my equal wife. It also can be considered as giving face to Duke of Zhenguo.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Song Mei was overjoyed but suddenly realized that when the Duke of Zhenguo returned to the capital, Shen Shiying¡¯s only daughter, Qin Yan, was bound to return.


    ¡°Yan¡¯er is coming back too, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let people clean up Lanyue Pavilion. When Qin Yan comes back, arrange for her to live there.¡±


    Speaking of Qin Yan, Prime Minister Qin had a little impression of the daughter he once loved. She was only a few years old when she left that year, and he rarely remembered that there was such a daughter in these years.


    Song Mei said, ¡°Tomorrow, I will move back to the main residence with Niannian. After all, this Xi Garden belongs to Madam and Yan¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you are not in good health. The doctor said in the beginning that Xi Garden is suitable for you to recuperate your health. It¡¯s better for Niannian to live closer, so that both of you, mother and daughter, can take care of each other. Qin Yan should understand this reason at her age.¡± Qin Wenzheng rebuffed Song Mei¡¯s proposal flatly.


    Song Mei lowered her head to agree, then raised her head again, with a softer tone, ¡°Prime Minister, for Niannian¡¯s hairpin ceremony*, I invited some noble daughters from good families in the capital, and the young lady from Marquis of Yongding Mansion also accepted the invitation. I thought, our Prime Minister Mansion can¡¯t neglect the guests, so I¡¯m thinking about whether we should do it a little grander.¡±


    (hairpin ceremony* ¨C a ceremony held when a young lady reaches a marriageable age.)


    ¡°You can figure it out. If you need anything, just send someone to the warehouse to get it.¡±


    Looking at Song Mei, who was dressed in plain clothes, Prime Minister Qin felt a little guilty. He hugged Song Mei and stroked her back gently, ¡°I know that you are usually simple in food and clothing, so I¡¯m afraid others will misunderstand you. After you have raised your position, you can show the panache of the official madam. Madam has suffered so many years of grievances.¡±


    Song Mei leaned against Prime Minister Qin softly, closed her eyes, and thought, she was satisfied with the outcome.


    What she had suffered, she could not let her children suffer again.


    Shen Shiying was not her opponent at the beginning, nor would this Qin Yan be her opponent.


    In the Northwest, perhaps she had cultivated into a wild girl who had never seen the world. Regardless of whether the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Mansion came back, she would only be in contrast with her Niannian, who was the true young lady of a noble family.


    When she was raised as an equal wife, would not many noble families come to ask for marriage with Niannian?


    Maybe, Qin Yan¡¯s marriage contract with Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion would also fall on Niannian¡­

 CH 3.1

    Chapter 3             Return to the Capital


    In the Marquis of Yongding Mansion on the west of the capital city.


    At this moment, it was already night, and the moonlight spread all over this luxurious mansion.


    The Marquis of Yongding Mansion was expanded from the former Princess of Anyang Mansion, covering an extremely wide area. Today, the Emperor of Hui had great respect for his eldest sister, Princess of Anyang, and there were countless things bestowed by the imperial palace. During the stroll, precious plants, and various kinds of stones from strange mountains that had been paid tribute from all over the world could be seen everywhere.


    Today, Li Zhong had no intention of enjoying the scenery. He walked in a hurry. Although the night in the late spring was still a little cold, his back and forehead were already sweating.


    He didn¡¯t know whether the news in his hand was good or bad. About that person, he had to report to Shizi immediately.


    Li Zhong went straight to the courtyard of the Shizi, Xie Changyuan, and not long after entering the courtyard gate, he stepped into the winding water corridor. From a distance, he heard a delicate voice of a girl in the Lake Pavilion in the middle of the lake and mixed with the deep laughter of a mature man from time to time.


    Li Zhong knew that this was Shizi and Miss A Yan, who entered the mansion three years ago.


    He hurried to the long embankment and stopped six feet away from the Lake Pavilion.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan made fun of me. I won¡¯t say anymore, I won¡¯t say anymore. Humph!¡±


    The pretty girl, who was gesticulating with her hands and feet just now sat down on the stone stool angrily and stretched out her hand to fiddle with the tea set beside her, making clanging sounds.


    This girl A Yan was petite and had a distinctive appearance. She was brought back from Meishan three years ago by Shizi. Because of her life-saving grace to Shizi, the whole mansion respected her a little bit.


    Xie Changyuan rubbed the girl¡¯s head indulgently and after seeing Li Zhong, he said to the girl, ¡°I still have things to do, you go back and rest earlier.¡±


    ¡°You have things to do again. You¡¯re busy during the day and busy at night. Brother Zhangyuan¡¯s life is so boring!¡±


    The girl suddenly thought of something, and smiled at Xie Changyuan, ¡°Tomorrow is my birthday. Brother Changyuan promised to accompany me to the western suburbs to see peach blossoms. Don¡¯t go back on your words!¡±


    Xie Changyuan smiled helplessly, this girl would always have the innocent look, so he said warmly, ¡°I¡¯ll come back to pick you up after I finish my official duties.¡±


    A Yan jumped up happily, and ran out of the pavilion gracefully, like a swift little swallow.


    After running two steps, she turned her head and shouted, ¡°Brother Changyuan must keep his promise!¡±


    When passing by Li Zhong, she didn¡¯t forget to greet him with a smile, ¡°Uncle Li still has something to do at such a late hour, and don¡¯t let Big Brother Changyuan go, be careful to grow old fast!¡±


    After speaking, A Yan made a face and ran away.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Li Zhong smiled embarrassedly, stepped into the pavilion, and bowed to Xie Changyuan, ¡°Shizi¡±.


    Xie Changyuan nodded, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°There is news from the Ministry of Military Affairs that the Pingxi Army plans to transfer back their generals to the capital, and Xie Zhao is on the list.¡±


    Having said that, Li Zhong looked at Xie Changyuan carefully.


    Shizi¡¯s face was not obvious, but the fingers holding the teacup were stretched white.


    ¡°Pingxi Army¡­ Is it because the Shen family doesn¡¯t take me seriously, or my fianc¨¦e doesn¡¯t take me seriously.¡±


    Xie Changyuan narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled coldly, ¡°Tell the people in the Ministry of War that the Shence Army wants Xie Zhao.¡±


    After speaking, with a ¡°bang¡±, he crushed the white porcelain cup in his hand with one hand. The blood in the palm of his hand was mixed with tea and dripped onto the stone table, but Xie Changyuan still clenched it hard, and the blue veins on the back of his hand were exposed. He was extremely angry.


    Li Zhong was very sad to see Shizi like this.


    As a retainer of the Princess of Anyang Mansion, he watched Shizi grow up.


    When the Eldest Princess passed away, Shizi hated the Marquis thoroughly and even hated the sudden emergence of the Marquis¡¯s illegitimate son, Xie Zhao.


    Shizi personally led people to chase Xie Zhao, but he never thought that Xie Zhao was actually hiding in the army. Coincidentally, he was still under the command of Miss Qin Yan¡¯s grandfather.


    In the beginning, Shizi was rejected by the dignitaries of the Duke of Zhenguo, and Shizi returned empty-handed. It was said that it was because Miss Qin Yan tried to protect Xie Zhao. Perhaps there would be more twists and turns in the marriage of this unmarried couple.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Shizi, Pingxi army is still in the court, and Miss Qin Yan is bound to return to the capital with Duke of Zhenguo. Shizi has already passed the filial piety period and it¡¯s time for the supervisor of the Imperial Observatory to choose an auspicious day to send the betrothal gifts to the Right Prime Minister Mansion. Miss Qin Yan is the direct eldest young lady of the Right Prime Minister Mansion, and she is backed by her uncle¡¯s family, the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. Moreover, this is the marriage that the Eldest Princess set for Shizi at the beginning, and I hope Shizi will treat it with caution.¡±


    Li Zhong saw that Shizi¡¯s complexion was getting darker and darker, but he insisted on finishing his words, ¡°Miss A Yan is deeply loved by Shizi, but she is not of noble birth. Shizi can place her outside the mansion, and after marrying Miss Qin Yan, then¡­¡±


    ¡°I have my own judgment about marriage. Relying on a woman, what¡¯s the difference between me and Xie An?¡± Xie Changyuan interrupted Li Zhong¡¯s unfinished words in a cold voice, and directly called his father, Marquis of Yongding Hou, Xie An, by name.


    In the beginning, Xie An got into the eyes of the Emperor through military achievements. He was bestowed to marry the eldest sister of the emperor, Princess of Anyang, and was also conferred the title of Marquis of Yongding. There were not many titles given by the imperial family of the Great Xia, one Duke, and two Marquises, but the Marquis of Yongding relied on the Princess to rank up.


    This Marquis was famous. He didn¡¯t care that Princess of Anyang was eight years older than him and he gladly accepted the marriage. After marriage, there were no concubines in the mansion, and the husband and wife were in perfect harmony.


    But now this model couple had become a laughing stock in the capital.

 CH 3.2

    Chapter 3             Return to the Capital


    Three years ago, Marquis Xie was seriously injured in the army. Regardless of her physical weakness, the Princess of Anyang traveled a long distance to Yingchuan, Xie An¡¯s hometown, to worship his ancestors, in order to protect Marquis Xie¡¯s safety.


    However, there she saw Xie Zhao, who looked like Xie An when he was younger. Princess of Anyang was puzzled and only after checking it out that she found out that Xie An once had a bedwarmer, Lian Niang, in his hometown, who gave birth to a son, Xie Zhao, for Xie An. But because Xie An wanted to be valued by the Princess, he rewrote Xie Zhao¡¯s name in the Xie clan genealogy to the name of Xie An¡¯s cousin.


    The most ironic thing was that Xie An and Lian Niang had a daughter who was a few years younger than Xie Changyuan.


    After she married Xie An, he returned to her hometown to worship his ancestors every year. Xie An asked Anyang to build up her strength in the capital on the grounds that she was weak. He also said that young people should put their studies first and never bring their only son Xie Changyuan along.


    When the Princess of Anyang learned about these dirty things, she felt chills all over. She used to think how considerate Xie An was, but now she felt so disgusted. She immediately return to the capital, and never left the mansion again.


    At that time, Xie An and Xie Changyuan were both in the Shuobei Army, and the war with the Turks was coming to an end. Xie An received news from Yingchuan that Anyang went to worship the ancestors, Lian Niang hanged herself, and Xie Zhao disappeared.


    Regardless of his serious injury, Xie An immediately returned to his hometown Yingchuan to deal with Lian Niang¡¯s funeral and asked someone to find Xie Zhao¡¯s whereabouts.


    Since returning to the capital, Anyang¡¯s old illnesses came back, and had been bedridden. Little did she know that what she was waiting for was not her husband¡¯s apology and comfort, but a cold look.


    Xie An used a cold and harsh tone that Anyang had never heard before, accusing her of being narrow-minded, having no tolerance for people, and treating people¡¯s lives as dirt. Only then did Anyang know that Lian Niang had passed away.


    That Lian Niang used her death to make Xie An feel more indebted to her children. Regardless of Anyang¡¯s obstruction, Xie An insisted on recognizing his eldest son, Xie Zhao, and daughter, Xie Jing.


    After receiving Xie An¡¯s cold treatment, Anyang was disheartened, and her health deteriorated. When Xie Changyuan returned to the mansion, he saw his dying mother who relied on ginseng soup to continue her life.


    How could Xie Changyuan not remember Xie An¡¯s beloved son, Xie Zhao? Now Qin Yan had better not have anything to do with Xie Zhao, otherwise, the marriage would have to be abandoned.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Half a month later, a black carriage entered the capital from Yongding Gate, and the carriage headed straight to the Qin Mansion of the Right Prime Minister located in the east of the city.


    At the main entrance of Qin Mansion, the carriage stopped. Shen Ying, who was driving, jumped down neatly and strode towards the mansion gate.


    The guard stepped forward to stop her and said, ¡°Please show the invitation.¡±


    Shen Ying¡¯s tone was slightly cold, ¡°It¡¯s your eldest young lady in the carriage.¡±


    The guard glanced at the carriage with no emblem behind Shen Ying and berated, ¡°There is only one Miss Nian in the Qin Mansion. Today our young lady is having a banquet in the mansion. Where are you quack from, and how dare you come to the Prime Minister Mansion to behave atrociously!¡±


    Hearing the other person gradually raising his volume, Shen Ying laughed angrily. He kicked the guard to the ground with a sudden kick, and the rest of the guards immediately surrounded and moved their hands with Shen Ying when they saw this.


    The housekeeper, Zhang Quan, came over quickly when he heard the news. Zhang Quan was an old man in the Prime Minister Mansion and also Prime Minister Qin¡¯s confidant, so he knew that the eldest young lady Qin Yan was about to return to the mansion.


    Since the Madam and the eldest young lady left home and the Old Madam said she was ill, Concubine Song had been in charge of the Prime Minister Mansion all these years. All the old timers in the mansion were sent to the village by Concubine Song one by one.


    Now, the mansion was full of newcomers, and everyone took Aunt Song as their mistress, they only knew that there was only one Miss Nian in the mansion, and no one knew that there was another eldest daughter of the first wife.


    The matter of the eldest young lady returning home should have been arranged a few days earlier. But the meaning given by Qiushui Courtyard was put on hold in recent days as they were busy with the preparation of Miss Nian¡¯s Hairpin Ceremony banquet.


    Zhang Quan understood that the one in Qiushui Courtyard wanted to embarrass the eldest young lady.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Prime Minister had invited the patriarch and a group of clan elders to the capital, and Concubine Song was about to become the honorable mistress. Although he had a little sympathy for this eldest young lady, he could still tell which one was more important.


    It never occurred to him that she wanted to bully the little girl, and even made such an ugly scene.


    When Zhang Quan went to the gate of the mansion, all he saw was a group of guards lying on the ground screaming in pain, and a woman dressed in black attire standing quietly in front of the carriage.


    Zhang Quan came to the front of the carriage and bowed, ¡°I¡¯m the housekeeper of the Qin Mansion, Zhang Quan. May I ask is the eldest young lady in the carriage?¡±


    There was no movement in the carriage, and Shen Ying outside the carriage mocked, ¡°I heard that there is only one Miss Nian in your mansion. Housekeeper Zhang, don¡¯t call the wrong person.¡±


    Zhang Quan faced the carriage and said, ¡°The eldest young lady has been away from the mansion for more than ten years, and the newcomer in the mansion is not aware of the eldest young lady. Eldest Miss, please forgive.¡±


    Seeing that there was still no response in the carriage, Zhang Quan spoke again, ¡°Please go into the mansion, Miss.¡±


    ¡°Newcomers¡­ Oldtimers¡­¡± A lazy female voice came from the carriage.


    A slender fair hand lifted the curtain of the carriage and walked down a woman in a black dress.


    This woman was taller than ordinary women, had a beautiful appearance, and had a little similarity to the Prime Minister, but she more resembled Madam Shen Shiying at that time.


    The aura around her was not like the usual noble ladies. On the contrary, she had a sense of coercion that had been there for a long time. Zhang Quan was a little puzzled. Was this what a young lady who grew up in the Northwest should look like? She didn¡¯t seem to be easy to handle.


    Without thinking too much, Zhang Quan immediately bowed and saluted, ¡°The housekeeper Zhang Quan greets Eldest Miss.¡±


    ¡°Let me show the way for Eldest Miss.¡±


    After speaking, Zhang Quan made a gesture of invitation and stepped sideways towards the mansion.


    Qin Yan walked leisurely, and Shen Ying followed closely.


    Entering the mansion gate, walking through the front courtyard, and arriving at an exquisite hanging flower gate, Qin Yan stopped and looked at Zhang Quan with a half-smile.


    Seeing this, Zhang Quan explained, ¡°When Eldest Miss returns home, should meet the Old Madam first.¡±


    ¡°Are you teaching me to do things?¡± Qin Yan sneered and walked straight to the Xi Garden in the east.


    Zhang Quan secretly screamed ¡°bad¡±, at this moment in the Xi Garden¡­

 CH 4.1

    Chapter 4             Banquet Crasher (1/2)


    Approaching Xi Courtyard, there were intermittent guqin sounds, mixed with the chatter and laughter of young ladies from time to time, which was very lively.


    Qin Yan stopped, turned around, and looked at Zhang Quan as if asking him.


    Zhang Quan spoke evasively, ¡°Today is Miss Nian¡¯s Hairpin Ceremony. After the ceremony, there will be a banquet held in the garden for the young ladies who attended the ceremony. Why don¡¯t Eldest Miss come back when the banquet is over?¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯s voice was cold, ¡°If I remember correctly, this garden belongs to my mother. Why should I avoid it?¡±


    Zhang Quan opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t say anything.


    Looking at the attitude of the eldest young lady, something bad was going to happen.


    Qin Yan turned around and strode into the garden. The Xi Garden was luxuriant with flowers and plants. The begonias in the garden were in full bloom, with bright colors and graceful stances. A gust of soft wind blew past, flying flowers fluttered to her face, and the fragrant fragrance that came with the wind was refreshing.


    In the meantime, Qin Yan recalled those pleasant times in the garden with her mother in the past.


    After passing through the rockery, the voices of the young ladies gradually became more apparent.


    ¡°The gold jade inlaid hairpins sent by Imperial Concubine Shu today are exquisite in workmanship. It must have come from the supervisor of the Minor Treasure in the imperial palace. Imperial Concubine Shu really values ??Niannian!¡±


    ¡°My aunt loves me dearly and remembers us, the younger generations.¡± Qin Nian was wearing a lake-blue dress with flowers and mist and had a beautiful and cheerful appearance.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the young lady of Marquis of Yongding Mansion is coming to the banquet? It¡¯s already past weishi (1 pm ¨C 3 pm), why haven¡¯t we seen her yet?¡±


    ¡°Miss Xie sent someone to inform us that she is sick and couldn¡¯t come.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Niannian, I heard that Marquis of Yongding Mansion and your Right Prime Minister Mansion have a marriage contract?¡±


    Qin Nian lowered her head and said nothing, feeling shame and timidity.


    Though it might seem strange, they thought it was Qin Nian who was engaged to the Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion.


    ¡°Shizi Xie came from a prominent background and is a talented person. Now he is in charge of the Northern Imperial Army. He really has a bright future. I don¡¯t know how many girls in the capital have their hearts broken because of this marriage contract!¡±


    ¡°I heard that Shizi Xie hide a little beauty in the mansion?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen her once. She¡¯s so lovely and pretty, but unfortunately, she comes from a small family.¡±


    ¡°This person who was brought into the Marquis Mansion without name and status is at most a concubine, and she can¡¯t be seen in public.¡±


    The person who said this was Du Ling, the second daughter of the minister of the Ministry of Finance who had just entered the capital with her father and didn¡¯t have a sense of propriety. Qin Nian, who she was flattering, didn¡¯t that her mother was just a concubine, and the scene became awkward for a while.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The sound faded away. Qin Yan did not have the habit of eavesdropping and chose another secluded path. She turned around a rockery, passed through across the corridor, and walked towards her mother¡¯s Qiushui Courtyard.


    Zhang Quan noticed Qin Nian¡¯s intentions, stepped forward quickly, and blocked Qin Yan¡¯s way. He wanted to say something but then hesitated.


    Qin Yan raised her eyebrows and looked at Zhang Quan with a puzzled face. She had a bad premonition in her heart.


    ¡°Say.¡±


    Zhang Quan said hesitantly, ¡°Madam Song lives in Qiushui Courtyard. If Eldest Miss wants to go there, let me pass the news first.¡±


    Qin Yan thought to herself, as expected.


    But this was not just the Qin Mansion, it was also the dowry garden of her mother, and there was no tolerance for others to occupy the magpie¡¯s nest.


    Zhang Quan thought of something and added, ¡°A few days ago, Madam Song arranged to clean up Lanyue Pavilion. Eldest Miss can go there to have a rest first.¡±


    ¡°Lanyue Pavilion? I can¡¯t go to my mother¡¯s courtyard, and I can¡¯t even go to my own courtyard?¡± Qin Nian narrowed her eyes slightly.


    Zhang Quan never imagined that talking to this seventeen-year-old girl would be stressful.


    ¡°Madam Song is not in good health, so Prime Minister let Miss Nian live in Yanyu Pavilion for easy companionship¡­¡± Zhang Quan said bitterly.


    It turned out that Song Mei lived in her mother¡¯s Qiushui Courtyard, while Song Mei¡¯s daughter Qin Nian lived in her own Yanyu Pavilion.


    ¡°Madam Song? Song Mei?¡± Qin Yan¡¯s voice was slightly heavy.


    Zhang Quan was afraid of what was coming, this shouldn¡¯t have been said by him as a servant. Since Concubine Song took charge of the family and replaced most of the servants, everyone in the mansion was calling Concubine Song, Madam Song. Although it was unreasonable, Prime Minister and the old madam also acquiesced.


    Qin Yan sighed, ¡°Go to the lotus pond.¡± She walked away.


    Zhang Quan hesitated a little when he heard the words, but he still followed.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The lotus pond not far from Qiushui Courtyard was originally shallow. In the midsummer of her childhood, Qin Yan and her mother often played in the water and fished there.


    But under this inconspicuous pond in the Xi Garden was a warehouse, and the entrance was in the rockery beside the pond. When Shen Changshan, the Duke of Zhenguo, ordered people to build this Xi Garden, he prepared this warehouse to store Shen Shiying¡¯s dowry.


    Based on memory, Qin Yan walked to the location of the lotus pond, but only a locked room could be seen, and there were still traces of rockery and pond. Qin Yan wondered if her memory was wrong.


    ¡°How can it be like this?¡± Qin Yan asked Zhang Quan with a frown.


    Zhang Quan stuttered when he spoke, ¡°Prime Minister said that the bottom of the pool was too moist, so he ordered someone to move the warehouse up¡­¡±


    The warehouse was built at the bottom of the pool to prevent outside thieves. The stone gate at the rockery could only be opened with a special key and there was only one key. It used to be in Shen Shiying¡¯s hands, but now it was in Qin Yan¡¯s hands.


    Could it be that Prime Minister Qin couldn¡¯t open the door, so he drained the pool, and broke open the warehouse?


    Her mother¡¯s dowry items were stored in them. In addition to jewelry, there were also land deeds, house deeds, and antique calligraphy and paintings. Her grandfather ordered the warehouse to be treated with special moisture-proof treatment, which had never been affected by moisture in those years.


    Too moist? This reason was too pompous. It seemed that the thief in the family was difficult to prevent.


    ¡°No wonder Uncle Huai said that there was a problem with Madam¡¯s shops and asked Master to come to the warehouse to get the land deeds¡­¡± Shen Ying retorted.


    ¡°Shen Ying!¡±


    Qin Yan cut off Shen Ying¡¯s words.


    Qin Yan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her father¡¯s table manners were too ugly, and now she really had to think long and hard.

 CH 4.2

    Chapter 4             Banquet Crasher (2/2)


    On the way out of the garden, they passed the garden where Qin Nian held a banquet, and from time to time they heard a few words of conversations between the young ladies.


    ¡°Niannian, your first mother* has been missing for so many years, and still hasn¡¯t held a funeral yet? A dead person, who dominates the name of the Madam of the Prime Minister Mansion. Otherwise, not to mention the two princes in the palace, even Your Highness Taizi, you are worthy of them. They don¡¯t have any legitimate imperial concubines yet¡­¡±


    (first mother* ¨C address of legitimate wife by children of concubines)


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Since my first mother¡¯s disappearance, my mother and I have been reciting scriptures in the Buddhist Hall every day, hoping that the Bodhisattva will bless my first mother¡¯s return.¡± Qin Nian seemed to be annoyed.


    ¡°I heard that Madam Qin was attacked and disappeared back then. If she was kidnapped by the thieves, even if she could come back, I¡¯m afraid she would bring back some younger brothers and sisters for you, Niannian.¡±


    ¡°As long as my first mother can come back, no matter what happens, we will accept her.¡± Qin Nian¡¯s voice was mournful.


    Qin Yan thought that after all these years on the Northwest battlefield, it was difficult for anything to arouse her emotions. She never thought that in this boudoir of the inner courtyard, a few fluttering words would arouse her murderous intent.


    With a chill, Qin Yan stepped into the garden.


    While wondering about the identity of this strange woman who suddenly appeared, the young ladies of the official families were also shocked by the woman¡¯s breathtaking beauty.


    ¡°Shen Ying.¡±


    Shen Ying had endured for too long since she entered the Qin Mansion, and after receiving the instructions of her master, she could finally raise her hand. Taking a few steps forward, a heavy slap hit the woman who was talking to Qin Nian just now.


    With a scream, all the young ladies and maids cried out in surprise and all got up and left the table.


    Shen Ying¡¯s palms trembled slightly when she heard Qin Yan speak again, ¡°And that Miss Nian.¡±


    To the shock of everyone, another slap was slapped on Qin Nian¡¯s face.


    Qin Nian was slapped to the ground by Shen Ying¡¯s strong slap, and the corners of her lips were bloody. With tears in her eyes, she looked at Qin Yan who was looking down at her in disbelief.


    Qin Yan stepped forward slowly, squatted down, pinched Qin Nian¡¯s tender chin with one hand, and said coldly, ¡°Talk nonsense about Taizi! Talk nonsense about the first mother! Did Prime Minister Qin not teach you or did Concubine Song not teach you? Today, I as the eldest sister will set a rule for you, lest it is said that our Prime Minister Mansion is uneducated.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Qin Nian was pinched vigorously, making it difficult for Qin Nian to make a sound.


    Qin Yan let go, got up and took the silk handkerchief handed over by Shen Ying, carefully wiped her slender fingers, and threw the handkerchief on the ground casually.


    The young ladies of each family left in a panic with their maids for fear of harming themselves.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this moment, Concubine Song, who was in the Qiushui Courtyard, couldn¡¯t contain her anxiousness. Since Shen Ying made a scene in front of the Prime Minister¡¯s mansion, the maid who was sent to keep an eye on them had already relayed the news of Qin Yan¡¯s return to the mansion.


    Once she had to be humble in front of Shen Shiying, but now, unlike in the past, Shen Shiying¡¯s daughter would fall into her hands one day.


    If this girl followed her mother¡¯s violent temper, it would be just right. Let the young ladies who came to the mansion today see what kind of virtue this first daughter of the Prime Minister Mansion was.


    The maid ran back in a panic, shouting that Miss Nian had been slapped.


    Song Mei knocked over her teacup in her hand when she was in a hurry. Ignoring her dress soaked by the hot tea, she hurriedly walked towards the garden where the banquet was held with the support of the maid.


    Zhang Quan saw that the scene was out of control, he immediately left the garden and went straight to the Old Madam at Rong¡¯an Hall.


    Prime Minister was not in the mansion, and the eldest young lady and Madam Song were at odds with each other, only the Old Madam could control the scene.


    When Song Mei arrived in a hurry, she saw her daughter who was helped back to the chair by the maid, covering her face with one hand. She rushed over and pushed the maid away, hugged Qin Nian, and saw the swollen left face under Qin Nian¡¯s fingers. Song Mei was distressed beyond words.


    ¡°Which one of you who have the cheek to act outrageously in the Prime Minister Mansion!¡± Song Mei asked sternly.


    She turned her head to look at Qin Yan but was shocked by Qin Yan¡¯s face which resembled Shen Shiying. The memories of being suppressed by Shen Shiying in those years came back to her mind, and the resentment in her heart was even greater.


    Qin Yan lamented at Song Mei¡¯s change. When Qin Yan saw her parents¡¯ farce, she already kept a record of events. Song Mei, a girl from Jiangnan, who was weak at the time, was very gentle and was more to her father¡¯s liking than her mother, who was born into a general family and had a flamboyant nature.


    Now that Concubine Song gave birth to the only son of Prime Minister Qin, she had the confidence to be the mistress of the mansion.


    ¡°Which one is this with big confidence?¡± Shen Ying said sarcastically with her arms around her.


    The maid beside Song Mei raised her voice, ¡°Bold, how dare you disrespect Madam of the Prime Minister Mansion!¡±


    This time, Qin Yan didn¡¯t need to speak. Shen Ying took two steps to kick the maid who had just spoken into the rose bush next to her, and suddenly a shrill scream came out.


    ¡°Presumptuous!¡± Song Mei thought that Qin Yan was rude, but she didn¡¯t expect that the woman in black beside her was so powerful. It was inconvenient to call guards to this inner courtyard, and Song Mei started to get panicky.


    ¡°My mother has not been in the mansion for many years, who is this posing as the Madam of the Prime Minister Mansion?¡± Qin Yan said leisurely.


    ¡°It turned out to be Yan¡¯er. If there is any misunderstanding, let¡¯s talk about it. Why did you have to raise your hand as soon as you come back? I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult to explain when the Prime Minister comes back.¡± Song Mei continued to pretend to be dumbfounded but did not forget to bring out Prime Minister Qin to intimidate Qin Yan.


    ¡°Is this Concubine Song? Speaking of which, I still have to call Concubine Song, Mister¡­ I just heard that Concubine Song arranged for me to live in Lanyue Pavilion. I seem to remember that when Concubine Song was my teacher, didn¡¯t you also live in Lanyue Pavilion for a while?¡±


    Song Mei was embarrassed and really wanted to hide in the crack of the ground. When Qin Yan was born, she was brought into Qin Mansion by the Old Madam as Mister Xi Xi.


    Everyone who knew about those things at the time was driven to the village by her, and now everyone in the mansion respected her very much. She didn¡¯t expect Qin Yan to be so sharp and turn over the old accounts.


    At this time, Rong Mama, who was beside the old madam, led a group of maids into the garden majestically. Mama Rong, with her hands in her sleeves, stood on the stone steps outside the garden, and said loudly, ¡°Old Madam invites Miss Qin Yan to the ancestral hall!¡±


    Qin Yan curled her lips into a cold smile. Looking at this situation, was she going to escort her to kneel in the ancestral hall?


    It was the same thing again. In those years, her mother endured silently for that ridiculous love, swallowed her grievances, and spent countless nights in the ancestral hall. Now, Qin Yan was not interested in playing this rear courtyard trick with them anymore!


    Song Mei sneered in her heart, she wanted to see how this little girl ended up.

 CH 5.1

    Chapter 5             Annual Marriage Contract (1/2)


    Qin Yan looked at Zhang Quan behind Rong Mama and said softly, ¡°Housekeeper Zhang, please tell Prime Minister Qin that although Xi Garden has been merged into Qin Mansion, it¡¯s still my mother¡¯s private property. Within one month, all irrelevant people will have to be cleared out, and everything in the garden will be restored to its original state.¡±


    Everyone was shocked by the insolent words of the eldest young lady, and they were all dumbstruck.


    Qin Yan said to Rong Mama, ¡°Please tell my grandmother that this granddaughter has only arrived in the capital today. It is inconvenient to disturb her since the dust has not been washed away. I will come to visit with a generous gift on another day.¡± After speaking, she took Shen Ying out of the garden.


    A group of maids looked at each other in dismay, Rong Mama did not speak, and they did not dare to stop. After all, she was the master.


    Disputes with sharp words and means in the rear courtyard had always been common. But being so blatantly arrogant made it impossible for them to pick up the fight. In this way, they looked like a ruffian soldier, unlike a noble daughter from a noble family.


    It was not until Qin Yan and Shen Ying disappeared into the corner of the garden that everyone came back to their senses.


    Rong Mama really didn¡¯t stop her. In recent years, Concubine Song had become so powerful that she had the tendency to ignore the Old Madam. It was good that Qin Yan, who didn¡¯t play cards according to the rules, attacked Concubine Song¡¯s prestige.


    Rong Mama consoled Miss Nian on behalf of the Old Madam, and then took the people away.


    Song Mei was choked with resentment that Qin Yan actually got away like this. The Old Madam was just bluffing, was she going to sit on the sidelines? This was not over!


    ¡ª¡ª


    Outside the main entrance of the Qin Mansion, two groups of people were confronting each other with swords drawn. On one side, there were guards of the Qin Mansion with injuries on their bodies, and on the other side, there were soldiers of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion who were neat and orderly.


    Next to Qin Yan¡¯s carriage, there was a carriage with the emblem of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. Shen Huai stood in front of the carriage, staring at the entrance of Qin Mansion with a worried expression.


    Seeing Qin Yan come out, Shen Huai stepped forward hastily, ¡°Master, are the people in Qin Mansion disrespectful to Master?¡±


    ¡°This is?¡± Qin Yan wondered.


    Just as Shen Huai was about to speak, the curtain of the carriage behind him was lifted, and a middle-aged woman in a plain brocade dress came down.


    The woman was thin and had a slight sickly look, but her brows and eyes were firm, and there was a little smile on her face. Her appearance was somewhat similar to his cousin Shen Ci. This should be her cousin Shen Ci¡¯s mother, her own aunt, and the daughter-in-law of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, Fang Su.


    ¡°Yanyan hasn¡¯t returned to the capital for many years. You¡¯ve grown into a big girl, and this aunt can hardly recognize you.¡±


    In these years of war in the Northwest, all the men of Duke of Zhenguo Mansion went to the Northwest Camp. Fang Su was in poor health and was inconvenient to be tired from a long journey, so she stayed in the capital alone.


    Qin Yan called out, ¡°Aunt¡±. The tone was not as cold and hard as in the Qin Mansion just now, but there was some warmth in it.


    Fang Su came forward and took Qin Yan¡¯s hand, stroking softly, ¡°Since Yanyan doesn¡¯t agree with Qin Mansion, let¡¯s follow Aunt back to Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.¡±


    Qin Yan understood that her aunt was worried that she would be wronged in Qin Mansion, so she came here to support her.


    ¡°Aunt, I have a house in the capital¡­¡±


    ¡°Your cousin is slow-witted, and I don¡¯t have a daughter. Will Yanyan come to accompany this aunt?¡±


    Her kindness was hard to decline, Qin Yan let out a sigh of relief, ¡°Then have to trouble Aunt for a while.¡±


    Zhang Quan looked at the leaving carriages and horses and sighed in his heart. When the prime minister returned to the mansion, how should he explain himself?


    When the eldest young lady returned to the capital, she made such a fuss. First, there was a big fight at the mansion entrance, then the second lady was slapped, and lastly, the Old Madam was humiliated. She didn¡¯t live in the mansion when she returned to the capital, instead went to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. This was to step on the face of Qin Mansion to the ground!


    The one in Qiushui Courtyard was not a person who was easy to deal with and afraid that there would be no peaceful days in this mansion in the future.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°This devil!¡±


    In the evening of that day, Prime Minister Qin¡¯s rage was heard from the Yanyu Pavilion in Xi Garden. Song Mei hugged Qin Nian, and the mother and daughter were crying rivers of tears. Seeing Qin Nian¡¯s swollen left face, the blue veins on Prime Minister Qin¡¯s forehead jumped up.


    Qin Yan, an unfilial daughter, had no news for so many years, and as soon as she came back, she made her family in chaos.


    Just after returning to the mansion, he was stopped by Rong Mama next to the Old Madam, who invited him over. His mother was crying, making trouble, and hanging herself, saying that the younger generation in the family was going to climb on top of her head. Things were out of control, and she couldn¡¯t control them. She wanted to go to the underworld to see the Old Master¡­


    After finally comforting his mother, he saw such a scene in Xi Garden.


    Before Prime Minister Qin left, he promised Song Mei and his daughter that Qin Yan would give an explanation.


    Song Mei put ice on Qin Nian¡¯s face and ordered the servants to step back.


    ¡°Have you applied a hot compress to your face?¡± Song Mei asked.


    Qin Nian knew that she couldn¡¯t hide it from her mother, so she nodded.


    Shen Ying¡¯s hand strength was extremely strong but it didn¡¯t appear to be so terrifying. After being beaten, Qin Nian didn¡¯t deal with it immediately. On the contrary, she immediately put a hot towel on her face after returning to her courtyard, causing her left cheek, which was slowly swelling to swell to a shocking extent.


    Song Mei sighed, blaming her own low status, that her daughter needed to win over her father¡¯s opinion by using these methods of hurting the enemy a thousand times and injuring herself eight hundred times.


    Song Mei asked Qin Nian to take a good rest, leaving behind a pile of top-grade herbal plaster and ordered the servants to serve carefully. It was not a joke if she really hurt her face.


    Qin Nian obediently said yes, but in her heart, she was slightly mocking that her mother¡¯s methods were not cruel enough. After so many years, her younger brother was already so old, she still could not sit in the position of the madam of the Prime Minister Mansion, causing her to often hear gossip when walking around the circle of noble young ladies in the capital.


    Today at the Hairpin Ceremony, she sent invitations to the young ladies of various noble families in the capital, but only ordinary young ladies from the official family came. The noble families with an influential background still despised her, the concubine-born daughter of the Prime Minister Mansion. So, how could she have a better marriage than Qin Yan?


    Qin Nian had been fully prepared since she heard from her mother that Qin Yan was coming back a month ago. She thought of many ways to provoke Qin Yan, but she didn¡¯t finish thinking about it. Qin Yan came back at the right time, and with so many young ladies from the official family, without her fanning the flames, Qin Yan¡¯s reputation would quickly spread throughout the upper circles of the capital.


    After eliminating Qin Yan, even if her mother was still unsuccessful, and even if she was not the daughter of the first wife, as the only daughter of the Right Prime Minister, did she still have to worry that there would be no marriage between the noble families? Qin Nian couldn¡¯t help blushing when she thought of the presence of her future brother-in-law, Shizi of the Marquis Mansion.

 CH 5.2

    Chapter 5             Annual Marriage Contract (2/2)


    That night, the news of Qin Yan, the eldest young lady of the Qin Mansion of the Right Prime Minister, who was ignorant and as ugly as a demon, spread among the female members of the officials¡¯ rear courtyards in the capital.


    The young ladies and maids who met Qin Yan that day tried their best to describe the ferocity of Qin Yan and her maid. It was probably because women were always hostile toward other women who were too beautiful. As if there was a tacit understanding, they kept their mouths shut about Qin Yan¡¯s beautiful appearance.


    So much so that when he went to court the next day, Prime Minister Qin frequently received meaningful glances from his colleagues.


    After the court, the Left Prime Minister, uncharacteristically, took the initiative to come over to talk to Prime Minister Qin, and he was very rude when he opened his mouth.


    ¡°I heard that Prime Minister Qin has a good daughter, like her grandfather, Duke of Zhenguo, who has the air of a general!¡± After speaking, he laughed heartily and walked away.


    Prime Minister Qin¡¯s face turned green with anger. He knew that what happened in the Qin Mansion yesterday spread out and became the talk of others in leisure time.


    After many years of ups and downs in the officialdom, Prime Minister Qin acted cautiously, and rarely let other seize information that could be used against him. He had always watched others joke, but today it was his turn to be ridiculed by others.


    Qin Yan, this wicked girl!


    In contrast, the Marquis of Yongding, Xie An was much calmer. The marriage between Qin Yan and Xie Changyuan was just a verbal agreement between Princess of Anyang and Qin Yan¡¯s mother, Shen Shiying, and both of them were not formally betrothed. So, Qin Yan could not be even considered his future daughter-in-law.


    As a Marquis with military merit and real power, no one dared to make specious jokes with him. He had nothing to do with these rumors.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan went to the Western Suburbs Horse Farm the day before yesterday to try out the newly arrived military horses and returned to the city early this morning. At dawn, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the air inhaled through the nose was still particularly moist and cold.


    Approaching the city gate, through the mist, he saw his bad friend He Xiao, who was sitting on the horse sloppily. This person was the eldest son of the Official of the Minister of War, but he had taken an idle official position in the Ministry of Finance.


    He Xiao often wandered around brothels. He was generous and unrestrained in his actions. He was a well-known romantic playboy in the capital.


    At this time of the day, He Xiao should be dreaming sweet dreams on the soft pillow of some beautiful courtesan¡¯s warm bed, but it seemed he had been here for a while.


    Seeing Xie Changyuan riding a fine black horse over, He Xiao was shocked, and he kicked the horse to go forward, with strange excitement in his eyes.


    ¡°Shizi Xie, your fianc¨¦e is back. Have you heard?¡± He Xiao said jokingly.


    ¡°No.¡± Xie Changyuan¡¯s tone was indifferent.


    Xie Changyuan knew that the Northwest Army was returning to defense, but he didn¡¯t know that his hearsay fianc¨¦e was returning to the capital, and he didn¡¯t care either.


    Behind Xie Changyuan, on a shorter maroon horse, sat a pretty young man. This boy was A Yan in men¡¯s clothing. The day before yesterday, she said that she wanted to learn to ride a horse. She urged Xie Changyuan to let her follow him to the Western Suburbs Horse Farm.


    Hearing He Xiao mentioning Xie Changyuan¡¯s fianc¨¦e, A Yan didn¡¯t know why she felt empty, as if she felt that her only pet would be taken away. Her face looked sad. But she obviously only regarded Xie Changyuan as her elder brother, so what happened to her?


    In a daze, A Yan accidentally grabbed a handful of horse mane. The horse was in pain and neighed while raising its front hooves. Ye Qingli hugged the horse¡¯s neck tightly, screaming in alarm.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan!¡±


    When Xie Changyuan heard the scream, he immediately jumped over and sat behind Ye Qingli. He half-circled the girl in front of him, clenched the reins tightly, and quickly restrained the startled horse.


    Only then did He Xiao discover the girl A Yan, who was often brought out by Xie Changyuan. He knew that he had made a slip of the tongue. If this jealous jar was knocked over, it would be difficult for him to coax.


    He Xiao joked, ¡°Little Sister A Yan, have you learned to ride a horse?¡±


    Xie Chang Yuan¡¯s icy cold gaze shot over, ¡°Sister?¡±


    He Xiao understood, ¡°Hehe, Miss A Yan¡­¡± Tsk, Xie Shizi¡¯s domineering possessiveness.


    Xie Changyuan knew the virtue of this bad friend, and his courtesans were all over the capital. He didn¡¯t want A Yan to be taken advantage of and be classified as He Xiao¡¯s beautiful sister.


    A Yan, who had just recovered from a shock, felt the warm embrace of the man behind her, and her ears reddened.


    At that thrilling moment just now, she suddenly realized her dependence on Brother Changyuan. She was greedy for this warm embrace and his steadfast protection. She didn¡¯t want Brother Changyuan¡¯s tenderness to be distributed to other women, not even to that fianc¨¦e.


    She should have feelings for Brother Changyuan that she shouldn¡¯t have, but he already had a fianc¨¦e, what should she do?


    Xie Changyuan turned over and dismounted from the horse, stretched out his hand to help A Yan slowly to get down and let her sit in the carriage that followed.


    Xie Changyuan thought of the Xie Zhao of the Northwest Camp, and said sarcastically, ¡°It¡¯s just a verbal joke from the elders in the family, what kind of fianc¨¦e is she? Don¡¯t mention it again in the future, or else it will ruin the reputation of the young lady.¡±


    He Xiao ¡°¡­¡±


    From his point of view, this girl A Yan was just plain looking, so why did she fascinate Shizi Xie so much?


    Although Qin Yan had a bad reputation, she was backed by the Right Prime Minister Mansion and the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, and there would be a long line of noble families who wanted to seek marriage from this family. With Qin Yan¡¯s identity, if she hadn¡¯t been betrothed since she was a child, even the imperial family would think about her.


    Shizi Xie being like this, was he going to break the marriage contract?


    When A Yan heard Xie Changyuan¡¯s words, her heart fluttered. It turned out that Brother Changyuan did not recognize this fianc¨¦e. Thinking back on how the two of them got along in the past few years, could it be that Brother Changyuan said that for her? Thinking of this, her ears became redder.


    The concerned person didn¡¯t care much about the little episode outside the city gate, but another version was widely spread.


    Prime Minister Qin Yan¡¯s first eldest daughter, Qin Yan, was extremely ugly, and her fianc¨¦, Shizi of Marquis of Yongding, Xie Changyuan, was extremely dissatisfied with her and refused to admit the marriage. Someone saw Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion riding with a young man outside the city gate. Shizi Xie seemed to be a homosexual¡­


    When these gossips were heard, Qin Yan was listening to a play in the teahouse with Princess of Jingyi.

 CH 6.1

    justforfuntrans9-11 minutes


    3


    Chapter 6             Taizi (1/2)


    Yunfu Teahouse in the West Market.


    ¡°Do you think the first eldest daughter of Prime Minister Qin, Qin Yan, is really that ugly?¡±


    ¡°Shizi Xie avoid her like a plague and even denied the marriage contract he has made since he was a child. Then Qin Yan must be outrageously ugly!¡±


    ¡°Shen Shiying had the title of the most beautiful woman in the capital back then. How ugly can her daughter be? Could it be a rumor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more likely Shizi Xie break the marriage contract for the little beauty he kept in his mansion. I heard that he has been keeping her by his side for many years.¡±


    ¡°But I heard that Shizi Xie is actually a homosexual. Maybe he¡¯s bringing the little girl around to fool people.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he likes both men and women, who know what special hobbies those children of noble families have.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother, wise opinion! I admire! I admire!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan and Princess of Jingyi, Feng Yuyao, listened to these gossips on their way up the stairs through the hall and entered the private room upstairs. The two looked at each other and laughed out loud at the same time.


    The two were the same age. Because their mothers were good friends from a longtime family friend, they were close playmates since they were children. Qin Yan was also the Princess of Jingyi¡¯s study companion. Twelve years ago, Qin Yan left the capital and had since cut off contact. Seeing each other again after many years, the difference in circumstances did not bring them any estrangement.


    After the laughter subsided, the two took their seats, but their posture was a little too casual.


    Princess of Jingyi leaned lazily on the soft couch, while Qin Yan on the other side of the tea table played with the teacup with one hand and raised her feet to the edge of the couch.


    The Princess¡¯ entourage was waiting downstairs. Apart from the two, there was only Shen Ying in this private room. Shen Ying seemed to be used to seeing this and stood quietly near the door of the private room. She muttered in her heart, if others to see these, they would definitely be shocked by the actions of these two!


    After taking a sip of the green tea, Qin Yan said leisurely, ¡°Princess, why are we meeting here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better for you to call me Yuyao, Xiao Yanyan¡­¡± Feng Yuyao answered evasively.


    ¡°¡­¡± Qin Yan suddenly recalled the wicked Feng Yuyao when she was a child. At that time, Feng Yuyao was always misbehaving, which brought her into a lot of trouble. Every time she was caught, she pushed her cousin, Shen Ci, out for punishment¡­ Anyway, the past was over.


    Feng Yuyao looked at Qin Yan, who was beautiful with fair skin and a graceful figure, but she was happy. She covered her stomach, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.


    ¡°Outrageously ugly? Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°But Xiao Yanyan, Shizi Xie has raised a woman of unknown origin in the mansion in recent years and often takes her out to parade around. This is completely disregarding your face.¡±


    Feng Yuyao picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.


    ¡°At this point in time, he still stepping on you and not admitting this marriage contract. He did not take this matter sincerely and it¡¯s not a good match.¡±


    Putting down the teacup, Feng Yuyao lifted the private room bamboo curtain facing the atrium stage in the private room and looked out.


    ¡°Look.¡±


    Qin Yan followed Feng Yuyao¡¯s line of sight and saw a man and a woman going upstairs.


    As if feeling the inquiring gaze, Xie Changyuan, who was about to step up, raised his head abruptly and saw Princess of Jingyi, Feng Yuyao behind the open curtain of the private room on the second floor. Xie Changyuan nodded to her.


    Xie Changyuan inadvertently moved his gaze to the person opposite Feng Yuyao but was shocked by a pair of breathtaking eyes. She was an extremely beautiful woman. The woman¡¯s eyes were refreshing, and her eyes fell on him only a moment, then looked away, and soon after, the curtain was lowered.


    Behind the curtain on the second floor, Feng Yuyao looked at Qin Yan teasingly, ¡°How, is your fianc¨¦ handsome, with a striking appearance?¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯ raised her eyes slightly, but she didn¡¯t say a word, just drank the green tea in her hands.


    Was that the current Xie Changyuan? The boy in her childhood memory was fuzzy, but that face looked a little familiar.


    ¡°Yunfu Teahouse is most famous for its play from all over the world. Every time there is a new play, the girl A Yan next to Shizi Xie will come here without hesitation. You can find out these things after a little inquiry.¡± Feng Yuyao told the gossip she had heard with great excitement.


    ¡°In the play a few days ago, the poor scholar and the young lady of the Prime Minister Mansion secretly agreed to live their whole lives together, which was not tolerated by the world, and both of them sacrificed themselves for love. In today¡¯s play, listen to it, tsk, tsk, a noble son fell in love with a beautiful maid, broke his marriage contract, and eloped with the maid. It¡¯s really a good play.¡±


    Seeing Qin Yan¡¯s indifferent expression, Feng Yuyao also lost her interest in teasing.


    ¡°There is news that the girl A Yan is very simple, but I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°So, you brought me to see the pair of wild mandarin ducks*?¡± Qin Yan finally responded.


    (wild mandarin ducks* ¨C a pair of illicit lovers)


    ¡°Hey, Xiao Yanyan, I felt he was not worthy of you. After all, when you were young, you and Xie Shizi were also¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you saw the carriage of His Highness Taizi at the door?¡± Qin Yan smiled playfully.


    Feng Yuyao immediately had a shiver. This imperial brother taizi who she was most afraid of was might be in a certain private room of this teahouse at this moment.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t change the subject!¡± After Feng Yuyao came to her senses.


    ¡ª¡ª


    As soon as Xie Changyuan entered the tea house, the chatter of the crowd stopped abruptly, and he also didn¡¯t think much about it.


    When dealing with Xie Zhao a few days ago, he thought it would be easy for the Shence Army to have a person, but the Ministry of War said that the soldiers who had returned from the Pingxi Army had other arrangements.


    Xie Changyuan was not in a good mood. He originally planned to go to the Western Suburbs Horse Farm to relieve his pent-up frustration. After arriving there, he was told that the fine horse he liked had only been brought back from the Northwest, and the word ¡°Northwest¡± provoked him and made him uneasy again.


    When he returned to the city and heard He Xiao mention the word ¡°fianc¨¦e¡±, Xie Changyuan suddenly became angry. He didn¡¯t think that a casual remark would smear Qin Yan¡¯s already not-so-good reputation.


    Although Xie Changyuan was a little guilty when he learned of this, he didn¡¯t bother to explain it as this marriage was inherently dispensable. The arrangement was made by his mother before her death and at that time, he agreed just to follow her wishes.


    Today, A Yan was pestering him to accompany her to listen to the play. Xie Changyuan couldn¡¯t bear the little girl¡¯s disappointment and sadness, so he brought her to the tea house.


    As soon as they entered the private room and sat down, A Yan happily ate the preserved fruit while listening to the play.


    Xie Changyuan originally had no interest in the play, so he raised his eyes and swept around, and his eyes unconsciously stopped in Princess of Jingyi¡¯s private room.


    Princess of Jingyi, Feng Yuyao had always kept a low profile and lived in a secluded place. Normally, she even withdrew from the palace banquet in advance, which was very different from the publicity of Feng Yunchao, the Empress¡¯s first princess. Today, she went out of the palace for the first time, and also made an appointment with someone at this tea house, which made Xie Changyuan a little curious, about who was the noble sitting opposite Feng Yuyao.


    A hand waved up and down in front of Xie Changyuan, ¡°Brother Changyuan, Brother Changyuan, what are you thinking so intently?¡±


    Only then did A Yan, who was just listening intently to the play, notice Xie Changyuan¡¯s reverie. The play was talking about a noble son who rejected the fianc¨¦e arranged by his family and resolutely left with his beloved woman. Seeing this, A Yan couldn¡¯t wait to see Xie Changyuan¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, do you think Young Master Liang and Xiao Die will be happy in the future?¡±


    Young Master Liang was the noble son who abandon his fianc¨¦e, and Xiao Die was the maid that Young Master Liang loved dearly. A Yan just asked casually, but she was anxiously looking forward to Xie Changyuan¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Xie Changyuan said casually, without listening to what A Yan was saying.


    At this moment, Xie Changyuan was still astonished by the look of the strange woman just now and was fascinated. The moment he saw that face, even Xie Changyuan who used to see beautiful women over the years, had to marvel at the exquisiteness of the other person¡¯s appearance.


    A Yan got a satisfactory answer, and then looked in the direction that Xie Changyuan was looking at just now. The curtains were drawn in the private rooms over there, and nothing could be seen. Perhaps she thought too much, but she was a little uneasy about Xie Changyuan¡¯s attitude and shouted that she was tired and wanted to leave.


    When Xie Changyuan went downstairs, he raised his eyes again to look at the private room where the woman was just now, but unfortunately, the curtain was never lifted again until he left the teahouse.

 CH 6.2

    Chapter 6             Taizi (2/2)


    ¡°By the way, do you want to consider being my sister-in-law?¡±


    Feng Yuyao couldn¡¯t help but tease when she saw the calm appearance of Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan almost choked on the tea.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the people in the palace, I don¡¯t want to push you into the fire pit. After many years in the palace, the scenes I have seen are more exciting than those in the theater.¡±


    ¡°I mean Cousin Junyan.¡±


    When Feng Yuyao said these words, she carefully observed Qin Yan¡¯s expression and did not let go a tiny bit at all. Seeing that Qin Yan was unresponsive, Feng Yuyao was discouraged as it seemed impossible.


    Feng Yuyao¡¯s mother was Imperial Concubine De, and Concubine De came from the Count of Pingnan Mansion. Count of Pingnan¡¯s only son, Gu Junyan, was Feng Yuyao¡¯s cousin and Qin Yan¡¯s best friend¡¯s close friend, but it was only limited to that.


    ¡°This is not the place to talk, but I have something to ask you. It¡¯s not very convenient for me to live in the Duke Mansion these days. I¡¯ll invite you to talk when I move back to my own house.¡± Qin Yan changed to her silence just now.


    ¡°New house? Yanyan, you got to have a housewarming banquet! Don¡¯t forget to leave me a comfortable courtyard, or a side room. I will make a list of my usual things and send it to you another day.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really something. That¡¯s my house.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I see that you live alone and it¡¯s too lonely.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Little did they know that Qin Yan¡¯s new house was not occupied after all, and the housewarming banquet was held, but it was changed to another place.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The two young men sitting adjacent to the private room stopped talking after exaggerated laughter came from the next door.


    When Qin Yan and Feng Yuyao left, Ji Mu, who was dressed in a long white robe, push aside the curtain and glanced outside, but his face was incredulous.


    Was the one behind Princess of Jingyi, Qin Yan?


    Was Shizi Xie blind?


    Was this ugly? There had never been such a beautiful woman in the capital.


    ¡°That one¡­¡±


    Seeing that Ji Mu was a little out of his mind, Taizi Feng Zhan on the opposite side cast a glance out.


    At this moment, Qin Yan suddenly raised her head, two sharp gazes met, and then withdrew at the same time.


    Ji Mu was now working under the Left Prime Minister, and it was inconvenient to have open contact with Taizi. He originally chose to report the news in the teahouse to avoid people¡¯s eyes and ears, but the two listened to the conversation in next door.


    Ji Mu looked at the opposite Taizi Feng Zhan, who was dressed in a black brocade robe with golden thread lines, deep eyebrows, and an indifferent expression.


    ¡°This first daughter of Qin Mansion is very different from the rumors!¡±


    Feng Zhan half-closed his long and narrow eyes, the tea in front of him remained untouched, and there was a dense white mist on it.


    ¡°Get down to business.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was deep and calm.


    Ji Mu said the news he found with a serious countenance.


    ¡°There are many visitors in the Left Prime Minister Mansion, and the expenditure is astonishingly huge. The source of the huge amount of money is a problem.¡±


    ¡°Left Prime Minister claimed that the second daughter who was brought back a few years ago was a lucky star. She was doing business in the south and has a lot of talent for business.¡±


    ¡°As for the second young lady of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, when she was young, she and her mother encountered thieves on the way to a temple in Yangzhou and was rescued by a wealthy businessman of the Yu family in Yangzhou. Later, an eminent monk once said this daughter was destined to have a great disaster, and if she wanted to avoid this misfortune, she should be raised in the Yu family in Yangzhou who saved her. So, this daughter grew up in the Yu family in Yangzhou since she was a child, and she was brought back to the capital in recent years.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to find any evidence of the Left Prime Minister¡¯s corruption. Maybe there is indeed no corruption, but there is another source where the money comes from. However, whether there is collusion between officials and businessmen, only¡­¡±


    ¡°Continue to investigate.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    ¡°Left Prime Minister, after all, is Your Highness¡¯s uncle¡­¡± Ji Mu said with consideration. Seeing Taizi¡¯s unhappy expression, his words turned sharply, ¡°This Qin Yan is really a popular person. Your Highness Taizi, it¡¯s better to strike first! ¡°


    What answered him were Feng Zhan¡¯s cold eyes.


    ¡°Too idle? The imperial examination is about to start, and since you can¡¯t get the list of the Left Prime Minister¡¯s supporters, you don¡¯t have to stay in the capital. Didn¡¯t the coup on the southern border needs someone to watch over it?¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was somewhat cold.


    ¡°¡­¡± Southern border¡­ Poisonous malaria¡­ Poisonous insects¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll check it out right now. This subordinate will retire!¡± Ji Mu retreated numbly.


    After Ji Mu left, Song Zhi came in and spoke in a guilty tone, ¡°The adjacent private room has already been cleared. When Princess of Jingyi came up just now, this subordinate didn¡¯t have time to stop them, so they entered the private room next door. This subordinate did not do it well and almost delay Your Highness¡¯s affairs.¡±


    Fortunately, Princess of Jingyi and her group laughed out loud when they entered the private room next door and reminded His Highness incidentally on this side.


    ¡°Go back and get twenty rods.¡±


    ¡°This subordinate receives the punishment.¡±


    Feng Zhan tapped lightly on the table, Qin Yan?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.


    ¡°People from the Qin Mansion came again today, and they were all stopped outside the mansion.¡± Shen Huai waited for Qin Yan to return to the mansion and immediately looked for her.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Qin Yan didn¡¯t care about this.


    ¡°People from Imperial Concubine Shu have come to invite Miss to go to the palace to enjoy the flowers tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Not interested.¡±


    Imperial Concubine Shu, Qin Yan¡¯s aunt, was one of the four imperial concubines and had two princes, and was a childhood friend of Song Mei. She had disagreements with her mother before. She always felt that her mother had robbed Song Mei of the position of the Madam of the Prime Minister.


    This Imperial Concubine Shu probably came to ask for an explanation for Qin Nian.


    ¡°Concubine Shu¡¯s people said that their imperial concubine has news of the young lady.¡± Uncle Huai added.


    ¡°Really?¡± Qin Yan sighed faintly.


    Taking the news of my mother as an excuse, it seemed that whether it was true or not, she had to make a trip.


    Qin Yan fiddled with a suede jade pendant with a cloud pattern in her hand, and suddenly the sharp eyes that met when she left the tea house today flashed across her mind.


    Thinking of what Feng Yuyao said about seeing the Taizi¡¯s carriage, could that be the legendary Taizi Feng Zhan with tough means?


    | Translator¡¯s Note: The first meeting between the two leads¡­  (^_^)

 CH 7.1

    Chapter 7             Enter the Palace (1/2)


    When Qin Yan arrived outside the palace gate the next day, she saw Qin Nian, who was clearly dressed up, and two other girls in plain dresses.


    Qin Nian¡¯s face had recovered completely and returned to its tenderness. Seeing Qin Yan getting off the carriage, she came forward and gave Qin Yan a courtesy, and called out softly, ¡°Eldest Sister¡±.


    ¡°My aunt invited us, sisters, into the palace to enjoy the flowers today. We were waiting for you here early in the morning.¡±


    Waiting for her?


    With this statement, did she fear that others wouldn¡¯t know that Qin Yan was overbearing and have the three sisters wait for her early?


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t know that these people were also invited.


    Qin Yan raised her eyebrows, her concubine-born sister was quite tricky.


    ¡°These are the two sisters Qin Xi and Qin Lin from the second uncle¡¯s mansion.¡± Qin Nian introduced the other two young ladies to Qin Yan.


    The two young ladies came forward to give Qin Yan a courtesy, ¡°Sister¡±.


    Qin Yan nodded.


    Qin Yan¡¯s second uncle, Qin Wenxuan, was the only younger brother of the Right Prime Minister, Qin Wenzheng, and served as the Left Minister in the Ministry of Works. And that second aunt was a daughter of a merchant, and she was not an ideal candidate for a daughter-in-law for the Qin family, who regarded themselves as a scholarly family. But her second uncle insisted on getting married, and the Old Madam was not happy. Her second uncle and aunt separated from the family and lived in another place soon after they got married.


    Her second uncle was a henpecked male, there were no concubines in the mansion, and the rear courtyard was relatively peaceful.


    While her second aunt was shrewd and capable. She was quick at work and had a very cheerful personality. When Shen Shiying was there, the two of them could still talk. Because of this, Qin Yan also had a little more favorable impression of the twin sisters from the second uncle¡¯s mansion.


    From this point of view, Qin Ming, the only son of Song Mei, was the only son of the Qin family. Oh, no wonder her father¡¯s concubine could act like a tyrant, truly the mother was distinguished because of the son¡¯s honor.


    This Qin Nian was really able to bend and stretch. Her attitude was too normal today, making Qin Yan a little uncomfortable. This was not the usual style of this concubine-born sister.


    Interesting, what surprises were waiting for her at Imperial Concubine Shu?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Following the eunuch who led the way into the Imperial City, Qin Yan felt a scorching gaze frequently cast towards her along the way. It was Qin Xi.


    The twin sisters were sixteen years old and had similar appearances but their temperaments were very different. The eldest sister Qin Xi¡¯s temper was out of control, while the younger sister Qin Lin was calm and reserved.


    Qin Xi adored Qin Yan, the eldest sister. Their mothers were unhappy with their grandmother, and they often had disputes before they were separated from the family. It was common for them to kneel in the ancestral hall.


    She heard that Rong Mama, who was next to her grandmother, took someone to escort Qin Yan to kneel at the ancestral hall that day. The eldest sister ignored them and was able to come and go freely in Qin Mansion. Song Mei and her daughter had also made many obstacles for them, and they were good at pretending to be weak and sympathetic. The mother and their two sisters also suffered a lot at the hands of that pair of mother and daughter.


    This eldest sister, who was domineering in the Qin Mansion, made Qin Xi admire and relieve her anger.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Imperial Concubine Shu prided herself on being elegant but had no sense for the colorful flowers and trees. Therefore, the small garden of Chengqian Palace was full of foliage plants such as green bamboo, plantain, orchid, calamus, and so on. Only on an old peach tree next to the waterside pavilion by the garden, left a few remnant flowers that seemed to be falling appeared scattered.


    When it came to viewing flowers, it was truly far-fetched.


    ¡°Niangniang*, the young ladies of the Qin Mansion are here.¡± The eunuch who led the way exited the waterside pavilion.


    (Niangniang* -- used to address empress, imperial concubines, princess, and other imperial family female members)


    Imperial Concubine Shu, who was on the soft couch, held a teacup in her hand and gently poked the tea leaves.


    Looking at visitors coming at the door, she smiled lightly, ¡°Niannian.¡±


    Qin Nian stepped forward gracefully, took a few steps forward, and threw herself into Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s arms. She shook Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s arm and acted coquettishly, ¡°Auntie, Niannian misses you so much. Auntie is still so young that Niannian almost calls out sister.¡±


    Imperial Concubine Shu covered her mouth and laughed.


    Among the few people present, there was Qin Yan, the rightful sister. Was Qin Nian comparing Imperial Concubine Shu to Qin Yan? Stepping on Qin Yan and flattering Imperial Concubine Shu, these words were¡­


    Moreover, to be sisters with Imperial Concubine Shu, not to mention the difference in seniority, and Imperial Concubine Shu was an imperial concubine of the imperial family, was Qin Nian¡¯s brain rusty?


    After Concubine Shu finished laughing, she looked at the rest of the group, ¡°Qin Xi and Qin Lin have grown taller.¡±


    ¡°Greetings Imperial Concubine Shu.¡± The twins profoundly saluted Imperial Concubine Shu.


    This pair of sisters was not close to Imperial Concubine Shu, unlike Qin Nian, who was often summoned by Imperial Concubine Shu, they did not enter the palace much on normal days.


    ¡°Someone, offer them a seat.¡± Imperial Concubine Shu started talking to Qin Nian in a cozy manner, paying no attention to Qin Yan at all.


    Originally, there was only Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s soft couch in this waterside pavilion. The palace servants brought two chairs and arranged them on both sides.


    Qin Lin and Qin Xi looked at each other in dismay, glanced at Qin Yan awkwardly, and stood there.


    Imperial Concubine Shu glanced over displeased, ¡°Qin Xi, Qin Lin, do you two think that my palace is simple and not to your liking?¡±


    Imperial Concubine Shu looked down on the sister-in-law of the second branch who came from a merchant background that was filthy rich. She even looked down on the two sisters. Today, the niece of Qin Mansion was supposedly invited to enjoy the flowers, but she reluctantly invited the twins as a cover.


    The sisters had to sit down.


    Qin Yan was the only person in the group left standing idle in the room.


    Except for Concubine Shu and Qin Nian talking and laughing in the entire waterside pavilion, there were only the sounds of the palace servants serving tea and snacks.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After a while, Qin Yan closed her eyes and sighed.


    Still these cheap tricks, nothing was new.


    A cold female voice interrupted the conversation between Imperial Concubine Shu and Qin Nian, ¡°If Imperial Concubine Shu has news of my mother, please let me know. If not, I will retire first.¡±


    Only then did Imperial Concubine Shu look at Qin Yan, a woman who was as beautiful and arrogant as Shen Shiying back then.


    ¡°Is your upbringing like this? You haven¡¯t made any progress in the Northwest these years? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t pay respect when you enter, but how can you interrupt when the elders are talking?¡± Concubine Shu scolded sternly.


    The master of Chengqian Palace seemed to be worried that Qin Yan had not been in the rear courtyard for a long time and could not understand her keen words. She took a sip of tea, and added, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that there are no honorable elders in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion all year round, and the current mistress of the mansion is from a bitter background without a father and mother. No wonder she can teach Shen Shiying, who is ignorant of etiquette and utterly vulgar.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a few books of ¡°Women¡¯s Rules¡± and ¡°Women¡¯s Commandments¡± in a while. It can be regarded as a meeting gift from me. It¡¯s good for you to read more after you go back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have much literacy, right? Duke is a rough person, and there may be no one to teach you. In the future, come to the palace often, and I¡¯ll teach you reluctantly, so as to avoid being rejected by the in-laws, and lose the face of our Prime Minister Mansion.¡±


    ¡°However, I heard that your fianc¨¦, the Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Hou, refused to admit your marriage? I pity you!¡±


    ¡°I remember that a few days ago, Xian¡¯er seemed to be talking about this year¡¯s Wu Juren*. There was a chief military instructor in the Northern Imperial Army, called¡­ Lin or something. He seemed to be not bad, and his family background is also considered clean. I¡¯ll show your portrait to him in the next few days, and you also don¡¯t push it anymore. Since you have been rejected, your market will not be good, so don¡¯t be too picky.¡±


    (Wu Juren* ¨C martial arts candidates in the imperial examination for the selection of military)


    These remarks made Imperial Concubine Shu feel happy. Back then, when Shen Shiying married her younger brother Qin Wenzheng, the whole family dared not offend the Duke, so she humbly treated Shen Shiying. It also caused Wenzheng and his childhood sweetheart, Song Mei to be able to continue their relationship after so many years.


    After Shen Shiying got married, her mannerism was still the noble first daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion who did her own thing, and she did not respect her sister-in-law, who was ranked as one of the four imperial concubines. Imperial Concubine Shu was furious at the time, but she couldn¡¯t explode.


    Now that Qin Yan was alone without any power, and a silly little girl, still couldn¡¯t clean her up?

 CH 7.2

    Chapter 7             Enter the Palace (2/2)


    Said she was without upbringing? Qin Yan had been in the Northwest all these years, following his grandfather and uncle in name. These words belittle Qin Yan and also belittle the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.


    The current mistress of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion was her aunt, Fang Su. Her father was a general under her grandfather, and her parents died early. Fang Su was brought up at the Duke Mansion when she was a child and grew up with her uncle. The two were real childhood sweethearts, but they were criticized by many people for being inappropriate at that time.


    Being a matchmaker for Qin Yan, but in fact, she was giving Qin Yan¡¯s portrait to others for evaluation. It was also fortunate that Qin Yan could understand the wickedness of Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s words, otherwise, Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s time-consuming words would be wasted.


    The number of people in the Duke Mansion had declined because all the men were on the battlefield of Northwest. Countless officers and soldiers defended their country on the bitter cold frontiers, but these women who sat in the warm pavilion and watched flowers all day long chewed their tongues and insulted them.


    Was Concubine Shu so rampant? Or was the imperial family so rampant? Was this getting rid of people once they ceased to be useful?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan closed her eyes slightly. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes were full of coldness.


    She raised her hand and smacked the tray in the palace maid¡¯s hand with a pot of hot tea at the main seats where Concubine Shu and Qin Nian were, and the teapot was accurately splashed at Concubine Shu at an extremely fast speed.


    With a scream, Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s reaction was too late, she was splashed on her face, and her face was instantly red and swollen. The tea that splashed on her body soaked into her inner clothing, and she gradually became cold. It was freezing cold against her body.


    Qin Nian, who was next to her, was also unlucky, and her left face, which was completely healed, was splashed with some hot tea again. A young lady¡¯s skin was already extra delicate, and it instantly blistered and inflamed.


    The entire waterside pavilion was filled with Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s roar, Qin Nian¡¯s crying, and the palace servants¡¯ cries in fear.


    Qin Lin got up quickly and pulled up Qin Xi who was so shocked that her mouth opened wide, and flashed behind the pillar in the corner. When the immortals fought, the little demons had to stay away.


    Only Qin Yan was still standing in place, watching calmly and unperturbed in the midst of chaos.


    Imperial Concubine Shu suddenly reacted to the culprit and called out loudly, ¡°Someone! Arrest Qin Yan for me!¡±


    The palace servants rushed in immediately. Qin Yan slowly turned around, and everyone was shocked by Qin Yan¡¯s chilling eyes and aura.


    At this moment, a shrill voice came, ¡°Your Majesty has ordered Qin Yan, the eldest first daughter of the Qin Mansion, to enter the imperial study room immediately. Please follow me, Eldest Miss Qin.¡± It was the eunuch next to the Emperor of Hui, Li Fuquan.


    Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s piercing voice came, ¡°She¡¯s not allowed to leave! Qin Yan is an assassin, arrest her for me and imprison her in Ye Ting*!¡±


    (Ye Ting* ¨C the place next to the imperial palace where palace maids live and the families of bureaucrats work)


    Li Fuquan¡¯s tone was flat, ¡°Your Majesty said that the peach blossoms in Chengqian Palace are blooming so well that Imperial Concubine Shu is allergic to pollen and hurts her face. To prevent the pollen from harming others, the palace gate will be closed from now on.¡±


    ¡°Is this to put me under house arrest?¡± Concubine Shu covered her burnt face in disbelief.


    ¡°Your Majesty is sympathetic to Imperial Concubine Shu. Niangniang recuperate well. Young ladies, it¡¯s time for you to leave the palace.¡±


    Qin Lin quickly dragged the excited Qin Xi to the door.


    Qin Nian glanced at Imperial Concubine Shu worriedly and had no choice but to walk out the door.


    When Qin Nian was leaving, Li Fuquan said, ¡°Second Miss Qin, your face?¡±


    Qin Nian spoke quickly, ¡°The pollen in my aunt¡¯s palace is really strong, and Qin Nian was not spared. When I return to the mansion to recuperate, I will stay behind closed doors.¡±


    Eunuch Li nodded approvingly, thinking that the concubine-born daughter of Prime Minister Qin really knew everything.


    Unfortunately, that Imperial Concubine Shu had a bad brain.


    ¡ª¡ª


    A group of people left Chengqian Palace as the roar of Imperial Concubine Shu and the crisp smashing sound of cups and plates became softer. Outside the palace gate, they met Feng Xian, the second prince who had rushed over.


    ¡°Your Highness Second Prince.¡± Li Fuquan bowed and saluted.


    ¡°Eunuch Li.¡± Feng Xian had always treated the confidant beside his imperial father with courtesy.


    ¡°Greetings Your Highness Second Prince.¡± The twin sisters and Qin Nian also saluted the Second Prince Feng Xian.


    The second prince was also very interesting. He was not concerned about his imperial mother when he spoke but looked at Qin Yan who was standing by complacently.


    ¡°Is this Sister Yan? I¡¯m Feng Xian, your cousin. I¡¯ll show you around the imperial city when you have time.¡±


    Qin Yan looked at the second prince who was familiar, and said softly, ¡°Thank you, no need.¡±


    ¡°How are you, cousins? Niannian¡¯s face?¡± Feng Xian looked at Qin Nian.


    Qin Nian¡¯s eyes flickered, with tears in her eyes, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Highness Second Prince, I have to send these few young ladies out of the palace and His Majesty is still waiting for Miss Qin Yan in the imperial study.¡± Li Fuquan spoke in time.


    ¡°Eunuch Li, take care. Sisters, take care.¡±


    After the group of people left, Feng Xian was blocked by the guards brought by Eunuch Li to guard outside the Chengqian Palace.


    What happened in the Chengqian Palace was immediately reported to Feng Xian by his spy, and he rushed over from Chonghua Palace as quickly as possible.


    Feng Xian was angry at his mother¡¯s stupidity, who easily got instigated, and became the first person to attract attention.


    In the early years, when the Taizi went to the army and the Third Prince Feng Yi was like a wild crane, who only knew poetry and painting all day, his imperial father cultivated him carefully, and he also won many courtiers in the court. Only he could compete with the Taizi for the throne.


    Now that the Taizi had returned to the court. The Left Prime Minister was the Taizi¡¯s uncle, and the Grand Scholar of the government and the Minister of Rites, An Shifeng, was the Taizi¡¯s Taifu, where his disciples were all over the court. The Taizi also blatantly raised two hundred thousand private soldiers, and even, the Commander of the Southern Yamen Imperial Army, Lu Chen came from the Taizi¡¯s army.


    Now that the Taizi supervised the country, and if his mother continued to mess around, in the future, she would only have to go with him to any feudal fief that didn¡¯t give a crap.


    He also had his uncle, Qin Wenzheng, who was the Right Prime Minister. If he could form in-laws with him, this could strengthen their relationship.


    His mother intended to match him with Qin Nian. He could understand that her mother wished that she wanted to become in-law with her close friend Song Mei, but Qin Nian¡¯s identity¡­


    Qin Yan was the best choice. She was not only the only first daughter of Prime Minister Qin Mansion but also a cousin who was favored by the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. When he saw her today, only did he know that she was so amazingly beautiful.


    With a noble status, young and beautiful, who couldn¡¯t be tempted by such a woman?


    He had to find a way to ease the relationship with this cousin.


    Each palace had its own spies, and what happened in Chengqian Palace spread to the ears of the masters of each palace at a very fast speed.


    The Empress was practicing Buddhist meditation in the Dajue Temple and was not in the palace all year round. Each of the four imperial concubines had a profound background, and they were in a situation of mutual restraint. With Imperial Concubine Shu grounded, the other palace masters were watching with amusement. But at the same time, they also doubted His Majesty¡¯s attitude towards Qin Yan.


    Could it be that a newcomer was about to enter the palace?

 CH 8.1

    Chapter 8             Award Title (1/2)


    On the carriage on the return journey, Qin Xi finally couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter.


    ¡°Qin Nian tried to embarrass the eldest sister by trying to gain an advantage only to end up worse of. Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to find the golden youthful prescription in the palace, but it¡¯s worth it for her to get a bottle of scald ointment used in the palace this time. Hahaha¡­¡±


    Qin Lin held a book in her hand but did not turn a page. She glanced at Qin Xi, who was laughing half-heartedly, ¡°Our eldest sister is not simple, and the attitude of the Emperor can be seen today. We don¡¯t ask for friendship with her, but we also don¡¯t ask to become enemies.¡±


    After closing the page of the book, Qin Lin pondered.


    Although they had not seen their aunt, Imperial Concubine Shu, many times before, she had always looked calm in front of others.


    And today¡¯s scene in the Qianqing Palace¡­


    ¡°Hey, Qin Lin, have you noticed that Imperial Concubine Shu today is very different from before? She scared me to death. Where was her usual dignified and elegant manners with that kind of harshness? She looks like a shrew in the market, even not as good as our mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Qin Xi, how can you talk like that!¡± Qin Lin interrupted Qin Xi¡¯s words.


    ¡°Qin Lin, I¡¯m your sister, why do you always scold me?! I¡¯m not wrong, doesn¡¯t Imperial Concubine Shu always think that our mother is a filthy rich stinky commoner? But at least mother didn¡¯t say anything that is hidden with irony in it, but her every sentence is thorny. Isn¡¯t she even worse than our mother?¡± Qin Xi muttered, her voice gradually lowered as if she was a little aggrieved. After that, she happily ate the dessert again.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I was so busy watching the show today that I didn¡¯t have time to try the pastries from the imperial kitchen, making me hungry. Next time if there¡¯s such a good show, you have to remind me to fill my stomach before going out.¡±


    Qin Lin held her forehead, this second fool.


    Imperial Concubine Shu was indeed abnormal today, perhaps because Qin Yan provoked her, but she heard from her mother that Imperial Concubine Shu and Qin Yan¡¯s mother, Shen Shiying, had disagreements before.


    She was very fortunate that her mother insisted on separating from the family, otherwise, with the current Prime Minister Qin Mansion, their family probably would be in madness.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan was taken outside the imperial study, and after a while, Li Fuquan¡¯s voice came, ¡°Announce that Qin Yan has an audience with Emperor.¡±


    The beast stove in the palace hall was burning with ambergris, and the Emperor of Hui, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat behind the imperial table.


    Qin Yan bowed in salute, ¡°Qin Yan pay respects to Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Free of the ceremony, have a seat.¡± Emperor of Hui was only around fifty, but his voice had already revealed his old age.


    Qin Yan sat on the big red sandalwood chair with a decorative carved pattern, and Li Fuquan served hot tea.


    Looking at the leaves and smelling the fragrance, it was the new tea of ??this year.


    ¡°This is this year¡¯s Mingqian Longjing*. If it suits your taste, I¡¯ll let Li Fuquan will bring it to you later.¡±


    (Mingqian Longjing*- ¨C green tea that is picked before the Tomb Sweeping Day)


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t refuse. Every year, the head of the businesses in each state would send spring tea to Gu City and ask her to order the tea. After that, they would send the best tea to the prefecture to be selected as the tribute tea and send it to the palace. Because of her fondness for tea, Mister Ji had prepared a lot of Mingqian Longjing this year for her.


    ¡°Gu City has worked hard for the past few years.¡± Emperor of Hui said.


    Qin Yan spoke neither humble nor arrogant, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to share the worries for Your Majesty.¡±


    Emperor of Hui narrowed his eyes slightly, observing Qin Yan¡¯s reaction secretly, and then spoke slowly again, ¡°In those years, when the Three Kingdoms ceased war, it was agreed that the armies would retreat to the mountain pass, but there were still occasional attacks on the border. You acquired the Gu City in the name of trade with the Western Regions and moved Xiaoguan¡¯s defense line a hundred miles away in disguise. You did a good job.¡±


    ¡°At that time, the task of Gu City was entrusted to the Pingxi Army, but the Shen family was not suitable to come forward, and Gu City needed someone who I and the Shen family could absolutely trust, only your identity was the most suitable one. This was also a helpless move. It was hard on you as a little girl.¡±


    Emperor of Hui picked up the colorful silkworm teacup with a ruyi pattern in his hand and took a sip. He looked at Qin Yan from the corner of his eyes, but since entering the hall, Qin Yan¡¯s eyes were only slightly lowered, and there was no change in her expression.


    ¡°Mulan Horse Farm is your private property, but you handed it over to Taipu Temple, what reward do you want?¡±


    ¡°I dare not ask for credit.¡±


    Emperor of Hui nodded in satisfaction.


    After a moment of silence, the Emperor of Hui spoke again.


    ¡°You have a marriage contract with Changyuan?¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, was the Emperor of Hui trying to get her married?


    The news from her subordinates flashed in Qin Yan¡¯s mind, that Xie Changyuan had blatantly kept a woman close to him in the mansion in recent years, and that Xie Changyuan¡¯s denial of the marriage contract had been circulated outside, so she also shouldn¡¯t brazenly continue to stick with it. She raised her lips and replied, ¡°It was just a joke between Her Highness Princess of Anyang and my mother back then.¡±


    ¡°Good! Good!¡± The corners of Emperor of Hui¡¯s mouth raised slightly.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been in good health these years, and I rarely deal with the political affairs. Now it¡¯s Taizi who supervises the country, and you need to discuss with Taizi more matters related to Gu City and Mulan Horse Farm.¡±


    ¡°If you need anything in the future, you can enter the palace at any time. Or it¡¯s the same if you go look for Taizi. Taizi is stable and reliable, so you can rest assured.¡±


    ¡°I accept the orders.¡±


    Taizi?


    Emperor of Hui beckoned Li Fuquan, ¡°Put on the chessboard, let¡¯s have a game?¡± But he looked at Qin Yan.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Qin Yan had no choice but to accompany him.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When she came out of the imperial study, she looked up and saw that the sun was setting in the west. Recalling the evenings in the Northwest, there were herds of horses returning at night under the setting sun, and the horses could be reined in on the horse farm and gallop freely. In this Imperial City, even her breathing was unconsciously shallow, her chest was also suppressed, and her ribs were sore.


    When she reached the palace gate, Qin Yan stepped down from the sedan chair. Li Fuquan bowed and said, ¡°This servant congratulates Princess of Zhaoren in advance.¡±


    ¡°Everything in the world is changing rapidly. It¡¯s too early for the eunuch to say that.¡± Qin Yan smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s this old servant who made a slip of the tongue.¡± Li Fuquan was slightly surprised that she was so cautious at her age.


    ¡°Shen Ying.¡± Qin Yan motioned to Shen Ying.


    Shen Ying took out a red sandalwood brocade box from the carriage, held up with both hands, and handed it to Li Fuquan.


    ¡°This?¡± Li Fuquan was puzzled.


    ¡°Eunuch Li has worked hard. It¡¯s just some gadget, and eunuch can use it for amusement.¡±


    ¡°This old servant thanked Miss Qin.¡± Li Fuquan took the brocade box with a smile on his face.


    After Qin Yan¡¯s carriage left, Li Fuquan opened the sandalwood brocade box and saw a white jade banana leaf pattern chi-ear vase inside. The realism was warm and delicate, and it was the best Hetian jade.


    A smile appeared on Li Fuquan¡¯s face, this person¡¯s future was limitless.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Inside the carriage, Shen Ying couldn¡¯t help being curious, ¡°Who is the Princess of Zhaoren that the eunuch mentioned just now?¡±


    ¡°The imperial decree should come in a few days.¡± After entering the palace for a day, she was tired of coping with it, which was no less than a round on the battlefield. After getting in the carriage, Qin Yan leaned against the cushion and closed her eyes to rest, and she didn¡¯t want to say more at this time.


    Shen Ying was a little excited, ¡°I thought that Master was going to the Hongmen banquet* today, and I was worried for nothing. Princess? Are there such good things?¡±


    (Hongmen banquet* ¨C a banquet set up with the intention to kill a guest)


    Qin Yan sighed in her heart, how could there be anything cheap? A solid Gu City and a horse farm.


    It was not a secret that Mulan Horse Farm supplied the military horses to the Northwest Camp. Instead of taking the blame, it was better to exchange it for peace.


    It was just that the Emperor of Hui felt that he knew the current affairs and gave her some compensation.


    As for the marriage, was it Taizi?


    She hoped she was overthinking it herself.

 CH 8.2

    Chapter 8             Award Title (2/2)


    Yanyu Pavilion in Qin Mansion.


    Song Mei nervously dealt with Qin Nian¡¯s face injury. Although she was very confident in this palace¡¯s secret medicine, she still couldn¡¯t swallow this breath. It was Qin Yan again!


    As soon as Prime Minister Qin entered the room, Song Mei immediately threw himself into Prime Minister Qin¡¯s arms and wept with tears, ¡°My unfortunate Niannian¡­¡±


    Seeing Qin Nian¡¯s left face with ointment again, wasn¡¯t it just recover? Prime Minister Qin said anxiously, ¡°Niannian, what happened?¡±


    After listening to Qin Nian¡¯s talk about what happened in Chengqian Palace today, Qin Xiang was not as angry as when Qin Nian was slapped last time but frowned and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Today, the Emperor¡¯s attitude towards Qin Yan seemed to be partial, and Imperial Concubine Shu had been banned. Based on his keen sense of officialdom for many years, he should not provoke this eldest daughter of his first and wait for the change.


    Prime Minister Qin dropped a sentence, ¡°His Majesty is unpredictable, so it¡¯s inconvenient to disclose this matter. Remember, Niannian¡¯s face is allergic to pollen.¡± Then he left in a hurry.


    Qin Nian looked at Song Mei, who was still crying and was utterly disappointed.


    The mother would only cry, and her father seemed to be unreliable, otherwise, she would not be a concubine-born daughter after all these years.


    Some things had to be done by herself.


    Qin Nian gritted her teeth and vowed secretly, ¡°Qin Yan, the future is long. I¡¯ll settle these accounts with you one by one!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    On the second day, Li Fuquan entered the Prime Minister Qin Mansion with a golden decree.


    Everyone in the mansion was puzzled, as they hadn¡¯t heard any rumor before. They hurried to the door and knelt down and waited for the decree.


    Li Fuquan glanced at the kneeling crowd, and asked Prime Minister Qin who was on an official holiday in the mansion, ¡°Prime Minister, why didn¡¯t Qin Yan, the eldest daughter of your family, come to listen to the decree?¡±


    Prime Minister Qin was puzzled why he asked Qin Yan, but he was embarrassed to say it, ¡°Qin Yan is not in the mansion at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Dare to ask Prime Minister, where is Eldest Miss Qin.¡±


    Only then did everyone understand that this imperial decree was for Qin Yan.


    Qin Xiang spoke with difficulty, ¡°Maybe at the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.¡±


    Li Fuquan¡¯s smile couldn¡¯t reach the bottom of his eyes, maybe?


    Did this father not know the whereabouts of his daughter?


    ¡°Since Eldest Miss Qin is not in the mansion, I¡¯ll retire now.¡±


    ¡°Eunuch Li, please wait a moment.¡± Prime Minister Qin stopped Li Fuquan, who was about to leave.


    ¡°Dare to ask Eunuch Li, what is this decree about?¡±


    Li Fuquan smiled all over his face, ¡°I want to congratulate Prime Minister, your family will have a Princess.¡±


    Prime Minister Qin¡¯s face was full of disbelief, and he did not forget to order Zhang Quan, the housekeeper, to hand Li Fuquan a bag of silver for tea.


    Hearing this, everyone was shocked.


    After the founding of the Great Xia, there were very few titles granted. There were only two princesses with titles in this generation, and only the first eldest daughter of Duan Wang* Mansion had the title princess. How could Qin Yan be able to confer the title of the Princess? Could it be a mistake?


    (Wang*- ¨C the highest title in the feudal society or a prince title)


    The decree issued to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion was quickly passed back to the Qin Mansion.


    Qin Yan had been conferred the title of Princess of Zhaoren, with a fief of five thousand households, and granted the southern part of the Xishan Palace as the Princess Mansion.


    Prime Minister Qin sat in front of the hall for a stick of incense, he kept stirring the tea leaves with the tea lid. The tea was already cold, but he didn¡¯t even take a sip.


    Qin Yan caused havoc at the Prime Minister Mansion and the Chengqian Palace. Not only did the emperor not condemn her, but he also conferred her princess. Moreover, the title Princess of Zhaoren and a fief of five thousand households were not the treatment of a princess, but a princess of the imperial family.


    Was there any unknown reason behind this? Was this His Majesty¡¯s reward to the Duke of Zhenguo? Or possibly, was it a warning to the Qin Mansion?


    It was impossible for Li Fuquan, who issued the decree, to not know that Qin Yan didn¡¯t live in Qin Mansion, but the imperial decree came to Prime Minister Qin Mansion. This was an intentional demonstration. Over the years, he had relied on his keen political sense, seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, and had a smooth career, so he could not lose His Majesty¡¯s heart because of Qin Yan¡¯s affairs.


    Prime Minister Qin opened his mouth, ¡°Zhang Quan, repeat exactly what Qin Yan said before she left the mansion that day.¡±


    The housekeeper Zhang Quan recited every word that Qin Yan said before she left the mansion that day without missing a word.


    Prime Minister Qin sighed, ¡°Do according to what she said. Let Madam Song and Miss Nian move back to the original courtyard of their old residence.¡±


    ¡°Write a letter to the clan leader and the clan elders that raising Madam Song as a flat wife will be on hold for now. Please convey my apologies to the clan leader and the clan elders for their hard work in traveling the long distance. That¡¯s all.¡± Qin Xiang sounded exhausted.


    Zhang Quan was startled that the eldest young lady gained the upper hand. Then, what about his matter of helping Concubine Song to humiliate the eldest young lady before this? Zhang Quan withdrew.


    Song Mei and Qin Nian who got the news smashed the flower vase in the room, but they couldn¡¯t challenge Prime Minister Qin¡¯s arrangement.


    The Old Madam had been chanting the wicked girl in the Buddhist Hall, and when she heard the news, she had dropped several rosary beads.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The news spread quickly in the capital, and everyone was amazed at the fate of the first daughter of the Qin Mansion and felt sorry for Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion. Would Shizi Xie really not regret rejecting this marriage?


    When Xie Changyuan got the news, what he thought of was not the marriage, rather what did the ex-fianc¨¦e exchange for the title? He knew very well that his uncle, Emperor of Hui, was good at a power play, and this action was very abrupt, there must be some reason behind it.


    While A Yan in Marquis of Yongding Mansion was planting flowers when she heard the news, she accidentally knocked down her most beloved red plum blossom porcelain vase.


    This porcelain vase was the first gift that Brother Changyuan gave her when he accompanied her shopping for the first time. A Yan immediately squatted down to pick up the pieces of the porcelain vase. Her index finger of her right hand was cut by a sharp piece of porcelain, and bright red blood oozed out instantly.


    The maid rushed over to help A Yan up and cleaned her wound, while A Yan stared blankly while the little maid cleaned her up.


    As the nominal fianc¨¦e of Brother Changyuan, she was quite afraid of her previous status. But now, Qin Yan had been granted the title Princess, even with her true identity, she couldn¡¯t suppress her.


    She hoped this would not change Brother Changyuan¡¯s mind. A Yan knew about the unpleasant past between Xie Changyuan and the Marquis of Yongding, Xie An. Brother Changyuan was not such a person, and Brother Chang Yuan would not look back, definitely not¡­


    All the masters in the palace were relieved when they received this news. She was granted the title of Princess, which did not affect their own affairs. When Imperial Concubine Shu, who was locked up in confinement, heard this, she was shocked. His Majesty really wanted to humiliate her like this, for Shen Shiying¡¯s sake.


    In the northern part of the Xishan Palace, in the Taizi Mansion, Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly after hearing the news reported by Song Zhi. His intuition was correct, Qin Yan or Northwest, there must be something he didn¡¯t know.


    His own private soldiers were stationed there in the north now, and Count of Pingnan in the south was still honest. But many spies who went to the Northwest in the past few years had received a lot of information but none of it was logical. This made Feng Zhan very puzzled about Northwest. Although there was no trouble, it felt anything but reassuring to be not in control.


    ¡°Your Highness, now the southern part of the palace is now given to Princess of Zhaoren. Do you want to build a wall in the plum grove at the junction of the north and south palaces?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡± There was no doubt about this. Feng Zhan was tired of trouble, especially women¡¯s troubles.


    A few years ago, when Feng Zhan had just returned to the capital, he lived in the Eastern Palace. That very night, a woman who had arranged for him appeared on his sleeping bed in the sleeping hall. Feng Zhan was furious and moved to the Xishan Palace overnight. He took advantage of the situation and converted the Xishan Palace into the Taiz Mansion.


    As for the southern part of the palace, his old man had never let it go, saying that he would occasionally use it when he came to the palace to escape the summer heat. Oh, now he gave it cheaply to others.


    At this time, Feng Zhan still didn¡¯t know that the high wall he built would have to be demolished by himself in the future.

 CH 9.1

    Chapter 9             Dowry (1/2)


    Qin Yan asked Shen Huai to offer the imperial decree in the Shen family ancestral hall according to the customs, so as not to be cited by the Imperial Censor Bureau on the grounds of disrespecting the imperial family.


    It was reported that since Taizi supervised the country, the Imperial Censor had been presenting memorials to Taizi frequently. Taizi seemed to have the attitude of cleaning up the officials of the imperial court.


    Qin Yan¡¯s name was also listed on the Qin family genealogy and the imperial decree should have been offered in the Qin Mansion ancestral hall. However, Eunuch Li who issued the decree today made a trip to the Qin Mansion, just to humiliate the Qin Mansion. If she went to the Qin Mansion again with the imperial edict, it would be too much and it was the same anyway.


    It was just that no one knew Li Fuquan¡¯s actions today were his own intentions or the intentions of the person on the throne. In any case, she should also accept this affection.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan had the habit of taking a nap in the afternoon. After getting up, she drank a cup of green tea to refresh herself. Shen Huai came to report as usual.


    ¡°There is news from the Duke, he will be in the capital in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Xiaoguan¡¯s affairs were complicated, and it took a lot of time for her grandfather to hand over to the Ministry of War, but after counting the days, it was indeed time to return to the capital.


    ¡°Uncle Huai, how¡¯s the investigation?¡± Qin Yan suddenly thought of another thing that made her extremely uncomfortable.


    ¡°There were mainly four kinds of dowry items for the young lady back then. One is the Xi Garden, which is located next to Qin Mansion. The second is the shops on two streets in the West City and East City of the capital. The third is the two villages in the southern suburbs. And the fourth is the gold, silver, antiques, jewelry, calligraphy, and painting stored in the Xi Garden¡¯s warehouse.¡±


    Shen Huai closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying his best to calm down. Then he said, ¡°Miss, the shopkeepers of all the shops and the heads of the two villages are no longer the people who were originally arranged by the Duke Mansion. After the young lady got married to Prime Minister Qin, she has been using her dowry to supplement the Qin Mansion¡¯s household. Prime Minister Qin arranged for the Qin family to manage the shops and villages. A few years ago, the shops and villages were sold at a low price on the grounds of poor management. And the buyer was Song Mei.¡±


    ¡°What? She used Madam¡¯s money to buy Madam¡¯s shops and villages. They are really shameless!¡± Shen Ying, who was serving tea next to her, widened her eyes in disbelief and was extremely angry.


    ¡°Continue.¡± Qin Yan sipped the tea quietly, unable to tell any changes on her face.


    ¡°Whether the title deed of Xi Garden is still in the name of the young lady is still unclear. But before the young lady got married, the Duke bought several houses adjacent to the Qin Mansion and built the Xi Garden for the young lady with great fanfare. It was a well-known thing. Thinking about it, they won¡¯t dare to be too arrogant and dare to think about Xi Garden.¡±


    ¡°The gold and silver antiques, jewelry, calligraphy, and paintings, including house deeds and land deeds, stored in Xi Garden¡¯s warehouse should have been gone.¡±


    ¡°There was a time when the young lady became interested and made a lot of paintings and calligraphy by herself. She replaced the famous masterpieces hanging in the Qiushui Courtyard of Xi Garden and let me put them in the warehouse. One of them is the painting of watching the moon in the river of spring by Master Yishan. A few days ago, I happened to see this painting hanging in a bookstore as a treasure in West City. I looked at it, and it should be authentic. Maybe it was given away, sold, or pawned. I was unable to find out.¡±


    With a ¡°bang¡±, Shen Ying put down the teapot in her hand and said angrily, ¡°The warehouse hidden at the bottom of the pond can be opened up and moved up. If it¡¯s not to get the things inside, is it really to protect the collection from moisture? It¡¯s too shameless.¡±


    ¡°Young lady married a bad husband, if at that time¡­¡± Shen Huai¡¯s voice choked in his throat.


    ¡°The young lady said that these are all dowries left for Master¡­¡± Shen Huai looked at Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan was sitting in a simple armchair, playing with the red sandalwood bracelet newly sent by Mister Ji. ¡°It¡¯s definitely more troublesome than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Shen Ying, invite Mister Ji into the mansion.¡± Qin Yan raised her eyes and commanded.


    ¡°Mister Ji is already waiting in the reception hall.¡± Shen Ying replied immediately.


    ¡°That¡¯s just right.¡± Ji Nanfeng always took Qin Yan into consideration, and she never had to worry too much about it.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After a while, Ji Nanfeng came in.


    ¡°Master.¡± Ji Nanfeng saluted Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan nodded.


    Ji Nanfeng turned to Shen Huai and bowed again, ¡°Master*.¡±


    (Master* ¨C Ji Nanfeng address Shen Huai as his teacher)


    Shen Huai nodded, ¡°Nanfeng, you are here.¡±


    Back then, Qin Yan brought back Ji Nanfeng and handed him over to Shen Huai. Shen Huai trained him as his successor, then handed him back to Qin Yan. After that, Shen Huai took care of the affairs between Qin Yan and the Duke of Zhenguo. On the other hand, Ji Nanfeng handled Qin Yan¡¯s private property and managed the affairs of the mansion.


    ¡°Uncle Huai, after you leave, tell Mister Ji about the situations of my mother¡¯s properties that you found out in every detail.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Shen Huai replied.


    ¡°Mister Ji, no matter the cost, take down the shops that Song Mei runs and other shops in the same business. Let the heads of the trading establishments in various prefectures select competent talents and come to the capital as soon as possible.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s voice was slightly cold. It was time to arrange Song Mei¡¯s affairs.


    ¡°Mister Ji, have you checked Wen Luo, the shopkeeper of the Yu family¡¯s trading establishment in Gu City?¡± Qin Yan asked Ji Nanfeng.


    Ji Nanfeng eloquently explained the information he had investigated, ¡°Wen Luo, a wealthy businessman from Yangzhou, came from the Yu family. As the adopted son of the former head of the Yu family, he has been doing business in the south for many years. He is shrewd with a calm personality and ruthless behavior. At present, he is marginalized by the current head of the Yu family, depressed and unwilling. At one point, he wanted to retire and return to his hometown. Previously, he was tied down to repay the kindness of the Yu family¡¯s upbringing but never had any evil intention. His moral conduct is pretty decent.¡±


    ¡°Does Master want to use him?¡± Ji Nanfeng asked.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be said to use. This person has the ability and ambition, but all he lacks is opportunity. We can let him use our strength to support him and help him make a comeback. There are some things that our people are inconvenient to come forward, so it¡¯s just right to let him do it. This is cooperation.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s tone was light.


    Ji Nanfeng frowned slightly, ¡°Master, it¡¯s a rule set before that the trading establishments do not enter the capital. I¡¯m worried about the imperial family¡­¡±


    ¡°Today is different from the past. Now I¡¯m the Princess of Zhaoren, I just want to avenge my personal grudge honestly and openly. As early as in Gu City, several groups of people were already investigating us, and we couldn¡¯t continue to hide.¡± Qin Yan spoke slowly but was really determined.


    ¡°Mister Ji, what about the mansion?¡±


    ¡°The Princess Mansion in Xishan has been taken care of by someone. The courtyard reserved for the Princess of Jingyi has also been arranged according to the list given by the Princess. What other arrangements does Master have?¡±


    ¡°Choose a date and move to the mansion. Let¡¯s arrange a housewarming banquet!¡± Qin Yan remembered Feng Yuyao¡¯s joke.


    ¡°Master, are we not going back to Xi Garden anymore? Didn¡¯t that let those people take advantage of it in vain?¡± Shen Ying was furious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even if they have the ability to take it, it also depends on whether they have the ability to keep it.¡±


    Just play with them.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the early morning of the next day, Taipu Temple read out the scale of the Mulan Horse Farm handed over by Princess of Zhaoren in front of the ministers. There were more than one hundred thousand adult horses, more than fifty thousand foals, countless cattle and sheep, and tens of thousands of camels. Among them, more than ten Ferghana horses had been transported to the Western Suburbs Horse Farm.


    The whole court was shocked by the large scale and value of Mulan Horse Farm. And Princess of Zhaoren turned in all of them, which was really a lot of money.


    It was only then that the courtier suddenly realized that it was no wonder that she was able to obtain the title of Princess. Before, they felt that a fief of five thousand households was out of regulation, but now they felt ashamed. With such resources, she might not look up to this fief.


    After the court, whether it was a civil official or a military general, took turns to congratulate Prime Minister Qin, and they all praised Prime Minister Qin for teaching his daughter well with righteousness.


    Prime Minister Qin was speechless. As Qin Yan¡¯s father, he did not know about the horse farm in advance. When a colleague asked about this, he could only ambiguously talk about it.


    After the court, Prime Minister Qin found a restaurant, went up to the private room on the second floor by the window, and sat alone.


    His eldest daughter was an eye-opener, and she did have that kind of arrogance. Just how much financial and material resources it took to raise this horse farm, the young people today were really incredible. He didn¡¯t think he have that kind of power to do so. Over the years, he had calculated Shen Shiying¡¯s properties, which were also Qin Yan¡¯s dowry. He hoped those things couldn¡¯t get into the eyes of today¡¯s Qin Yan.


    Prime Minister Qin had a few drinks in the restaurant. There would be an important morning meeting tomorrow and he didn¡¯t dare to drink freely so as not to get drunk and make mistakes. When it was almost dusk, he got up and returned to the mansion.


    Prime Minister Qin dragged his heavy steps as he was already tired. What awaited him in the mansion was his mother¡¯s questioning, Song Mei¡¯s crying, and his daughter¡¯s resentment. Even Ming¡¯er had repeatedly asked about his eldest sister Qin Yan in recent days. As the son of a civil official, he was now enrolled in the Imperial Academy. He actually said how much he admired his eldest sister and hoped that he could become an official with military achievements. Yesterday, the father and son quarreled endlessly and parted on bad terms.


    When he came down from the second floor and passed the hall, he heard everyone marvel at the fate of Princess of Zhaoren, and they were all envious.


    Along with it, the mother of Princess of Zhaoren, Shen Shiying, the number one beauty in the capital back then, was the white moonlight* in the hearts of many people.


    (white moonlight* ¨C refers to the unreachable person in the heart or unforgettable first love)


    Yes, including Qin Wenzheng, who met Shen Shiying at the beginning of that year¡­


    He couldn¡¯t think about it anymore, the dead was gone. Prime Minister Qin felt that he was several years old these days and left in a hurry.

 CH 9.2

    Chapter 9             Dowry (2/2)


    A few days later, the Pingxi Army returned to the court, and the people welcome them as they entered the city gate.


    The generals of the Pingxi Army, part of them stayed to guard the frontier, and part of them returned to the capital. Since entering the suburbs of the capital, the army camped in the Western Suburbs Camp.


    Therefore, there were not many soldiers entering the city. The leader, who sat up tall, was the Chief Commander of the Pingxi Army, Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan. Although he had gray hair and a beard, he was in good spirits.


    Then came his son, Shen Shiyan, and his grandson, Shen Ci, on horseback. The three of them were of different ages but had the same temperament. They all had fortitude honed on the battlefield.


    After that, the soldiers of the Pingxi Army were all strong and full of fighting spirits. Among them was Xie Zhao, the eldest son of Marquis of Yongding, who was also an illegitimate son, and the elder brother that Xie Changyuan hated so much.


    After entering the Imperial City and receiving praises from the Emperor and Taizi, except for the people from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, the rest of the Pingxi Army returned to the Western Suburbs Camp.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After dinner at the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, the whole family sat in the main hall chatting.


    The Duke of Zhenguo did not like extravagances, and the furnishings of the Duke Mansion were relatively simple, and compared with the homes of ministers and officials, this was considered shabby. But the family was used to living in the army, and everything they use was mainly simple and practical, which was not surprising at all.


    It had been more than ten years since the last time the family was together like this. At the present, it was not even considered complete, Shen Shiying¡­


    ¡°Fang Su, you have worked hard in the mansion alone these years.¡± Shen Changshan opened his mouth to break the silence.


    ¡°This is what a daughter-in-law should do.¡± Fang Su sat on one side with Shen Shiyan, and Shen Shiyan held Fang Su¡¯s hand lightly.


    The Shen family always spoke straight to the point. Shen Changshan¡¯s voice was full of vigor, and he talked about official business, ¡°The Emperor said that the Northern Imperial Army, Southern Imperial Army, and Pingxi Army will form three teams to hold a polo game in Shanglin Garden the day after tomorrow.¡±


    After Shen Changshan finished speaking, he looked at Qin Yan, ¡°The Emperor named him specially and Princess of Zhaoren to watch the game together. Let you bring that kid with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is he going to inspect the goods?¡± Qin Yan¡¯s eyes were full of interest.


    ¡°The soldiers who are transferred back from the Pingxi Army will either join the Military of War or the Northern or Southern Imperial Army. The Northern Imperial Army is led by Xie Changyuan, Shizi of Duke of Yongding Mansion, who originally had a marriage contract with you, and is also somewhat related to our Duke Mansion. But that incident back then¡­ I also know the news that has been circulating in the capital recently, that boy dared to break the marriage contract and insult your reputation. Now the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion and the Marquis of Yongding Mansion have become enemies.¡± Shen Changshan was furious.


    ¡°The Commander of the Northern Imperial Army, Lu Chen, came from Taizi¡¯s army. The Northern Imperial Army belonged to Taizi¡¯s faction. Although Taizi is in the power now, the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion has always had no dealings with Taizi. I hope to find a good place for the soldiers, but now it¡¯s difficult.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what the Emperor¡¯s intention in the polo game is. It must be full of tricks.¡± Shen Shiyan said at this time.


    Shen Changshan sighed and looked at Qin Yan, ¡°When Xie Zhao joined the army in those days, I didn¡¯t know his details at first. When I found out, Shizi Xie had already come to ask for people. I don¡¯t know if I did it right or not in the first place?¡±


    This matter was insignificant, and Qin Yan did not want his grandfather to worry and blame himself for this matter, so she comforted him, ¡°At that time, the war had just passed, and the army suffered heavy losses. His Majesty had given the task of seizing Gu City, and the army was in urgent need of hiring people. What¡¯s more, Xie Zhao was injured on duty, so he could not be pushed out whether it was emotionally or logically. Grandfather, you don¡¯t have to keep this matter in your heart.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Forget it. What about the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion? It¡¯s located at the north and south ends of the Xishan Palace with the Taizi Mansion. Is this because of fear that others will not see that the imperial family is setting you up with Taizi?¡± Shen Changshan asked.


    ¡°When I entered the palace, the Emperor asked me about my marriage, and also mentioned Taizi. The emperor is unpredictable, so I hope I¡¯m overthinking it. I know that marriages are mostly tools of the imperial family for those who are born from noble families. But I have no intention of entering the imperial family, so I can only take one step at a time.¡± Qin Yan was very calm about her marriage. She longed for freedom, but she also knew the responsibilities brought by her birth.


    Shen Changshan sighed softly and said, ¡°Back then, when I chose a good son-in-law for your mother, she had the same thinking as you and was unwilling to enter the imperial family. Unexpectedly, she married a bad husband.¡±


    ¡°She also doesn¡¯t want to join the imperial family, because of the Emperor?¡± Qin Yan looked at Shen Changshan in surprise.


    She didn¡¯t know about her mother¡¯s past, but there were various signs that the attack on her mother that year might not only be Song Mei¡¯s hand, but also a hidden hand from the palace, so who was it?


    ¡°Those are over now. We don¡¯t need you to sacrifice your marriage, so you don¡¯t need to wring yourself anymore. Even if you don¡¯t get married, the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion can support you for the rest of your life. After I die, there will be your uncle, your aunt, and your cousin who love you. Otherwise, let Shen Ci marry you. Although he is not very enlightened, he still treats you¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Qin Yan interrupted Shen Changshan¡¯s words in time. She didn¡¯t want these words to spread into the ears of her future sister-in-law and add to the misunderstanding.


    As soon as they heard Shen Changshan speak, both Shen Shiyan and Fang Su¡¯s eyes flashed with radiance, and they looked at Qin Yan. When Qin Yan refused, they looked at each other with disappointment.


    From the very beginning, Shen Ci just sat lounging in the chair without saying a word, quietly acting as a backdrop.


    Only then did he speak unhurriedly, ¡°Grandfather, you are not afraid that Xiao Yanyan and I will fight if you mess up the mandarin ducks? Although she has been sick all these years, with her skills, we can tear down the Duke Mansion several times a day. ¡°


    Before he finished speaking, a teacup lid flew toward Shen Ci¡¯s face, but Shen Ci caught it neatly.


    ¡°You unfilial son.¡± Shen Shiyan hated that iron was not steel*. The couple hoped to take better care of Shiying¡¯s daughter, and they really liked Qin Yan, so they hope to cement the bond with marriage.


    (hated that iron was not steel* ¨C describe as being dissatisfied as the person didn¡¯t live up to the expectations)


    At this moment, Shen Ci suddenly straightened his sitting posture, raised his right palm, and looked at Qin Yan, ¡°Today, my grandfather, my father, and my mother bear witness I, Shen Ci, hereby swear that no matter what happens in the future, I will do my best to protect her for the rest of her life!¡±


    Hearing this, Shen Changshan and Shen Shiyan both nodded in satisfaction. It didn¡¯t matter if they were not a married couple, as long as the cousins ??support each other, they would be relieved.


    Qin Yan knew that this brother Shen Ci had treated her very well since she was a child, but taking this oath made Qin Yan¡¯s heart warm up. Here was her family, they wanted to protect her for the rest of their lives, and she would definitely protect them thoroughly.


    ¡°However, Xiao Yanyan, you still don¡¯t know who you rescued in Meishan at that time? That person caused you to fall into the cold pool and suffer from chills. Don¡¯t let me catch that person, else I will press him into the cold pool and let him soak for a while.¡± Shen Ci¡¯s eyes were full of anger. Qin Yan met with danger in a snow-capped mountain, fortunately, she didn¡¯t lose her life, otherwise¡­


    When it was snowing heavily in Meishan, she came across a man, who had fallen into the snow due to snow blindness, and his entire body was buried in the snowdrifts. When she dragged the man out, she pulled off a part of her sleeve and covered his eyes. Without seeing his whole face, she didn¡¯t know who that person was, and how could Shen Ci find him.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Taizi Mansion in Xishan, Lu Chen presented the list of the players from the Southern Imperial Army that would be participating in the polo game for Taizi to review.


    Feng Zhan glanced at it, ¡°Are you going to take part?¡±


    ¡°This subordinate wants to pick the promising talent in person.¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know you? Third Lu, how can¡¯t you tell whether the promising talent is good or bad from the sidelines? The Pingxi Army has just left the battlefield. You are intrigued and wanted to stretch your muscles and bones. Your hands are itchy, right?¡± Song Zhi said teasingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to deceive Your Highness. I indeed have selfish motives.¡± Lu Chen admitted that he wanted to compete with the soldiers of the Pingxi Army. However, did Old Sixth Song have this idea, too? Lu Chen looked back at Song Zhi.


    ¡°When the time comes, let¡¯s see whether Xie Changyuan will take part on the Northern side. What does it look like when you, as the Commander of the Imperial Army, compete with a group of subordinates?¡± Feng Zhan felt a little helpless toward this subordinate.


    Lu Chen was a martial mania, and it had been more than two years since he returned to the capital from the Shuobei battlefield. He would definitely not miss this opportunity to be able to face the Pingxi Army.


    ¡°This subordinate obeys.¡± Lu Chen accepted the order and left.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the camp of the Northern Imperial Army, it was time to light the lamps, but Xie Changyuan was still training the soldiers who were selected for the polo game.


    Over the years, there had been many frictions between the Northern and Southern Imperial Army during their duties. His Majesty held polo games from time to time to relieve each other¡¯s grievances and avoid misunderstandings due to disputes. They were accustomed to it.


    But this time, with the participation of the Pingxi Army, he was sure that Xie Zhao would take this opportunity to show his strength. He couldn¡¯t give Xie Zhao a chance to raise. For Xie Zhao, he must strive for every bit, this was for himself and also for his mother.


    ¡°Keep training!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Western Suburbs Camp, Xie Zhao was wiping the saber in his hand, he was finally going to meet his brother.

 CH 10.1

    Chapter 10          Polo (1/2)


    In Shanglin Garden, the weather was a little cloudy, as if the rain was coming. The wind blew sideways and suddenly became stronger, and the sky was full of flowers.


    With the sound of court music resounding through the field, princes and nobles entered the field one after another.


    Qin Yan, Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan, and Shizi of Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, Shen Shiyan, were taken to the west stand by the eunuch who led the way and sat in separate seats. Jiang Mu, who was behind Qin Yan, was also led to the seat beside Qin Yan by the eunuch.


    The stand located at the north end of the field had three parts. The main stand ran from the north to the south, and the side stands were located on the east and west sides.


    At this moment, the seats in the main stand were still empty. Apart from Qin Yan and her party in the stand on the west side, there was only the Marquis of Yongding, Xie An, whose seat was below Duke Zhenguo.


    There were only three people on the stand on the east side on the opposite, the Left and Right Prime Minister, with the Chief Official of Minister of War.


    The absence of official family members on the stand was enough to show that the nature of today¡¯s game was different from the past and had almost no entertainment significance.


    Prince Minister Qin glanced at Qin Yan from a distance, he was a little dazed at first, and then hurriedly looked away.


    That was his eldest daughter, with a face similar to Shen Shiying, only with his own shadow in her appearance. Her personality was more domineering than Shen Shiying.


    Prime Minister Qin should be proud of Qin Yan¡¯s achievement today, but¡­


    In the past, this daughter had had many conflicts with him. It was difficult to restore the relationship between father and daughter. Thinking of this, Prime Minister Qin frowned and sighed slowly.


    The Left Prime Minister next to him also glanced at the stand on the west side. That beautiful-looking woman should be Princess of Zhaoren, and also the first eldest daughter of Prime Minister Qin.


    He heard that this daughter and Qin Mansion¡¯s situation were like fire and water. Tsk, the corner of the Left Prime Minister¡¯s mouth raised a mocking arc and turned his head to look at Prime Minister Qin. Seeing Prime Minister Qin¡¯s sullen face, he spoke coldly, ¡°Prime Minister Qin, there are a handful of people who can be in the stands in today¡¯s game. Your daughter, Princess of Zhaoren, is incredible. Congratulations to Prime Minister Qin, this is an honor for your family!¡±


    Prime Minister Qin felt even more embarrassed. In the beginning, Qin Yan was at odds with the Qin Mansion and made a scene in the Qin Mansion, which spread throughout the entire capital. The glory of Qin Yan was not the glory of Qin Mansion. The Left Prime Minister was poking at his heart.


    Prime Minister Qin turned his face away and did not respond.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On the main stand, the first princess of Empress, Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao, and Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao with Imperial Concubine De entered the field one after the other.


    After taking their seats, the Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao saw Qin Yan and immediately got up and came over.


    Feng Yuyao ordered the palace servant to add a seat beside Qin Yan and then sat down to chat with Qin Yan.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Feng Yuyao looked at Jiang Mu.


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t want to answer as Jiang Mu¡¯s identity was awkward, so she made up a statement casually, ¡°Jiang Mu, my adopted brother.¡±


    ¡°Adopted! Brother?¡± Feng Yuyao was surprised, ¡°Xiao Yanyan, you¡¯re very capable!¡±


    No official family members were invited to today¡¯s game. Qin Yan was only the newly conferred Princess to be able to have a seat. Even Qin Yan¡¯s own brother would not have enough identity. And this brother with a cold expression actually arranged for a seat, perhaps his identity was not simple.


    Adhering to the harem survival rules learned over the years, she talked less and asked less. Feng Yuyao glanced at Jiang Mu with a grin and said nothing more.


    In the main stand, Princess of Changle, Feng Yunchao, sipped tea alone since she took her seat, with an indifferent expression, as if she was not interested in these things. Until a sound came, ¡°Your Majesty is here!¡±


    Feng Yunchao and everyone stood up and bowed, ¡°Long live Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Stand up.¡± The Emperor of Hui sat on the throne above.


    Everyone got up and returned to their seats.


    The Second Prince, Feng Xian, also came with the Emperor of Hui. It was unknown whether it was Qin Yan¡¯s illusion, Feng Xian frequently cast curious glances at her since he was seated.


    Qin Yan ignored it and drank the tea on her own. Today¡¯s tea was also a good spring tea, but it was not as refreshing as the one she usually drank, which could only moisten her throat and relieve dryness.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After a while, the music gradually faded, and the drums began to play.


    The three teams wearing blue, red, and yellow narrow-sleeved jerseys and black boots slowly entered the field on horseback.


    The green and red ten-man teams were led by Xie Changyuan, the Commander of the Shence Army of the Northern Yamen, and Lu Shen, the Commander of the Longwu Army of the Southern Yamen, respectively. The ten-man team in yellow jersey was led by Shen Ci, the Commanding General of the Pingxi Army.


    With the sound of drums music, the three teams rode horses around the field three times, and then they all faced the main stand where the Emperor of Hui was, shouting ¡°Longevity is boundless¡±.


    The sound shook thousands of miles, and the made the listener full of enthusiasm.


    ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡± Emperor of Hui applauded.


    ¡ª¡ª


    As soon as Xie Changyuan entered the field, his eyes caught Xie Zhao in the Pingxi Army team, who really looked similar to Marquis Xie. The eyes of the two met, and both of them both burst forth a cold light.


    Xie Changyuan swept across the stands, and when his gaze passed the stand on the west side, his body shook. That was¡­


    Next to Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao¡¯s seat, was the woman he saw in the teahouse saw that day Qin Yan?


    Aside from a young boy on the west stand, there were only Shen Changshan, Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Shiyan, Shizi of the Duke Mansion, and Xie An, Marquis of Yongding. And the one next to Princess of Jingyi, Feng Yuyao could only be Qin Yan, the newly conferred Princess.


    How could it be her? His own fianc¨¦e?


    That was right, Qin Yan was Princess of Jingyi¡¯s study companion when she was young, and the two of them had a very close personal relationship. She was the only one who could have Feng Yuyao meet outside the palace.


    Just because he was influenced by the rumors, he thought that Qin Yan at this time¡­ Thinking about how she had such fair baby skin when she was a child¡­


    Quickly withdrawing his gaze, Xie Changyuan was a little upset about what he said at the city gate before¡­

 CH 10.2

    Xie Zhao had been keeping an eye on Xie Changyuan, and he also noticed Xie Changyuan¡¯s momentary gaffe when he looked towards the west stand.


    Was that Qin Yan on the west stand?


    Xie Zhao only knew Qin Yan¡¯s name and had never seen a real person. It turned out that she was such a breathtakingly beautiful woman.


    Three years ago, in the Northwest Camp, he stood outside the main tent, like fish on a chopping board, waiting for the Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan, to decide on his stay.


    He would always remember that cold female voice, which echoed in his countless midnight dreams, resounding in his ears and etched in his memory.


    ¡°Since he joined the army, his identity is only a soldier guarding the frontier and a son guarding his home and defending the country. He is the son of all the people of Great Xia at this moment, no longer the son of anyone, let alone the illegitimate son of anyone.¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯s remarks to the Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan, decided his fate and spared him from Xie Changyuan¡¯s humiliation. At the same time, these words also changed his original intention of joining the army, that shameful original intention¡­


    Marquis of Yongding, Xie An, was very satisfied when he saw Xie Changyuan appear on the field. That was his son, with noble blood and a handsome appearance, who could be rated as outstanding.


    And when Pingxi Army¡¯s team came out, he saw Xie Zhao at a glance. He had not seen this eldest son for several years. This was the son he had ever been most satisfied with and the son who looked the most like him, with a similar appearance and similar background. This was his pride. A hero could break through the world regardless of his origin.


    Xie Zhao looked towards the west stand but avoided Xie An¡¯s gaze. His past used to make him feel ashamed, but now, he just wanted to get what he wanted or what was once beyond his reach through his own efforts. His eyes turned to the west stand again, but not at Xie An, but at the amazingly beautiful woman.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Three teams moved to the side of the field.


    With the rapid and violent sound of a horse¡¯s hoofs, a person on the horse went straight into the field.


    The horse was tall and strong, and the divine steed was extraordinary. The tail of the horse was tied, and the whole body was shiny in black, with only a little white at its forehead.


    The man on the horse was dressed in gold thread embroidered five-clawed golden dragon black clothes, with a golden crown on his head. He had sharp sword eyebrows, deep eyes, and sharp facial features, which were very handsome. This was Taizi, Feng Zhan, the heir to the throne who held the most power.


    Feng Zhan held the reins in his left hand and a black moon-shaped club in his right.


    In the middle of the field, the ball guard threw the red-painted ball into the air, and Feng Zhan spurred on his horse to the front of the ball. He made a swift and aggressive shot and hit the ball with a precise swing. The painted ball flew straight to the goal.


    Feng Zhan returned to sit up tall on his horse and faced the main stand.


    The drums beat in waves from the three-way drums.


    The palace people called loudly, ¡°His Highness Taizi has scored!¡±


    The players of the three armies shouted together, ¡°Long live Taizi!¡±


    The palace servants brought wine cups filled with wine to everyone, and the Emperor of Hui raised his glass, ¡°Let the monarch and the ministers drink together, let¡¯s work together!¡±


    Taizi Feng Zhan¡¯s face was calm, and after drinking, he said in a deep voice, ¡°Start the game!¡±, then he kicked the horse and left the field.


    Everyone admired Taizi¡¯s excellent riding skills and handsome demeanor.


    This also included Qin Yan. Qin Yan secretly praised, this Taizi really a beauty. Unfortunately, he was born into an imperial family, which she mustn¡¯t get involved with.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Shence Army and Longwu Army came to the field. The players rode their horses with clubs and strived to hit the ball.


    Xie Changyuan and Lu Chen had no desire to continue fighting. They just wanted to end the game as soon as possible and looked forward to fighting against the Pingxi Army.


    The two sides agreed that whoever shot the first five goals would be the winner. After Xie Changyuan scored the first goal, Lu Chen immediately scored the second goal. The two took turns scoring the goal, and each of them quickly scored four goals. Then they were in a stalemate.


    Although both want to end the game as soon as possible, before the game against the Pingxi Army, they were not willing to be the losers.


    The sound of the drums became more and more urgent, and the two sides were competing intensely. Twenty horses were galloping at full speed, making the scenery spectacular.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The game became increasingly intense and exciting. In the stands, everyone was drinking and watching the game. The Shence Army and the Longwu Army often played against each other, but they had never seen the commanders of the two powerhouse teams take part at the same time, and everyone watched with relish.


    Feng Yuyao and Qin Yan drank together and said, ¡°Shizi Xie is very skilled. Just now, Xie Shizi seems to be looking at you and that look is complicated and tangled. I figured you¡¯ll have a peach blossom calamity very soon.¡±


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t answer but looked at Feng Yuyao helplessly. Turning to look at Jiang Mu, who had not touched a drop of water, ¡°Don¡¯t eat or drink? Are you afraid that the person on top will put poison?¡±


    Jiang Mu gave Qin Yan a cold look, but his stomach growled inappropriately. Jiang Mu was so embarrassed that his ears turned red and just turned his face away.


    Qin Yan laughed out loud, ¡°If that person wanted your life, you wouldn¡¯t be alive until today. It¡¯s still early, eat something to cushion your stomach, and don¡¯t treat yourself badly.¡±


    Jiang Mu was still awkward, but to avoid being too embarrassing later, he reluctantly took a piece of dessert and took a few sips of wine.


    Since Xie Changyuan saw Qin Yan on the field, he had an inexplicable mood and his gaze always swept to the west stand uncontrollably from time to time. Until he caught a glimpse of Qin Yan smiling happily at the boy beside her. Xie Changyuan was distracted and allowed Lu Chen to lean over and intercept the ball.


    Lu Chen rode his horse straight to the goal of the Shence Army, but Shence Army failed to block it. Lu Chen swung the club and the ball hit the goal.


    ¡°Longwu Army wins!¡±


    ¡°Longwu Army scored five goals, and Shence Army scored four goals. Longwu Army¡¯s victory!¡±


    The palace people sang the scores, and the game was declared over.


    Emperor of Hui clapped his hands, ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡±


    Both teams left the field to take a rest. The drums stopped, and the music gradually started. Everyone cheered and reminisced about the wonderful game just now.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan knew he had lost his composure, but Xie Zhao on the sidelines saw his interest.


    In the Northwest Camp, Qin Yan was a topic that soldiers often talked about in their spare time, but there was no disdain for women or dirty jokes in the usual army camp. In the Pingxi Army, Qin Yan was mostly revered and admired.


    During the war for many years, the military resources of the Ministry of War were often delayed, and Qin Yan repeatedly raised supplies for the Pingxi Army. The soldiers had never been short of provisions and winter clothes. The soldiers were very grateful to Qin Yan.


    The news of Xie Changyuan¡¯s refusal to marry Qin Yan also spread in the Northwest Camp.


    He wondered if his younger brother regretted it now.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Taizi Feng Zhan took his seat which was the right of the Emperor of Hui, and everyone got up to greet Taizi.


    ¡°Exempt¡±.


    Taizi¡¯s voice was deep and mellow, and Qin Yan sighed again.


    Qin Yan looked at Taizi Feng Zhan, and sure enough, the sharp eyes that met in the tea house before were this Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan also returned Qin Yan¡¯s gaze. His old man¡¯s recent actions frequently had the tendency to matchmake Qin Yan with him.


    Qin Yan was indeed exceptionally beautiful, but people couldn¡¯t see through her. Many mysteries about her couldn¡¯t even be found by his people. She was a dangerous person.


    And who was the person next to Qin Yan?


    Princess Changle, Feng Yunchao, smiled for the first time since she took her seat. Her eyes were glowing when she looked at Feng Zhan, ¡°Imperial Brother has good skills. Teach me another day.¡±


    Feng Zhan had always loved this imperial sister, but he was indeed busy with official duties.


    ¡°How about letting Lu Chen teach you?¡±


    Feng Yunchao felt a little wronged, but Lu Chen? It was also fun to tease that nerd.


    ¡°In Taizi¡¯s opinion, how should we play in the next game?¡± The Emperor of Hui asked Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t comment.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we let the Northern and Southern Yamen Imperial Army select five players to form a team, and then play against the team of the Pingxi Army?¡± The Second Prince, Feng Xian, spoke first.


    ¡°Good, what does Taizi think?¡± Emperor of Hui looked at Taizi.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s words were like gold.


    ¡°Li Fuquan, make the arrangements.¡±


    Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, what did His Majesty want to do?

 CH 11.1

    Chapter 11          Fight (1/2)


    In about a period of a cup of tea, the teams would start the game.


    At one end were five Shence Army players in green led by Xie Changyuan, and five players from Longwu Army in red led by Lu Chen.


    At the other end, there were ten Pingxi Army players led by Shen Ci.


    ¡°Start the game!¡±


    The drums began to play, and the red-painted ball was thrown out. People moved with their horses, and the players chased the ball to hit.


    Different from the conservative style of the Northern and Southern Yamen Imperial Army just now, the two sides were full of force from the very beginning. The players frequently made difficult moves such as sudden stops, quick turns, and back shots. Sometimes they dribbled and attacked, and sometimes they galloped to chase, constantly swinging the club to hit the ball.


    The ball flew as the club flashed by on the field, and the horses galloped like they were flying. Twenty horses galloped across the field, and the hooves made rumble sounds.


    The scene was thrilling, intense, and spectacular at one time.


    After a stick of incense passed, no one scored a goal.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The crowd in the stands was very excited. They hadn¡¯t seen such an exciting game for a long time. It was more thrilling and exciting than the previous one.


    The polo game was originally very risky. Most of the polo games were played in a slightly peaceful way and had never seen such a deadly situation.


    The players on the field were very aggressive. It was very common for several armies to play a friendly game together, but there had not been a proper competition before. Today, even if it was just a ball game, everyone was eager to compete.


    ¡°Are you worried?¡± Feng Yuyao said suddenly.


    Qin Yan raised her eyebrows suspiciously.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about your brother? Or¡­ Shizi Xie?¡± Feng Yuyao asked half-jokingly.


    ¡°Are you worried about Shen Ci?¡± Qin Yan fixed her gaze on Feng Yuyao¡¯s face. Seeing the princess¡¯ face blush faintly, she withdrew her gaze.


    After a while, Qin Yan spoke softly, ¡°Life and death are destined by fate. As a common training program in the military, they are familiar with various emergencies and accidents on the polo field. It is common to break arms and legs. Compared with the battlefield, this is much gentler.¡±


    Hearing Qin Yan¡¯s icy words so light and ordinary, Feng Yuyao was dumbstruck. The dangerous situation she was familiar with was all from the women in the harem, and many of them were disabled and killed. Since she was born, she had never stepped out of the capital, and she occasionally heard about things in the army or saw them from the play. And she had no right to speak about the real battlefield.


    From this moment on, she only realized that she and her childhood playmate beside her had changed too much due to different circumstances.


    Qin Yan¡¯s past made her distressed, and at the same time, she also envied her. She envied people who could truly understand Shen Ci¡¯s life. Feng Yuyao¡¯s eyes followed the tall and straight figure on the field. The friend beside her seemed to have seen through her hidden desire, and it was also probably an impossible desire.


    Qin Yan looked sideways at Jiang Mu, ¡°Take a good look and study hard.¡±


    Jiang Mu met Qin Yan¡¯s gaze with a complicated expression. He turned his head and took a sip of cold wine.


    The woman beside him used to be his rival, but now she was his benefactor and teacher.


    The relationship between the two was complicated and awkward. He usually didn¡¯t know how to face Qin Yan, and the woman always understated him from time to time. Wasn¡¯t she worried about cultivating the enemy too well? One day, they would meet again on the battlefield, and at that time, the sword had no eyes.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this moment, the game on the field was getting more intense. In the middle of the chaos, a horse of a player of the Pingxi Army was hit in the leg by an unknown club. The horse fell and threw the person down, tripping over several people and horses one after another.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m sorry, brother¡­¡±


    ¡°You dare to use a dirty trick!¡±


    ¡°No¡­ this¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you doing? Want to fight?¡±


    ¡°Afraid?¡±


    ¡°Who is coward and who is afraid!¡±


    During the chaos, several people started to fight.


    Everyone was on fire and full of energy. For a time, except for Xie Changyuan, Lu Chen, Shen Ci, and Xie Zhao, who were sitting on their horses, the rest of the players dropped their clubs, dismounted from their horses to join the fighting, and got in the hand-to-hand battle.


    At this moment, the wind was blowing, and the thunder was rolling, which was a precursor to the approaching spring rain.


    Neither Emperor nor Taizi on the main stand spoke, they were just watching the farce on the field.


    Everyone was amazed that the Commanders of the Northern and Southern Yamen Imperial Army and the Commanding General of the Pingxi Army all took part in the game. They didn¡¯t score a goal, yet their subordinates fell into a hand-to-hand battle, which was unheard of.


    The showers rushed into the field, and it was a good rain for the crops. But for this game, it was not the right time.


    Everyone in the stands was covered by tarps, which didn¡¯t affect them much.


    The field was gradually soaked in rain, and the soldiers in hand-to-hand battle were all in a mess. The raindrops that fell on their bodies didn¡¯t dampen their enthusiasm in the slightest. The three teams of people fighting together, the horses neighing and running around, and the scene were utterly chaotic.


    | Translator Note: Who do you think going to win?

 CH 11.2

    Chapter 11          Fight (2/2)


    The four people sitting on horses on the field stood quietly under the downpour. After a long time, Shen Ci lifted his eyes to look at Xie Changyuan and smiled coldly.


    ¡°I heard that Shizi Xie has high expectations?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Even the drumming on the sidelines didn¡¯t stop, and amid the shouts of his subordinates fighting, Xie Changyuan could still hear Shen Ci¡¯s words clearly.


    He immediately understood that Shen Ci was talking about what he said at the city gate before, as well as the rumors of breaking his marriage circulating in the capital.


    However, he had nothing to say about it¡­


    Suddenly, Shen Ci threw away the club in his hand, hurriedly rode his horse through the fighting crowd, and rushed straight to Xie Changyuan. When the two horses were about to collide, Xie Changyuan yanked his reins. The horse under his seat raised its forehooves and neighed, but they were still hit by Shen Ci¡¯s horse. In a split second, both of them jumped away from their horses, and their horses slammed into each other and fell to the ground, splashing the water around.


    The moment he landed, Shen Ci rushed toward Xie Changyuan and punch him hard.


    Xie Changyuan narrowly avoided it, but his face was still scratched by the hit. He turned around and punched Shen Ci. Shen Ci bent over to avoid him and swept his legs over. Xie Changyuan jumped up to attack him and kicked Shen Ci¡¯s right arm with a swing.


    Seeing this, Xie Zhao immediately got off his horse and wanted to help Shen Ci. Shen Ci was his superior. Of course, he had wanted to compete with Xie Changyuan for many years.


    Seeing this, Lu Chen had to dismount from his horse and rush over. He had no personal relationship with Xie Changyuan, but at this moment, the two belonged to the same team and led the Northern and Southern Yamen Imperial Army. He couldn¡¯t just watch Xie Changyuan fight one-on-two.


    In an instant, the four of them fought together in the rain.


    The two commanders of the imperial army, a commanding general of the frontier army, and a general of the frontier army, all four of them disregarded their decency, fought hand-to-hand, punched to the flesh, and showed no mercy.


    Everyone on the field was soaked with rainwater mixed with muddy water, which made everyone watching the game a little dazed for a moment. Were they still at the scene of the court game? There were also His Majesty and Taizi, who supervised the country, on the main stand, but these fellows completely disregarded them.


    When the Marquis of Yongding, Xie An, saw his two sons fighting together, he sighed in his heart that the two met in the end and couldn¡¯t escape this fate.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The rain was getting heavier. Everyone was unbelievable that even the commanders took part. However, His Majesty and His Highness Taizi didn¡¯t call to cease fighting.


    Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan, was expressionless, as his Pingxi Army was not a coward.


    Feng Yuyao looked at Qin Yan, ¡°Xiao Yanyan, is Shen Ci sticking out for you? Your brother is still the madman who protects his sister. Tsk, tsk, I¡¯m really envious.¡±


    Qin Yan motioned to Feng Yuyao to the other side of the main stand. Weren¡¯t Taizi and Second Prince also Feng Yuyao¡¯s brothers?


    Feng Yuyao looked over and sneered, ¡°His Highness is indeed very kind to his imperial sister, but it¡¯s just that first princess, and Second Imperial Brother¡­ Hehe¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Yan actually imagined, how much love such a cold-hearted Taizi could give the Princess of Changle, Feng Yunchao?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Suddenly, heavy drums were beaten, and countless crossbowmen surrounded the field, all of them drawing their bows, and facing the soldiers who were fighting regardless of the occasion.


    ¡°His Highness Taizi has an order, the people in the field will return to the team immediately. Those who violate the order will be shot!¡±


    Everyone gradually calmed down from their hot-blooded impulses. They were still on the field, and this was still a game organized by the imperial family, not their crazy training ground. There was still the Emperor sitting on the stand, as well as Taizi who supervised the country.


    Everyone stopped their movement, and all their chests fluctuated violently, calming their boiling blood. The icy cold rain washed their young faces, young bodies, and young blood.


    ¡°His Highness Taizi ordered each team to leave the field to freshen up, and a banquet will host at the Hanxiang Hall of Shanglin Imperial Garden at youshi (5 pm ¨C 7 pm). Return to your team!¡±


    ¡°Heaven bless Great Xia! Heaven blesses His Majesty! Heaven bless Taizi!¡± The soldiers on the field shouted in unison.


    All the players were wounded, and embarrassed, limping and helping each other to leave the field.


    The Emperor of Hui got up to leave, and everyone bowed in salute.


    ¡°Respectfully sending Your Majesty!¡±


    Emperor of Hui turned around and cast a glance at Jiang Mu beside Qin Yan, then left.


    Jiang Mu put on Qin Yan the cloak that Mister Ji specially asked him to bring along before going out, with a look of disgust in his eyes.


    Was this woman really couldn¡¯t stand the cold?


    Taizi Feng Zhan, who was on the main stand saw this scene with his eyes, narrowing his long and narrow eyes slightly.


    Who was that kid?

 CH 12.1

    Chapter 12          Bestow Marriage (1/2)


    At nightfall, in the Hanxiang Hall of the Shanglin Imperial Garden, the side hall held the banquet for the three armies participating in the game today, and the main hall hosted the princes and nobles who were watching the game today, including Xie Changyuan, the Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Xie Zhao, the eldest son of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Shen Ci from Duke Zhenguo Mansion and the Commander of the Southern Yamen Imperial Army, Lu Chen, who attended the banquet.


    Qin Yan was sitting side by side with the two princesses, and Jiang Mu was sitting next to her.


    The seats of the two brothers from Marquis Xie Mansion happened to be directly opposite Qin Yan.


    At that time when Marquis Xie suddenly announced that he had a bedwarmer that gave birth to a son and a daughter for him Marquis Xie also acknowledged the two concubine-born children back to the Marquis Mansion, causing Princess Anyang to die of depression. According to reason, this greatly offended the imperial family¡¯s prestige, but instead of being furious, the imperial family acquiesced to this fact.


    The reason for this was still the balance of power method of the Emperor of Hui today. In the year when this incident just happened, the border affairs were unstable, Marquis Xie made military achievements and was seriously injured. The imperial family couldn¡¯t just chill the hearts of the soldiers for the prestige of the imperial family.


    Today, it was the same balance of power. The current military strength of Great Xia was divided into four parts, and this was not even counting the two hundred thousand private soldiers of Taizi. The four Chief Commanders were Duke of Zhenguo in the Northwest, Marquis of Yongding in Shuobei, Marquis of Guannei in the East, and Count of Pingnan in the South.


    The Emperor of Hui was a qualified emperor, always dominated by power, and rationally made people feel frightful. No one knew if in so many years he sat on the throne, had there been a time between the balance of power and personal consideration that he had leaned toward personal consideration once.


    The Eldest Princess of Anyang was born into an imperial family, and her marriage was traded to consolidate the imperial power. After her death, she was not able to get the imperial family to seek justice for her, and everything had to make way for the consolidation of imperial power.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Thinking of this, Qin Yan felt deeply sorry. She raised her eyes to look at Taizi Feng Zhan who was seated next to the throne.


    That Taizi would also be like the Emperor of Hui!


    Feng Zhan raised his eyes sharply, touching Qin Yan¡¯s slightly regretful eyes. Feng Zhan frowned slightly, when did he make her feel pitiful?


    At this time, the Emperor of Hui on the throne suddenly said, ¡°Changyuan, I heard that you keep a little girl in the mansion, who is quite pleasing to your heart. Do you need me to bestow a marriage? I am very open-minded. The lovers can finally get married. Several of my princes are always dragging on. There have been no happy events in the palace for a long time.¡±


    Xie Changyuan was about to refuse but when he raised his eyes, he saw Qin Yan smiling happily while saying something to the kid next to her.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. Although he didn¡¯t care about the marriage contract, Qin Yan¡¯s almost indifferent attitude towards him made him feel disgraced.


    Besides, there was the matter of Xie Zhao.


    When the refusal came to his lips, Xie Changyuan changed his words, ¡°I thank Your Majesty.¡±


    After speaking, he looked at Qin Yan, who was sitting opposite him. At this time, Qin Yan withdrew her gaze from the adjacent table, with a faint expression. She did not look at Xie Changyuan but picked up the teacup at hand and took a sip as if it had nothing to do with her.


    Xie Chang Yuan¡¯s heart was cold, she just didn¡¯t care about it.


    Everyone was shocked. Everyone presents knew about the marriage contract between Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion and Qin Yan, the first eldest daughter of the Prime Minister Mansion. They also heard the rumors of Qin Yan a few days ago and Shizi Xie¡¯s denial of the marriage contract at the city gate.


    But in front of Qin Yan, the Emperor bestowed a marriage to Xie Shizi. Wasn¡¯t this move to slap Qin Yan in the face?


    The three generations of the Shen family were displeased, and Prime Minister Qin frowned. No matter how bad the father-daughter relationship was, she was still his daughter and represented his prestige outside.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Emperor of Hui spoke again, ¡°Today¡¯s game is very exciting, whether it¡¯s the competition between Shence Army and Longwu Army, or the hand-to-hand battle between the three armies. It¡¯s exciting! Exciting!¡±


    The backs of Xie Changyuan, Xie Zhao, Shen Ci, and Lu Chen became tense, and they knew what was coming.


    At the time, they were hot-blooded on the field and didn¡¯t care that they were still at the imperial field. They ignored military discipline and imperial dignity and would be held accountable sooner or later.


    ¡°Taizi, what do you think of the punishment?¡± The Emperor of Hui looked at Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan picked up the wine cup in front of him and took a sip without saying a word.


    Punishment? This was not an easy task. The Pingxi Army should deserve to be praised and awarded. In this case, it was hard to say how to punish them.


    Before Feng Zhan could answer, the Emperor of Hui continued, ¡°I think that you young people are too energetic and have nowhere to vent. I heard that the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion is recently renovating the pond in the forest garden in the mansion. I have found a chance for you. The players participating today will go to the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion to work as a coolie for three consecutive days, and they can only leave after four hours of hard work.¡±


    ¡°The minister knows the crime, and the minister accepts the punishment.¡± Shen Ci, Lu Chen, Xie Changyuan, and Xie Zhao all kneeled and said gracefully.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, what do you think?¡± The Emperor of Hui asked Qin Yan.


    ¡­ Could she say no? Qin Yan could only say that she would listen to His Majesty¡¯s arrangement.


    Everyone wondered that if the marriage bestowment of Shizi Xie in front of everyone just now had no scruple about Princess Zhaoren¡¯s face, then the punishment of the soldiers of the three armies would be an extremely big face for Princess Zhaoren.


    What did His Majesty mean by this?


    ¡°Taizi and I have scheduled to hold an award ceremony for the Pingxi Army¡¯s soldiers who return in triumph at the Pingxi Army Camp in the western suburbs in three days. Today, you all feast to your heart¡¯s content. I¡¯m not strong enough and need to retire early. Taizi will continue to preside over this banquet.¡± The Emperor of Hui coughed lightly a few times, and Li Fuquan helped him leave the field.


    ¡°Respectfully sending Your Majesty.¡± Everyone¡¯s mind was different. Although it was taboo to speculate Emperor¡¯s intention, no one wanted to be able to understand Emperor.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Chang Yuan looked at Qin Yan who was drinking slowly on the opposite side, suppressed the anger in his heart, raised his head, and drank a cup.


    Xie Zhao¡¯s eyelids drooped slightly beside him, concealing a trace of dim light that flashed in his eyes.


    He knew from a young age that he had a younger brother who was like a proud son of heaven, while his father didn¡¯t let him show himself in front of others.


    On that day when Princess of Anyang returned to the ancestral house, he did not know it, but his uncle tricked him into thinking that his mother had an accident at the ancestral house and happened to run into Princess of Anyang who looked surprised.


    The Eldest Princess, that woman who could be seen with gentleness in her countenance. He saw that woman¡¯s expression went from puzzled, to shock, to anger, to sadness. He didn¡¯t care about anything else as he was anxious to find his mother, but it turned out that this farce was just a drama arranged by his mother¡¯s uncle. So that they could enter the Marquis Mansion fairly and openly.


    He was angry and ashamed, but what followed was that his mother hung herself. He was frightened and helpless. He blamed the injustice of heaven, why didn¡¯t his mother have a noble identity? He could have a noble birth and let them stand upright openly.


    He hated his younger brother whom he had never met and envied him. He had such a noble family background, and he was able to make military exploits with his father on the battlefield in a just and honorable manner. Hearsay, he also had a prominent fianc¨¦e.


    Yes, Xie Changyuan¡¯s fianc¨¦e was in the Northwest, in the camp of the Pingxi Army. If he could enter the Pingxi Army, he could make military achievements on his own.


    If Xie Changyuan¡¯s fianc¨¦e chooses him, Xie Zhao, instead, then¡­


    Today¡¯s Xie Zhao despised the dirty thoughts he once had. But today, he could compete with Xie Changyuan fairly and openly, whether it was a military achievement, reputation, or woman.

 CH 12.2

    Chapter 12          Bestow Marriage (2/2)


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t know that the Xie brothers on the opposite side had a thousand changes in their minds. She turned her head to Jiang Mu, and said softly and jokingly, ¡°That one just wants to see you, but you are so frightened. If you don¡¯t have the guts, how can you dare to face your subjects in the future? Face your sly and cunning uncle? Face your imperial father and imperial mother in the underworld?¡±


    Jiang Mu was ashamed and annoyed. He knew what this woman was saying, but how could she personally understand that he was the one who lived relying on others in the enemy camp? It was Jiang Mu, not Qin Yan who depended on others¡¯ whims to survive.


    Jiang Mu drank a mouthful of wine and coughed after choking on it.


    ¡°Who is the young man beside Princess of Zhaoren?¡± Taizi Feng Zhan said the longest sentence so far today, which was really rare.


    Everyone present held their breaths, and those who did not know were also curious about the identity of this young man.


    Qin Yan looked directly at Feng Zhan, she didn¡¯t bother to make up another identity for Jiang Mu.


    ¡°Back to Your Highness Taizi, this is the younger brother adopted by me, Jiang Mu.¡±


    Feng Zhan narrow his eyes slightly, Jiang? Jiang? Could it be¡­


    ¡°Your Highness Taizi, I have a presumptuous request.¡± Qin Yan spoke again.


    Feng Zhan raised his eyes, and said with a deep voice, ¡°Say.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness Taizi, there are no literate people in my home, and I know I can¡¯t teach my younger brother well. I want to ask for a position of a student in the Imperial Academy for my younger brother Jiang Mu, and I hope Your Highness Taizi will approve.¡±


    Everyone was amazed. To enter the Imperial Academy, candidates had to surmount all difficulties, and even the officials¡¯ children had to look at their identities.


    How could Qin Yan be so arrogant?


    Saying that there were no literate people in her home? Would that also work? Even a general had to get some calligraphy and painting to decorate the facade and talk elegantly when he spoke. How could anyone say that themselves uneducated, moreover a woman?


    Prime Minister Qin was even more shocked, this couldn¡¯t be possible. When he sent Qin Ming to the Imperial Academy, he took a lot of trouble because he was only a concubine-born son. Qin Yan was only a princess and an adopted brother, where did she get such an identity?


    Feng Yuyao looked at Qin Yan admiringly. Yes, Xiao Yanyan was so crazy that she had a whole new level of respect for her. Thinking about Qin Yan, the soft and glutinous little meatballs, when she was a child, Feng Yuyao really felt that Qin Yan today had really changed from her bones.


    Feng Zhan was silent for a moment, if his old man acquiesced to someone with such a sensitive identity to follow Qin Yan, then¡­¡­


    Whether it was Qin Yan or this kid, he could only rest assured when he was right under his nose.


    ¡°Allow. Song Zhi, let the Chief Officer of Imperial Academy make the arrangements.¡±


    ¡°I thanked His Highness Taizi.¡± Qin Yan turned to look at Jiang Mu, ¡°Jiang Mu, say thank you.¡±


    Jiang Mu frowned slightly, but still stood up to bow in salute, ¡°I thanked His Highness Taizi.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Everyone was shocked by Qin Yan¡¯s unreasonable request and His Highness Taizi actually agreed so readily.


    Thinking about it again, the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion given by His Majesty was next to the Taizi Mansion, His Majesty bestowed the marriage of the Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦ in front of everyone, and His Majesty punished the soldiers of the three armies to renovate the garden of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion¡­


    Dare not think about it, dare not think about it, Princess of Zhaoren was going to¡­


    Xie Changyuan felt a tightness in his heart. His marriage to Qin Yan couldn¡¯t be regarded as a joke. The two also had tokens exchanged between his mother and Madam Qin. He only verbally denied it and only agreed to His Majesty¡¯s marriage because it was a matter of urgency.


    But if Taizi was involved, this Taizi cousin of his was famous for his decisiveness in making decisions and as for Qin Yan, if it was just His Majesty¡¯s idea, then it was fine, but if Taizi had the same idea¡­


    Xie Zhao was also stunned. If it was Xie Changyuan, he would still be able to compete, but Taizi?


    Everyone thought differently.


    Jiang Mu said to Qin Yan with a little dissatisfaction, ¡°Have you asked me if I would like to go?¡±


    Qin Yan suppressed her throat, and her tone was indifferent, ¡°Did I ask you when I make arrangements for you previously? The people in the Duke Mansion have taught you about the military, and you must have extensive exposure to various ideas through literacy, rather than being one-sided by one or a few masters¡¯ teaching.¡±


    ¡°If you want to be a monarch, you need to be able to calmly accept all kinds of conflicting opinions. You should go to Imperial Academy to see the masters¡¯ teaching, and the views of your classmates, and go to the teahouse to listen to the debates among students. Don¡¯t take it lightly and be obedient.¡±


    Jiang Mu was speechless. Yes, Qin Yan had never asked his opinion about the courses that Qin Yan arranged for him, but he knew that those were for his own good.


    But he just had an instinctive rejection. He rejected being taught, arranged, and protected by a woman who was only a few months older than him. He was eager to become stronger and stand alone, and he was eager to protect himself and the people he valued.


    Thinking of this, Jiang Mu couldn¡¯t help but glance at Qin Yan, the heartless woman who held up her wine cup and clinked with Princess of Jingyi next to her, raised her slender neck, and drank the wine in her hand in one gulp.


    Was she really not afraid to meet him on the battlefield?


    At this time, Jiang Mu really couldn¡¯t imagine that the real powerhouses were not afraid that their opponents were stronger than themselves, which would arouse their fighting spirit even more.


    Moreover, Qin Yan and the Emperor of Hui needed Jiang Mu to be able to resist his imperial uncle who killed the monarch and seized the throne, instead of raising a puppet who was useless.


    Everyone ended the banquet amid many complicated thoughts.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When leaving the banquet, Prime Minister Qin stopped Qin Yan, Jiang Mu immediately stepped forward to protect Qin Yan and stared at Prime Minister Qin covetously. The people from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion also came one after another, blocking Qin Yan from Prime Minister Qin.


    Prime Minister Qin was dumbfounded, and the people from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion actually regarded him as a beast. No matter what, Qin Yan was also his daughter, and the tiger¡¯s poison did not eat its children*.


    (tiger¡¯s poison did not eat its children* ¨C an idiom, which means although tigers are ferocious, they do not eat their cubs)


    ¡°Father-in-law¡­¡± Prime Minister Qin wanted to bow to Duke Zhenguo, Shen Changshan but was interrupted sharply by the other party.


    ¡°I heard that our Duke of Zhenguo Mansion is used to oppressing people with power, so it¡¯s better for Prime Minister Qin to call me by my title.¡± Shen Changshan¡¯s voice was cold and stern.


    ¡°¡­¡± Prime Minister Qin froze in place, was he trying to draw a clear line with him?


    Qin Yan smiled, ¡°What does Prime Minister Qin want to say?¡±


    ¡°Qin Yan, the Xi Garden has been restored to its original state according to your request. You can come back and have a look on another day. Move back as we are a family after all.¡± Prime Minister Qin spoke carefully as he already knew his eldest daughter¡¯s temperament and didn¡¯t want to provoke her again.


    ¡°Yanyan has a family, so Prime Minister Qin doesn¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Shen Ci said sarcastically.


    Qin Yan just glanced at Prime Minister Qin indifferently and took the lead to leave with the group of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.


    Prime Minister Qin looked at the resolute back of his eldest daughter and could only sigh.

 CH 13.1

    Chapter 13             Peach Blossom Grove (1/2)


    A few days later, the Emperor of Hui and Taizi Feng Zhan rewarded the Pingxi Army at the Western Suburbs Camp. It was said that the scale was so grand that Qin Yan stayed in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion and didn¡¯t attend the ceremony.


    The news brought back by Shen Ying said that among the young talents in the noble families, two outstanding talents had attracted a lot of attention.


    One was Shen Ci from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, who was awarded the title of General of Zhaowu of the third rank and the other was Xie Zhao of the Marquis of Yongding, who was awarded the title of General of Mingwei of the fourth rank.


    Interestingly, Shen Ci didn¡¯t accept the reward of the General Mansion given to him but let the Ministry of War turn it into gold and silver. Shen Ci blatantly said that he was short of money and that he still needed to support his sister for the rest of his life.


    Xie Zhao, on the other hand, accepted his own mansion. It seemed that this concubine born from Marquis of Yongding Mansion really had hard bones and was not ready to move into Marquis Mansion. It could also be counted as giving a big face to the Pingxi Army.


    Shen Ying suddenly remembered that Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao sent someone to send an invitation, ¡°Master, Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao will hold a birthday banquet at the Taizi Mansion in Xishan ten days later, saying that General Shen Ci and Princess of Zhaoren were invited to the banquet.¡±


    Qin Yan took the gilded invitation, it would be held in the Taizi Mansion in Xishan?


    Hosting a banquet for the princess in his own mansion, it seemed that this Taizi was really good to his imperial sister, but Xishan¡­


    ¡°Shen Ying, what¡¯s going on at the Princess Mansion in Xishan?¡±


    Qin Yan suddenly remembered that it was time for her to move out of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. Mister Ji and the others lived in the house they bought before. She still had her own personal affairs to deal with and it was inconvenient for her to go back and forth from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. She had better move out as soon as possible.


    ¡°Mister Ji said that the place is almost finished renovating, and the fellows arranged by His Majesty have messed up plum blossom elevation and the lotus pond again, so it will take some time.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Mister Ji that they started fighting on the first day they went there. Maybe they weren¡¯t satisfied with their fight before, and even Young Master ended up fighting together. That scene, tsk, tsk¡­ Fortunately, the pond has not been filled with water. Dozens of mud people give me goosebumps just by thinking about it.¡±


    Shen Ying¡¯s body even shudder when she talked about it.


    ¡°But Master, there is one more thing. Mister Ji said that there used to be a big land of plum blossom groves between the Princess Mansion and the Taizi Mansion. These days, the people on the other side of the Taizi Mansion are building the wall very fast, and it should be almost completed. It¡¯s a bit irritating to think about it. Do they think we will sneak over with bad intentions?¡±


    The more Shen Ying thought about it, the angrier she became, and Taizi was too arrogant.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s fine. Let Mister Ji make more traps on our side of the plum blossom grove. I don¡¯t like trouble and multiple guarantees are better.¡± Qin Yan didn¡¯t care. Everyone wanted to work together to avoid trouble and it was best to be able to live together in harmony.


    ¡°Master, what about Xi Garden?¡± Shen Ying suddenly remembered that Xi Garden, which she heard had been cleaned up.


    Qin Yan smiled lightly, ¡°His Highness Taizi has come up with a good idea for us. You ask Mister Ji to arrange for someone to build a wall between Xi Garden and Qin Mansion. We will see how to use this garden later.¡±


    Shen Ying was already thinking of raising several opera troupes in Xi Garden, who would be singing big operas non-stop from morning to night. It was better if the Qin Mansion couldn¡¯t stand it and moved out.


    This was not enough to relieve her anger. Shen Ying thought hard about whether there was any better way to relieve her anger.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The fog was heavy in the morning on the day of Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao¡¯s birthday banquet, and it seemed it would be a sunny day.


    Feng Yuyao sent a message in advance, saying that she was worried that Qin Yan would not be able to deal with those difficult young ladies from noble families, and invited Qin Yan to go with her. The Princess left the palace early and waited outside the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.


    Qin Yan knew this little girl¡¯s mind*, but Shen Ci was sent to the Northwest again, which disappointed the Princess.


    (little girl¡¯s mind* ¨C means that after entering adolescence, the girl¡¯s heart becomes sentimental and develops a love for the opposite sex)


    Feng Yuyao failed to wait for Shen Ci, and was disappointed for a moment, then relieved again. That was the man she cared about. Since she was a child, she had put her responsibilities at the top of the list, giving stability and peace of mind to the people behind her.


    Feng Yuyao forced Qin Yan onto her carriage, and the carriage slowly drove towards Xishan outside the city.


    After getting into the carriage, Feng Yuyao looked at Qin Yan¡¯s brocade dress with plain white embroidery and moir¨¦ pattern and put up a simple bun with only a white jade hairpin on her head. Feng Yuyao shook her head while clicking her tongue, ¡°Xiao Yanyan, don¡¯t you know that the banquet in the capital is actually a show-off scene for a noble girl from a noble family? Although it¡¯s necessary to avoid overtaking the limelight of the first princess, you are too plain like this. But your face is enough to suppress all the beauties.¡±


    Qin Yan glanced at Feng Yuyao, who was dressed in an unsophisticated palace outfit, and the princess also causally put up a simple high bun.


    ¡°Then, what about you?¡±


    Feng Yuyao looked down at her clothing, and her face was flushed, she turned away uncomfortably.


    Qin Yan immediately understood that Shen Ci had always been simple and didn¡¯t like extravagances. Was this catering to Shen Ci¡¯s preferences? But she won¡¯t point it out bluntly.


    The carriage went out of the city steadily, and as soon as it left the city gate, the smell of green grass wafted into the nose. Qin Yan closed her eyes and took a deep breath, refreshing her mind.


    Lifting the curtain to look out, there was still mist in the fields in the mountains, and the green trees and farm crops in the distance were faintly visible.


    A carriage was parked on the side up ahead. A young girl in pale-yellow smoky cotton and loose flower dress was hopping and picking wildflowers by the side of the road, and a little maid was standing next to her holding a flower basket. The girl¡¯s delicate voice came from afar, ¡°Brother Changyuan, I really like going out of the city. Let¡¯s come out often to play in the future!¡±


    Feng Yuyao, who was still reminiscing about Shen Ci on the field that day, heard the voice and immediately looked out the window. It was the carriage of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion. Was Xie Changyuan in the carriage? Is that little yellow warbler, A Yan? That was also Xie Changyuan¡¯s current fianc¨¦e.


    Feng Yuyao pulled down the curtain, blocking Qin Yan¡¯s sight. She didn¡¯t want to make Qin Yan sad but seeing that Qin Yan was not affected, Feng Yuyao sighed. She worried for nothing.


    Feng Yuyao didn¡¯t have any personal friendship with Xie Changyuan, so she left without stopping when she passed the other party¡¯s carriage.


    Xie Changyuan had closed his eyes to rest in the carriage. In the past few days, he fought with Xie Zhao at the Princess Mansion in Xishan, which took a lot of energy. Oddly enough, he didn¡¯t seem to have so much resentment towards Xie Zhao.


    On the third day of working in the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, the weather was not favorable, and another spring rain came. Xie Changyuan and Xie Zhao collapsed in the mud pond exhausted after an intense fight, both panting violently.


    Xie Zhao sneered, ¡°You look like a bear.¡±


    Xie Chang Yuan wiped his face with mud and rain, ¡°Come again!¡±


    The two fight another round again, one punched, one kicked, to their heart¡¯s content¡­


    With the sound of a carriage passing by, Xie Changyuan withdrew his thoughts. Today, the Princess of Changle held a banquet and sent an invitation to the Marquis of Yongding Mansion in the morning. After A Yan found out, she insisted on coming. He originally thought that it would be inconvenient, but he wondered if Qin Yan would also go, and to his surprise, he agreed with A Yan.


    ¡°Shizi, it¡¯s Princess of Jingyi¡¯s carriage, do we want to¡­ they¡¯re gone¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Xie Changyuan was not interested in this, but they?


    Xie carriage suddenly thought of something. Suddenly he lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw two carriages driving away in front of him. The first carriage was the princess carriage, the second carriage¡­ Could it be Qin Yan?


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, look at the flowers I picked, aren¡¯t they very beautiful? I¡¯m tired of seeing the flowers that I¡¯ve grown in the mansion. It¡¯s not bad to go out of the city to pick some wildflowers occasionally. They are so fragrant with the smell of dew¡­¡± It was A Yan who came back.


    Home flower*¡­ Wildflower*¡­Xie Changyuan put down the curtain, and he did not answer A Yan¡¯s words, but at this moment, he felt embarrassed for no reason, and his mood became tense.


    (Home flower* ¨C refers to one¡¯s wife)


    (Wildflower* ¨C refers to the wild girls outside of the home)

 CH 13.2

    Chapter 13          Peach Blossom Grove (2/2)


    Princess of Changle¡¯s birthday banquet was of a high standard, and the invitations were only sent to the daughters and sons of the first wife of noble families. Therefore, not many people attended the banquet.


    The Taizi Mansion was heavily guarded. Except for the opening of the peach blossom grove in the south and the waterside pavilion next to it, the passages inside were guarded.


    The banquet was set in the garden beside the peach blossom grove. When Qin Yan arrived, several young ladies were already seated.


    Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao was seated on the main seat. After Qin Yan and Feng Yuyao greeted Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao, the young ladies also stood up to salute Qin Yan and Feng Yuyao. Qin Yan, together with Feng Yuyao, was seated side by side and below Feng Yunchao¡¯s position.


    In the position opposite them was a dignified and beautiful woman, who looked a few years older than Qin Yan, and Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao was chatting happily with her. Qin Yan admired that that person¡¯s words and deeds were the models of a noble girl from a noble family, and it was no wonder that Uncle Huai said she was too casual. Feng Yuyao saw Qin Yan looking at An Yanxi on the opposite side with admiration. She whispered mysteriously in Qin Yan¡¯s ear, ¡°You have good vision. That is An Yanxi, the first eldest daughter of An Shifeng, a Grand Scholar and Taizi¡¯s Taifu.¡±


    ¡°Did you see Feng Yunchao chatting happily with her? I heard that the eldest young lady of the An family is a potential crown princess, and she is a childhood sweetheart of Taizi. However, rumors have been circulating for many years, and there¡¯s still no movement from Taizi.¡±


    At this moment, An Yanxi returned their gaze and nodded slightly toward them. She was really generous and fitting.


    Qin Yan and the others had empty seats in front of them, Feng Yuyao motioned over, ¡°The second person over there is Wang Jingyi, the eldest young lady of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, who has already betrothed and will get married next year. She is betrothed to He Xiao, the eldest son of the Minister of the Ministry of War, but I heard that he is a playboy, and he has beauties all over the capital. This Miss Wang is also considered to marry a man with lower status, but she has never made any noise about it, so there is no gossip to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Below her is Wang Jingyan, the second daughter of the Left Prime Minister. This person¡¯s experience is legendary. When she was a child, she went to Yangzhou with her mother and met a thief on the road. She was rescued by a wealthy businessman in Yangzhou. Afterward, she was raised in the Yu family and was brought back in recent years. This person is the lucky star of the Left Prime Minister, and I heard that the Left Prime Minister attaches great importance to her very much. She usually works with Miss An to set up tents to serve porridge. I am afraid that Miss An is trying to boost herself to become the crown princess. I don¡¯t know what she wants to do. However, both of them have an excellent reputation outside.¡±


    ¡°Further down is An Yanxi¡¯s younger sister, An Suyue, but they are not of the same mother. She is the daughter of the second wife. I heard that the rear courtyard of the Grand Scholar Mansion is not peaceful. The two sisters have never been at peace, and I have never seen them talking outside.¡±


    Feng Yuyao¡¯s mouth was dry after she talked too much, and she took a sip of the tea at hand. Before she had time to put down the teacup, the voice of the palace attendant came from outside the banquet, ¡°Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion and his fianc¨¦e arrived. Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion sent a white jade landscape ornament, and the fianc¨¦e of Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Miss A Yan, sent a painting.¡±


    ¡°Shizi Xie also gave the jade ornament, you two still thought the same thing.¡± Feng Yuyao¡¯s words are full of ridicule.


    Qin Yan smiled without saying a word. She had a lot of jade ornaments in her warehouse, and Mister Ji picked a few as gifts for her to choose the right one.


    Xie Changyuan and A Yan sat opposite Qin Yan, but Qin Yan was helpless as they were opposite again.


    Xie Changyuan also saw Qin Yan on the opposite side, and he looked away uncomfortably.


    A Yan had been observing Xie Changyuan¡¯s reaction. She looked at the opposite side. She had seen the Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao from a distance before. Next to that princess should be Qin Yan, Brother Changyuan¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e.


    It turned out that Qin Yan was so beautiful, would Brother Changyuan regret it?


    A Yan turned around and saw Xie Changyuan raise his head and drank a cup of wine, his face seemed to be gloomy, which made A Yan feel a little uneasy.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The banquet was fairly quiet, and nothing happened.


    The second daughter, Jingyan, who had just been brought back by the Left Prime Minister, had found a source of amusement. It seemed that some people were stealing the princess¡¯ limelight, and the method was from a small family on the street.


    Interestingly, her eldest sister, Wang Jingyi, next to her just drank quietly, and watched singing and dancing, without interfering. She pretended that this sister did not exist the whole time, and it seemed that this pair of sisters were not in harmony behind the closed door.


    Wang Jingyan spoke suddenly, ¡°Your Highness Princess of Changle, I¡¯m good at painting, and also considered a painting maniac. Today I heard that Shizi Xie¡¯s fianc¨¦e gave Princess a painting. I¡¯m really curious and want to have a look at the masterpiece. I ask Your Highness Princess of Changle to open the painting and have a look.¡± After speaking, she looked at Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan caught Wang Jingyan¡¯s eyes, what was that one going to do?


    The sisters of the Wang family of the Left Prime Minister Mansion were also the cousins ??of the Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao and Taizi. Feng Yunchao did not refuse and ordered the palace servant to fetch the painting that A Yan had just brought, brought out an easel, placed it at the end of the banquet, hung the painting, untied the ropes that bound the painting, and presented a mountain view in the in front of everyone.


    Everyone was amazed at the composition and artistic conception of this painting, and it could be seen that the person who painted it was exceptionally good at painting.


    Feng Yunchao was also good at painting, so she asked the palace servant to take the painting and send it to her for a closer look.


    ¡°Is it Meishan in the painting?¡± Feng Yunchao asked A Yan in surprise.


    A Yan got up, curtseyed, and said, ¡°Back to the Princess, it¡¯s indeed Meishan in the painting.¡±


    Feng Yunchao nodded. She once saw a painting of misty rain in Meishan in Brother Taizi¡¯s study. Brother Taizi was taught by Master Yishan, and once painted it when he was in Meishan. The scenery of the two paintings was very similar.


    ¡°Why do you have this painting?¡± Feng Yunchao asked A Yan again.


    ¡°I studied painting with Master Yishan in Meishan for some time.¡± A Yan replied calmly.


    ¡°Are you a disciple of Master Yishan?¡± Feng Yunchao asked once again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talented, I¡¯m afraid that the reputation of my teacher will be tarnished.¡± Although Master Yishan did not really teach her to paint, when she was in Meishan, she pestered Master Yishan to learn how to paint, and Master threw a bunch of rough sketches for her to learn. This should be regarded as being under the tutelage of Master Yishan, she did not lie.


    Everyone seated was shocked. Master Yishan was the Emperor¡¯s teacher. Today, the Emperor of Hui also studied under Master Yishan, including the current Taizi.


    When it came to Meishan, Xie Changyuan looked at A Yan. Without her, he would have frozen to death in a snowdrift when he was in Meishan. Now, as long as A Yan was willing, he could give her a stable home and protect her for the rest of her life.


    Meishan? Qin Yan thought to herself, when did that Old Man Yishan accept another apprentice?


    But it was possible since they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a few years. Since she was the old man¡¯s disciple, she should also take care of this girl. At this time, Qin Yan didn¡¯t mind that this was the current fianc¨¦e of his ex-fianc¨¦.


    At this time, there seemed to be some commotion in the crowd. Qin Yan followed the eyes of everyone and looked outside. A group of people led by Taizi Feng Zhan appeared in the front courtyard. Among them, there were ministers of civil and military generals. Feng Zhan lowered his head and gave instructions to the people around him, then the group of people majestically entered the mansion.


    Song Zhi, who was beside Taizi, walked over quickly, holding a guqin case in his hand.


    ¡°Your Highness Princess of Changle, this is the birthday gift from Taizi to the princess.¡±


    ¡°Please thanked Brother Taizi on my behalf.¡± Feng Yunchao was full of joy.


    After the palace servant beside the princess took the guqin case, Song Zhi walked away quickly.


    Feng Yunchao ordered the palace servant to open the guqin case and was immediately shocked, and everyone on the scene were also shocked. It was Xihe Guqin, an ancient guqin that had only been seen in ancient books. It was a priceless treasure. The world did not know its trace, and it was unexpectedly found by His Highness Taizi.


    It seemed that this Taizi really treats his sister very well.

 CH 14.1

    Chapter 14          Junior Sister (1/2)


    Jingyan, the second daughter of the Left Prime Minister was a little disappointed. She told Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao that she wanted to see the painting because she expected that A Yan of unknown background, would not be able to come up with anything good. She was going to humiliate Shizi Xie¡¯s fianc¨¦e, A Yan, and sell her favor to Princess of Zhaoren Qin Yan.


    As far as she knew, the Princess of Zhaoren was a celebrity before Emperor. Her father also said that the Emperor¡¯s intention might also be to have this princess enter Taizi Mansion.


    Unexpectedly, this favor was not sold, and she even helped the little girl to climb the social ladder. Her status would not be too low when entering the Marquis Mansion in the capacity of the disciple of the Emperor¡¯s Master. It was a miscalculation, but she was really unreconciled.


    According to her father¡¯s intention, she was going to enter the Taizi Mansion, not as a legitimate imperial concubine but as a side imperial concubine. When Taizi ascended the throne, the emperor¡¯s heart would be beyond her reach. She understood this reason and was not so whimsical as to fight for the sole favor of an emperor. If Qin Yan would also enter the Taizi Mansion, couldn¡¯t she find an alliance in the harem ahead of time?


    She heard that the Princess of Zhaoren once ran a horse farm before and was also a businesswoman. Maybe they could talk about it together. Unlike the self-proclaimed noble first eldest daughter of the An family, who pretended to be high-minded and very stubborn.


    Wang Jingyan was about to speak again, but a hand held her right shoulder. She turned her head in confusion, it was her eldest sister, Wang Jingyi.


    Wang Jingyi didn¡¯t say a word, but her eyes were cold and contained a warning.


    Her this eldest sister, although she didn¡¯t speak much usually, she had a very low sense of existence. However, her father reminded her to try her best not to confront the eldest sister. She swallowed her unspoken words.


    At this time, the first month of summer, the flowers in the garden were blooming, the warm breeze was brushing over, and the air was full of an intoxicating sweet smell.


    The dining room of the Taizi Mansion had superb cooking skills, delicious wine, and food, and the banquet was complemented by singing and dancing. Everyone was enjoying themself to their heart¡¯s content before returning home.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On the way back to the mansion, in the carriage of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, the first daughter of the Left Prime Minister, Wang Jingyi, changed her pretense of deafness to her sister and said coldly, ¡°In the days that you are still known as the Second Miss of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, give me a break, Yu Yan.¡±


    Wang Jingyan was surprised when she heard the other person call the name of her adoptive parents in Yangzhou and turned to sadness, ¡°Sister, you have been raised in a noble family since childhood, and received the best care from our father, mother, and brother. You have not experienced my unfortunate encounter, do you still want to sprinkle salt on my wound?¡±


    Wang Jingyi knew very well that her sister was a kind-hearted person. She was impatient to deal with her and didn¡¯t make it clear. Her younger sister seemed to pretend that she didn¡¯t understand, ¡°I¡¯ll just say it once, neither Princess of Zhaoren nor Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, you can¡¯t provoke them. I¡¯m not interested in the things that our father planned with you. As for other things, I advise you not to mess around. Yu Yan, do you hear me clearly?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, what do you know?¡± Wang Jingyan was alarmed. The other person called her former name twice, what did she know? Impossible that their father wouldn¡¯t tell her, was she lying to me?


    ¡°You¡¯d better take care of yourself, that future brother-in-law doesn¡¯t know which beauty songstress¡¯s warm bed at this moment!¡± Since her eldest sister was no longer pretending, Wang Jingyan also intended to treat her courteously without sincerity.


    Wang Jingyi didn¡¯t speak again. He Xiao didn¡¯t come to Princess of Changle¡¯s birthday banquet because he didn¡¯t want to see that person, right?


    Did this silly girl in the opposite seat think she was playing a trick with her in the rear courtyard?


    Oh, the water in the capital was deep. This person tried to play with people¡¯s hearts with the trick she learned from the rear courtyard and when the time came, she won¡¯t even know how she lost her life. Did she want to do favors for the Princess of Zhaoren?


    With that behavior of the princess, probably she won¡¯t buy it.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Today, Xie Changyuan pushed his official duties to go to the banquet and because of Qin Yan, he made a lot of mistakes several times, which made him very irritable.


    His Northern Yamen Imperial Army was directly under Emperor. The situation in the court was tense these days, and he could have disregarded it, but now Xie Zhao was back. Xie Zhao was the fourth-rank General of Mingwei. He was an unofficial official with no real power, but one day he would be assigned a real post by Emperor.


    If Xie Zhao was allowed to climb onto his head, he would have no face to face his mother in the afterlife.


    He shouldn¡¯t make mistakes again and again for the sake of love. At this point, he and Qin Yan were not meant to be. He owed A Yan a life, and he should treat A Yan wholeheartedly for the rest of his life.


    In the days when Xie Changyuan was completely concentrating on his official affairs, he was confused by an imperial decree that was suddenly issued from the palace.


    The imperial decree said that Xie Changyuan, Shizi Xie Changyuan of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, and Miss A Yan were in love with each other, but Miss A Yan was not of high birth, so she was bestowed as the noble concubine of Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion.


    Emperor was¡­ keeping the position of his legitimate wife, was that¡­


    A Yan was shocked when she heard about it, she couldn¡¯t believe it. She always thought that she was bestowed to be married as the first wife, but something had changed.


    Concubine! Noble concubine! Wasn¡¯t that still a concubine!?


    She took out Master Yishan in vain, as the result was still the same. How could she become the legitimate wife of Brother Changyuan? Could it be that she had to reveal her identity? But would it bring more trouble?


    How could A Yan have imagined that the imperial family would not arbitrarily marry a woman of unknown origin to be the legitimate wife for Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion? That would be extremely inappropriate and disrespectful to the Marquis of Yongding Mansion.


    Emperor of Hui just wanted to create some obstacles between Qin Yan and Xie Changyuan, but he still wouldn¡¯t be so disrespectful, and it was enough to give A Yan the status of a concubine.


    ¡ª¡ª


    It was the rainy season, and it had been raining for days, making people moody.


    He Xiao invited Xie Changyuan to go boating and drink on the lake.


    ¡°This is the newly arrived sophora flower wine, which was shipped from Jiangnan. It used the fresh sophora flower of this year, soaked it in the best red wine, and let it sit for a month. The restaurant said that the wine will taste better after a few months. I don¡¯t believe in this heresy. We brothers will try it today.¡±


    He Xiao pushed one of the two jars of wine in front of him to Xie Changyuan, raised his own jar of wine, and took a mouthful.


    Although He Xiao in his childhood was quite different from his current dandy appearance, Xie Changyuan was already used to the unrestrained appearance of the noble young man in front of him now.


    Xie Changyuan raised the wine jar, put the mouth of the jar on the tip of his nose, and sniffed lightly. A fragrance of wine mixed with a trace of sophora flower overflowed into his nose. He instantly believed the restaurant¡¯s words that the taste of sophora flower would also be richer if waited one more month.


    Xie Chang Yuan raised his head and drank a mouthful of cold wine. The wine pierced through his stomach. He suddenly realized that something was wrong. He didn¡¯t have something to eat to cushion his stomach. As soon as the two met, they held the wine jar to drink. No matter what, they looked like two frustrated people.


    The sounds of rain pitter-pattering on the canopy of the boat could be heard in their ears, and the sound of the rain outside the hanging curtain was messy, and both of them inside the curtain also had messy thoughts. Xie Changyuan spoke to break the depressing atmosphere.


    ¡°Why do you think of inviting for wine on a rainy day and still on the decorated boat today?¡±


    Not knowing if it was because of drinking too much, He Xiao¡¯s eyes were a little bloodshot and red.


    ¡°She also went that day?¡±


    She? Or she?


    Xie Changyuan thought of Qin Yan immediately in his heart and instantly became sober.


    ¡°The first eldest daughter of the An family?¡±


    He Xiao took another sip of wine.


    Xie Changyuan immediately understood, He Xiao still couldn¡¯t let her go.


    The two opened two more jars of wine and drank with each other while listening to the sound of rain.

 CH 14.2

    Chapter 14          Junior Sister (2/2)


    He Xiao was not what he was now when he was young. His father was only a minister in the Ministry of War at that time, and he disciplined him strictly, he had never drunk a drop of alcohol.


    Since when did he become like this?


    Every year during the Double Seven Festival*, He Xiao would express his intentions to An Yanxi, but every time he was rejected by the first eldest daughter of the An family, even his father scolded him for wishful thinking.


    (Double Seven Festival* ¨C a traditional Chinese folk festival also known as Chinese Valentine¡¯s Day)


    Finally, on the Double Seven Festival night a few years ago, he couldn¡¯t bear it, and he questioned An Yanxi, ¡°The risk in the army is extremely high. If Taizi dies in an unforeseen event, do you still want to wait for him? Is it worth it that you have waited for him for so many years?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s gone, I will not live alone.¡± An Yanxi looked calm, and seemed to take her words for granted. Although she did not have a marriage contract with Taizi and they hadn¡¯t even said a few words to each other, Taizi was her obsession.


    An Yanxi¡¯s elder brother, An Wenjing, was Taizi¡¯s study companion. Since she was a child, she had seen Taizi many times because of her elder brother¡¯s relationship. She admired him and adored him. Sooner or later, Taizi would marry a legitimate imperial concubine, a side imperial concubine, and a highest-ranking imperial concubine. She also had a high enough family background to enter the Eastern Palace. She only needed to make herself more outstanding, and just needed to wait.


    He Xiao also had his obsession. His obsession stemmed from a fall into the water when he was a child. At that time, he did not know how to swim. His father often pressed his head into the water to let him learn. He became more and more afraid of water, which made him the laughingstock among the young masters and young ladies of the noble families in the capital.


    It was also a rainy season, and it was also on a boat. Not knowing who had pushed him off the boat while he was not paying attention, he paddled weakly in the icy water, and he still remembered hearing the young masters and young ladies of the noble families on the boat laughing intermittently from the side of the boat. Xie Changyuan went into the water to rescue him, and when he was rescued onto the boat, the young masters and young ladies of the noble families were still laughing at him for being useless.


    It was An Yanxi who took off her cloak and draped it over him regardless of the boundaries between men and women. She turned around to face those young masters and young ladies who made fun of him, even though her voice was not high, she had a strong voice, ¡°No one is perfect, everyone has their strengths, but also has their weaknesses. Not everyone always sails with the wind, so when you encounter difficulties, at that time, do you also want others to stand by and watch? Do you also hope that others will sneer at you like this?¡±


    An Yanxi was born into a scholarly family, and normally she would speak with a great measure in front of the young masters and young ladies of the noble families.


    When she rescued He Xiao from his predicament that time, He Xiao already engraved her in his heart, year after year. But in the other person¡¯s heart, there was also another person engraved in it, another person that He Xiao might never be able to match in this life.


    After An Yanxi¡¯s repeated refusal, He Xiao left the Ministry of War and went to the Ministry of Finance to take up a casual position as a foreign officer. He indulged in drinking all day long, regardless of the world.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°The eldest young lady of An family may not necessarily enter Taizi Mansion. Taizi doesn¡¯t seem to have that interest. Maybe you still have a chance.¡± Xie Changyuan couldn¡¯t bear to look down on He Xiao¡¯s self-abandonment. It was not worth it to make himself so sloppy for a woman.


    Seeing that He Xiao was just drinking and didn¡¯t say anything, Xie Changyuan said again, ¡°But if you continue to waste time in the Ministry of Finance, it¡¯s hard to say where the flower will fall on. Even if Taizi doesn¡¯t have that interest, the Shizi of Duan Wang Mansion in Youzhou would have liked your white moonlight* back then.¡±


    (white moonlight* ¨C sweetheart, the unforgettable first love)


    He Xiao did not respond to his friend¡¯s statement, but he teased half-jokingly, ¡°Miss A Yan was given as a concubine for marriage. Do you still have any thoughts on Qin Yan?¡±


    ¡°Drink your wine!¡± Xie Changyuan raised his head to drink, covering the complexities in his eyes.


    There was rain and mist on the lake outside the boat, which was pulled by the wind continuously.


    The two people in the boat also had thousands of knots in their hearts, and the more they sorted it out, the more chaotic it became.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Taizi Mansion, the incense burner in the study was burning with agarwood, and Taizi Feng Zhan was reviewing the memorial.


    Song Zhi came in, ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Feng Zhan squeezed his eyebrows slightly, and his voice was slightly hoarse.


    ¡°At the birthday banquet of Princess of Changle that day, the fianc¨¦e of Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion said that she was a disciple of Master Yishan, and I went to Shizi Xie to verify it. Shizi Xie said that he really met Miss A Yan in Meishan, and that girl also took him to Master Yishan¡¯s Wanxue House. Shizi Xie said that there is an old plum tree in the courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Precisely that.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was a little tired.


    The Taizi Mansion was in the suburbs of the capital, and he needed to enter the palace for large or small court meetings. Even if the Left and Right Prime Ministers had already reviewed the memorial, there were still mountains of memorials, and it wasn¡¯t the way to go on like this.


    ¡°Your Highness, I remember that when you were in the Shuobei Army, Master Yishan wrote a letter to you. At that time, Your Highness was busy with official duties, and Master¡¯s letter was read to His Highness by this subordinate.¡± Song Zhi said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Feng Zhan looked at Song Zhi.


    ¡°Master Yishan said in the letter that he has a new female disciple, which was¡­¡± Song Zhi hesitated to say it.


    ¡°Say.¡± Feng Zhan was so busy that he didn¡¯t have time to rest at that time, and he didn¡¯t care what the Old Man from Yishan said in the letter, only vaguely remembering that it was an important thing.


    ¡°Master Yishan said that he accepted a junior sister for Your Highness. She was the crown princess he was looking for Your Highness¡­ But the Master did not reveal her name, which was very mysterious, only said that His Highness would be satisfied¡­¡± Song Zhi saw Taizi¡¯s complexion was getting darker and darker, but these things had to be said again, so as not to delay His Highness¡¯s affair.


    Feng Zhan was very helpless against this master, who messed up a happy couple.


    But if she was the Old Man¡¯s disciple, as a senior brother, he should also take care of her.


    ¡°Let the secret guard protect the woman¡¯s safety. If she encountered any problems, helped her according to the situation.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was a little tired.


    Song Zhi was surprised, His Highness agreed immediately? Were they going to have a taizifei*?


    (Taizifei* ¨C Crown Princess, legitimate wife of the Crown Prince)


    ¡°Send someone to stare at the people who come in and out of Princess of Zhaoren Mansion every day and report any changes without delay.¡± Feng Zhan said in his heart, Qin Yan, this woman had too many mysteries, so it was better to keep her under his nose.

 CH 15.1

    Chapter 15          On Fire (1/2)


    When Ji Nanfeng entered Qin Yan¡¯s study in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, he saw his master dressed in a moonlight Suzhou embroidered brocade, painting a fan in front of the sandalwood desk.


    Qin Yan¡¯s expression was indifferent, while Shen Ying, who was serving the brush and ink, had a bitter look on her face.


    Shen Ying raised her head to see the incoming person, and was ecstatic, ¡°Mister Ji, come quickly. Master thinks that the ink I ground is either too thick or too light¡­¡±


    Qin Yan had not been able to paint with interest many times. In the past, Ji Nanfeng used to accompany her. Shen Ying¡¯s hands that wielded weapons really couldn¡¯t do the chores of grinding ink.


    Ji Nanfeng stepped forward slowly, stopped by the desk, and took over the ink stick in Shen Ying¡¯s hand.


    The smell of ink on the hand was not as strong as the new ink, sometimes it was sticking to the brush, and sometimes it was runny. Its color was a simple glossy black, and its smell was like iris, which was the superior ancient Anhui ink commonly used by his master.


    There was a Plum Moon Duanxi inkstone on the table. It was blue and purple in color, the quality was as smooth as jade, and produced a deep sound when grinding. It was the famous inkstone of Laokeng.


    The incense of Tuwu was burning in the room. It was said that the incense was covered in the ground, and even the soil and rocks had an aroma.


    Their master was extremely picky about these refined things.


    Ji Nanfeng looked at Qin Yan who was concentrating on painting. The woman beside him had a delicate and perfect side face, her red lips were slightly pursed, and when her eyelashes fluttered, Ji Nanfeng¡¯s heart also moved with her.


    Ji Nanfeng closed his eyes slightly, calmed down the delusions he shouldn¡¯t have in his heart, and then opened his eyes again, forcing himself to focus on the desk and looking at the painting that was pressed by a white jade bergamot paperweight.


    The plain paper fan was filled with mist and clouds in the mountain forest. The brush, ink, and color used were light but not thin, sparse but precise, and exquisite without losing their roughness. Between the wet and dry shades, it was the best.


    Ji Nanfeng had seen Qin Yan¡¯s paintings, including beauties, monks, and traders. She had painted beautiful peonies, as well as misty clouds landscapes, and cool bamboo shades.


    Qin Yan¡¯s brushwork was remarkable, rich, thick, flexible, unpredictable, and unexpected. Between the great vulgarity and the great elegance, like sadness and joy, everything was blended well together.


    Just like her¡­


    When it was over, Qin Yan took out a purple brush with a black-painted golden scroll of grass pattern from the engraved agarwood brush holder. After dipping it in ink, she inscribed the word ¡°Drunken Mountain¡± on the lower right side of the fan. The writing was bold, not like a seventeen-year-old girl at all.


    Like the usual paintings, there were inscriptions, but no inscription with a name or seal.


    Qin Yan cleaned her hands with the basin held by Shen Ying and wiped them dry with a towel.


    ¡°Master, are the slats of the folding fan made of white jade, red sandalwood, or mottled bamboo?¡± Ji Nanfeng asked as these were the common fan slat materials used by Qin Yan to make fans.


    When Qin Yan was in high spirits, the paintings she made casually were all handled by Ji Nanfeng. Whether it would be mounted, made into a fan, or given to embroidered women as a pattern to make clothes and fragrance sachets.


    Qin Yan took the teacup that Ji Nanfeng handed over, and smelled the fragrance of the tea. Several pieces of green tea floating in the white porcelain cup expanded out. She took a sip, and the tip of her tongue filled with a delicate fragrance, which was a good tea.


    ¡°It¡¯s about to enter the summer, the bamboo fan slat is soft and elegant. Let¡¯s just use mottled bamboo.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s tone was relaxed.


    Seeing that Qin Yan was quite satisfied after drinking the tea, Ji Nanfeng said, ¡°This is Yunhai Pekoe*. The new tea has been in storage for more than a month. It won¡¯t be too cold, so it is suitable for Master to drink.¡±


    (Yunhai Pekoe* ¨C a type of green tea)


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Mister Ji came to deliver tea in person?¡± Qin Yan looked at Ji Nanfeng.


    ¡°The matter for the trading establishment¡¯s entry into the capital has been arranged, and Wen Luo¡¯s Wen trading establishment is also being arranged in an orderly manner. In the next few days, we can get to work.¡± Ji Nanfeng replied.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Yan was not very interested in Song Mei¡¯s affairs. Compared with the incidents she had handled over the years, Song Mei¡¯s affairs were not important, and they weren¡¯t worth her keeping in mind. She was just avenging the injustices against her mother.


    ¡°How is Jiang Mu lately?¡± Qin Yan suddenly thought of Young Master Jiang who was taken to the Imperial Academy by her.


    Ji Nanfeng explained Jiang Mu¡¯s situation, ¡°Young Master Jiang has been in the Imperial Academy for seven days and being assigned to an outer class. He can return to the mansion and go to school every day.¡±


    ¡°There are six halls in Imperial Academy, and the six halls are divided into high and low. According to the school rules, those who have mastered the ¡°Four Books¡± but have not mastered the scriptures will be in Zhengyi, Chongzhi, and Guangye Hall. Those who have been literate for more than a year and a half will be promoted to Taoism and Chengxin Hall. Those who are versed in both scriptures and history and who are excellent in literature were promoted to Shuaixing Hall.


    ¡°It¡¯s reasonable to say that as a privileged student, Young Master Jiang¡¯s foundation is not very good, and he should be admitted to the Zhengyi, Chongzhi, or Guangye Halls, and at most the Taoism and Chengxin Hall. However, the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy arranged for Young Master Jiang to directly enter the Shuaixing Hall, which may be the meaning of the one in the palace.¡±


    ¡°However, the young master has been studying for several years with the tutor hired a few years ago, and he can still keep up with his homework.¡±


    ¡°However, according to the report from the secret guard, since the first day he entered the Imperial Academy, Young Master Jiang will encounter a little trouble every day when he goes to school and when he leaves school.¡± Ji Nanfeng looked at Qin Yan, hesitating whether he needed to say what happened next. His master didn¡¯t seem to be very interested in the people and affairs of the Qin Mansion.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Qin Yan looked indifferent, ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    With Qin Yan¡¯s instruction, Ji Nanfeng continued, ¡°The son of Prime Minister Qin, Qin Ming, brings a group of small followers to provoke Young Master Jiang every day when he arrives and leaves school. They just talked provocatively, neither of the two sides did anything, and there was no major conflict.¡±


    Oh, Qin Yan smiled, and just took it as children goofing around and didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the northeast corner of the Imperial City, two buildings stood opposite each other. On the left was the Confucius Temple, which worshiped Confucius, and on the right was the Imperial Academy, the highest institution of official studies. The courtyard was paved with green bricks, shaded by evergreen pines and cypresses, and interspersed with white marble columns and railings, which looked solemn and awe-inspiring.


    Since entering the Imperial Academy, Jiang Mu had only listened to lectures and did his homework every day. Because of Jiang Mu¡¯s special status, it was not easy for other students to get close to Jiang Mu. So, Jiang Mu was always alone.


    After school that day, Jiang Mu was walking alone toward the main gate of the academy. Not surprisingly, he was blocked by a group of little kids again.


    Jiang Mu was very irritable. Twice a day, early in the morning and in the evening, the other party just blocked him, and provoked him with words, but did not do anything. Jiang Mu was holding back his belly full of anger and couldn¡¯t let it out.


    Among the little kids in Jiang Mu¡¯s eyes was the leader, Qin Ming, the son of the Right Prime Minister.


    Qin Ming became angry when he saw Jiang Mu. He was Qin Yan¡¯s proper younger brother, but he hadn¡¯t even met her yet. He went to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion several times, but he was stopped outside, and his father and mother didn¡¯t allow him to see his eldest sister.


    While the kid on the opposite side was just the so-called adopted brother by his eldest sister. The eldest sister also asked the imperial family for a place to send him to the Imperial Academy, and the kid was also arranged in the best Shuaixing Hall. Qin Ming¡¯s father was the Right Prime Minister, and he could only be in the next-level Chengxin Hall. This made Qin Ming even more unconvinced. Qin Yan was his own eldest sister, so what did this kid think he was?!


    ¡°Kid, tell me, why did you become my eldest sister¡¯s adopted brother? Why do you deserve my eldest sister¡¯s attention?¡± Qin Ming took the trouble to ask the questions that he had been asking every day for the past few days.


    Jiang Mu still ignored the idiot opposite, and just stood there idly. He knew that in just a cup of tea time, the supervisor of the Imperial Academy would patrol this road, and he would be able to escape. If Qin Yan hadn¡¯t told him not to cause trouble, he really wanted to beat up these kids. It was really a waste of his time.


    ¡°Oh, the kid of the Qin family is bullying Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s younger brother again!¡± It was the second son of the Left Prime Minister, Wang Jingyu, who was the same age as Jiang Mu and was also enrolled in the Imperial Academy.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Wang Jingyu was also followed by a group of followers, and everyone laughed.


    In the past few days, whenever Qin Ming brought people to block Jiang Mu, Young Master Wang of the Left Prime Minister would bring people over to say some sarcastic words.


    Wang Jingyu was born to the first wife of the Left Prime Minister. In addition to his mother, his father¡¯s rear courtyard had several concubines. Those concubines also had some concubine-born children. His mother had suffered at the hands of concubines and those concubine-born children in the mansion. Therefore, he hated the identity of those born by concubines extremely and even looked down on Qin Ming, the precious concubine-born of the Right Prime Minister.


    Wang Jingyu and Qin Ming had conflicts in the academy from time to time, and it was not uncommon for them to fight. They were often caught by the supervisor and brought to the Shengqian Hall.

 CH 15.2

    Chapter 15          On Fire (2/2)


    The Shengqian Hall was the office of the supervisor of the Imperial Academy. There was a desk in the hall, two red stools were specially arranged, and two workers were on duty. The Shengqian Hall was in charge of the school rules, and the supervisor could punish the students directly if they violated the rules. If the violations were more serious, the violators would be pressed on the red stool and beaten with a bamboo stick.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Go away, Dandy Wang!¡± Qin Hao also disliked the dandyish style of the second son of the Left Prime Minister. The Left Prime Minister sent this fellow to Imperial Academy in vain. This fellow didn¡¯t look like a scholar at all, but a standard dandy of the second generation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that interested in meddling with you, the concubine-born of Prime Minister Qin. I¡¯m here to find Young Master Jiang.¡± Wang Jingyu had always used Qin Ming¡¯s concubine-born status to stab a knife into his heart. This move had never failed.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Qin Ming was about to rush toward Wang Jingyu but was held tightly by a group of boys behind him.


    ¡°Young Master Qin, the supervisor is coming over at this time. Let¡¯s not get agitated and started fighting as it¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    Wang Jingyu laughed wickedly. He was not as timid as the kid of the Qin family, and the kid knew that he was a concubine-born without self-confidence, hehe.


    Wang Jingyu turned to look at Jiang Mu and said with a smile, ¡°Young Master Jiang, you and I are the same age. How about being brothers with different surnames? Although I don¡¯t know anything, I think I¡¯m still a righteous person, and I can be considered popular in the capital. With my cover, how can there be anyone who dares to harass you? Don¡¯t always have a cold face, why don¡¯t you think about it again?¡±


    This little dandy from the Left Prime Minister Mansion also said the same thing every day. The two sons of the Left and Right Prime Minister regarded Jiang Mu as a tool, and the two of them set up a challenging arena there.


    ¡°What are you doing? Go home after school. Do you want to be beaten? His Highness Taizi will come to the Imperial Academy in person tomorrow to attend the Linyong Ceremony and there are still many things to prepare in the school, so don¡¯t cause me trouble.¡± The supervisor of Imperial Academy, who was in charge of the school rules, always had a stern face and held a cane in his hand.


    This group of kids instantly dispersed.


    The supervisor was sometimes very powerless in managing these students. With his identity, he couldn¡¯t offend the sons of high-ranking officials, and he rarely genuinely beat them. He just felt sorry for some poor and outstanding scholars, who didn¡¯t study well and stood in line behind the children of these noble families to make trouble. They tried to please these sons of noble families to take shortcuts to the court, but little did they know that once they took these crooked ways, sooner or later something bad would happen.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Emperor¡¯s Linyong Ceremony was based on respecting teachers and respecting the Tao as the foundation of education. From time to time, the Emperor would personally come to the Confucius Temple in Imperial Academy to worship Confucius, and after the sacrificial ceremony was completed, he would go to the Yilun Hall of the Imperial Academy to listen to the teaching of the scriptures. It should have been the Emperor of Hui who came to offer the sacrifice, but in recent years, with the Emperor of Hui claiming ill, and Taizi supervising the country, it became Taizi¡¯s turn who presided over it.


    Taizi Feng Zhan had fasted for a day in the Taizi Mansion in Xishan. The entourage officials that followed Taizi were civil officials above the third rank, military officials above the second rank, and officials of the Imperial Hanlin Academy above the seventh rank who had all fasted at home for a day.


    The next day, six quarters before sunrise, the ministers of Taichang Temple went to the Taizi Mansion in Xishan to invite His Highness Taizi to leave the mansion. Taizi Feng Zhan, dressed in sacrificial clothes, left the mansion in a carriage.


    After entering the city, and passing through the Meridian Gate, the bells and drums rang in unison, and the civil and military officials who didn¡¯t accompany the worship stood at the side in court uniforms and kneeled to send His Highness Taizi off.


    The Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy, including the education officers and officials of the Imperial Academy, who were all wearing court clothing, and all the students knelt on the left side of the outer street of the Imperial Academy to welcome His Highness Taizi. The nobles and officials accompanying the sacrifice entered the Confucius Temple with Taizi.


    The day before Linyong, the Ministry of Works had set up a large tent dedicated to the Taizi at the Confucius Temple in advance. Taizi went to the tent to change his clothes and ascended the hall to worship Confucius.


    ¡ª¡ª


    All the students in Imperial Academy were supposed to go to the Confucius Temple to worship, but no one noticed that a few people were missing.


    When Qin Ming arrived at the Imperial Academy this morning, he suddenly had a stomachache. After using the toilet in the thatched hut, he was on his way to the Confucius Temple alone. When he passed in front of the Chongwen Pavilion, the library building, he was beaten brutally with a sack over his head. He suffered because there were almost no supervisors left behind and there was no way to ask for help. Later, his hands and feet were tied up, his mouth was gagged, and he was still covered with a sack. After being knocked unconscious, he was dragged into Chongwen Pavilion.


    And Jiang Mu was stopped by a tribute student, saying that the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy asked Jiang Mu to go to Chongwen Pavilion to get the ¡°Agricultural Book¡± and Taizi would use it when he went to Imperial Academy to listen to the scriptures after worshiping Confucius. Jiang Mu was skeptical about this, but he was recommended to the Imperial Academy in the name of His Highness Taizi. Considering that in case Taizi really wanted to read the book, Jiang Mu still went to Chongwen Pavilion.


    After Jiang Mu entered Chongwen Pavilion, he searched for the book he needed in the vast volume of books. Suddenly, there was a creaking sound, and the door of the library was closed from the outside, followed by a click of a lock. Jiang Mu narrowed his eyes and rushed to the door, but the door was locked, and the door seemed to be blocked by a wooden board outside.


    At this moment, a burning smell came over, and Jiang Mu turned his head to see flames starting to ignite in the corner of the library. There seemed to be pitch-black kerosene on the bookshelves and the floor on that side, and the blaze spread at a very fast speed.


    The books in the library were flammable, and the fire was not easy to extinguish. Jiang Mu violently kicked the door twice, but he still couldn¡¯t open it. At this time, the thick smoke had spread in the library. Jiang Mu covered his mouth and nose with his cuffs. He treaded all the way around the library, but there was nothing weak enough that he could break the door with his bare hands.


    At this time, Jiang Mu saw a hapless man covered in a sack in the corner of the other end. Jiang Mu opened the sack on the man¡¯s head and saw that it was Qin Ming who was unconscious. Jiang Mu slapped him in the face and Qin Ming woke up gradually.


    ¡°You hit me, cough cough¡­¡± The fire rushed through the bookshelf, and the smoke became smokier and smokier.


    Jiang Mu tore open the ropes that tied Qin Ming¡¯s hands and feet, and said anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s on fire. We have to find a way to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°What, cough cough¡­¡± Qin Ming was already dizzy from being beaten, but now he was frightened, and the thick smoke suffocated his nose. He felt that he was going to faint again.


    Jiang Mu was not much better. At this moment, thick smoke was billowing in the library, and the smoke made him dizzy. Jiang Mu sighed in his heart. Jiang Mu lamented in his heart that his revenge had not been avenged, could it be he was going to die here?


    At this moment, the door of the library was knocked open by force, and two masked men in black rushed in. The two were dressed in similar clothes, only the details were slightly different.


    After entering the building, the two searched on both sides as if they had a tacit understanding and saw Jiang Mu and Qin Ming at about the same time. The two masked men dragged the two fainted boys who were choked by the smoke and collapsed to the ground out of the library. They dropped them in the open space outside the Chongwen Pavilion. The two men in black jumped onto the roof and disappeared separately.


    Because most of the people went to the Confucius Temple, no one put out the fire. The fire in the library of the Imperial Academy was getting bigger and bigger.


    When the people worshipping at the Confucius Temple saw the thick smoke billowing from the Imperial Academy, they felt it was bad because there was a fire.


    Taizi ordered the Supervisor of the Imperial Academy to immediately gather people to put out the fire, so he hastily ended the sacrificial ceremony and waited in the big tent.


    By the time everyone put out the fire in Chongwen Pavilion, the building had been burnt down, but the building next to it was safe.


    Destroying the building was a small thing, but the collection of books inside made the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy very distressed. There were many unique and rare books in it, which was really a heavy loss.


    But it wasn¡¯t this that shocked him the most. Although there were no casualties this time, the son of the Right Prime Minister was tied up, knocked unconscious, and sent to the library and Young Master Shao of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion was also trapped there. They nearly died. Since it was a murder case, it was not something he could handle.


    After Jiang Mu and Qin Ming were respectively placed in the Chief Officer¡¯s office and the Education Officer¡¯s office, the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy asked his deputy, the Education Officer, to immediately go to the Imperial Hospital to ask for an imperial doctor. He sent someone to notify the Princess of Zhaoren and then this Chief Officer immediately returned to the Confucius Temple.


    When reporting the matter to His Highness Taizi, the Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng heard that his precious son Qin Ming almost died on the spot, almost fainted, and immediately rushed to the Imperial Academy to see Qin Ming.


    The Left Prime Minister asked unhurriedly, ¡°Today, all the students should worship at the Confucius Temple. Why are these two people in the library alone?¡±


    The supervisor told the Chief Officer before that Qin Ming would take people to block Jiang Mu during these days. The Chief Officer didn¡¯t dare to hide, so he said it at this time.


    The Left Prime Minister asked, ¡°Is this accident caused by the two¡¯s personal grudge?¡±


    The Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t dare to speculate on this matter, and he was still distressed by his collection of books.


    Taizi Feng Zhan lightly buckled the armrest of the chair and said solemnly, ¡°This case involves two young masters from the Right Prime Minister Mansion and the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, who almost lost their lives. I order the Capital Magistrate to investigate strictly.¡±

 CH 16.1

    Chapter 16          Trial (1/2)


    After the worship at the Confucian Temple, Taizi was supposed to go to the Imperial Academy to listen to the scriptures. But when this happened, the whole Imperial Academy was in chaos, and the lecture was stopped. Taizi and all the officials went to the office of the Capital Magistrate.


    Fortunately, Qin Yan and Feng Zhan both sent secret guards to follow Jiang Mu, so nothing major happened. The two masked black-clothed secret guards knew each other¡¯s existence, but they didn¡¯t show up normally, just hiding in the dark.


    When Jiang Mu entered Chongwen Pavilion today, the secret guards didn¡¯t care, until they saw someone locked the door and smoke was gradually coming out of the library. Only then did the two know something was wrong. They immediately broke into the door and rescued Jiang Mu and Qin Ming, but fortunately, the two young masters were all right.


    In the Taizi Mansion at Xishan, the secret guard that was sent to follow Jiang Mu told Taizi Feng Zhan about today¡¯s situation.


    ¡°Can you see who locked the door?¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously as it was not surprising with Jiang Mu¡¯s identity. If someone deliberately conspired to murder, this matter was not just a private grudge between the two boys.


    ¡°This subordinate has been with Young Master Jiang for a few days, and I have seen that person. It is Song Liang, a tribute student from the Imperial Academy, and he often follows Wang Jingyu, the second young master of the Left Prime Minister Mansion.¡±


    ¡°Left Prime Minister Mansion?¡± Feng Zhan frowned, ¡°Song Zhi, inform this matter to the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy.¡±


    ¡°This subordinate takes the order.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    At the same time, the Imperial Academy also received the information separately from His Highness Taizi and Princess of Zhaoren that in the fire case, Song Liang, a tribute student of the Imperial Academy, locked the door after Jiang Mu entered the library in the Chongwen Pavilion. His Highness Taizi and Princess of Zhaoren suspected that someone deliberately set fire and intended to kill the two young masters.


    The person who came said that the secret guard saw it with his own eyes, and the Chief Officer had no doubt that he was there, and he was about to report the situation to the Capital Magistrate.


    When the Capital Magistrate received this case, he was already under pressure. This case involved the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion and Prime Minister Qin Mansion. Prime Minister Qin insisted that Young Master Jiang took revenge against his son and wanted to kill his son. He wanted to take Young Master Jiang for questioning. But Young Master Jiang was the young master of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, and the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion was also the first eldest daughter of Prime Minister Qin. This relationship disturbed him, and he was mentally and physically exhausted.


    Moreover, Young Master Jiang and the son of Prime Minister Qin had both returned to their mansion to recuperate. There were no witnesses at the scene of the fire case today. Whether it was a trial or an investigation, he didn¡¯t know where to start.


    This job of the Capital Magistrate was really not something ordinary people could do. Since he took office, the cases he had encountered so far involved noble families, high-ranking officials, and sometimes several influential clans in the capital at the same time. He was often powerless to deal with it, and he just wanted to quickly pass this term smoothly. Even if he was transferred to the local prefecture, it was better than suffering in this position.


    On this side, the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy came to inform them that someone set the fire, and the suspect was Song Liang, the tribute student of the Imperial Academy, who often hung around the second son of the Left Prime Minister. The hairs on his back stood up instantly.


    This case involved both the Left and Right Prime Minister Mansion, and the former celebrity Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, which almost resulted in someone¡¯s death. This was not a case that the Capital Magistrate could handle. He immediately decided that the case should be reported to the Imperial Court of Judicial Review.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review received this case, he secretly scolded the Capital Magistrate, was this case something that ordinary people could handle? He, the Capital Magistrate, threw this hot potato out but made him take over that big trouble. He only hoped that Song Liang, the tribute student, had done it himself, and didn¡¯t implicate others.


    But things didn¡¯t go in the direction the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review expected. They brought Song Liang, a tribute student from the Imperial Academy, and said that His Highness Taizi and Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s secret guards both saw Song Liang lock the door with their own eyes after Jiang Mu entered the Chongwen Pavilion and there was a fire inside.


    Song Liang originally thought that during the worshiping at the Confucius Temple, there was almost no one in the Imperial Academy, and no one would know what he did. When Jiang Mu died, there was no one to prove it and he could get out cleanly.


    But he never thought that he was watched by the secret guards of both His Highness Taizi and Princess of Zhaoren. He secretly cursed that they were really abnormal. What was there in a place like Imperial Academy was worth sending two secret guards to watch attentively?


    Song Liang knew that this matter couldn¡¯t be denied. Besides, Jiang Mu was still alive. As soon as he was asked, they knew that he had lied to Jiang Mu to go to Chongwen Pavilion, so he simply admitted it.


    But this was not the end, it was not just a simple question. After Song Liang confessed his guilt, he said that he was not the mastermind, but an accomplice. Before the severe punishment was declared, he immediately admitted that Wang Jingyu, the second son of the Left Prime Minister ordered him to do it.


    Hearing this, the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review¡¯s head buzzed. He was really afraid of what was coming.


    The Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review immediately wanted to report the case to His Highness Taizi, who supervised the country, but on second thought, His Highness Taizi was at the scene today, and His Highness Taizi asked the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy to report the Capital Magistrate, which was to ask them to openly investigate the case. He couldn¡¯t throw the case back to the Taizi again to make His Highness Taizi unhappy. Then¡­ he could only enter the palace to report to the Emperor.


    Emperor of Hui didn¡¯t care much after he finished hearing the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review reporting the case. Since no one was killed, it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but it was indeed a little troublesome since it involved two Prime Minister Mansions and also the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion. The Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng insisted on Jiang Mu again, as if he would never give up. This was understandable as Prime Minister Qin had always regarded his precious son as the lifeblood, and he must have an explanation.


    This matter was neither big nor small, and if it was not handled properly, it might even involve the court situation.


    Emperor of Hui decided that the case should be reviewed jointly by three divisions, but the presiding judge had better be an imperial family member, which became a difficult task. It was reasonable and fair that Taizi should preside over the trial, but since it involved the Left Prime Minister Mansion, it would be inappropriate because the Left Prime Minister was Taizi¡¯s uncle.


    If the Second Prince Feng Xian was allowed to preside over the trial, the Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng was also the Second Prince Feng Xian¡¯s uncle.


    And Duan Wang Mansion was far away in Youzhou, so it seemed that there was only Changyuan.


    When the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review heard this decision of the Emperor of Hui, he was stunned and shocked on the spot.


    Was Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion presiding over the trial? Did His Majesty think this is not messy enough?


    Shizi Xie was the ex-fianc¨¦ of Princess of Zhaoren, and he broke his marriage contract some time ago. The Right Prime Minister was almost Shizi Xie¡¯s father-in-law, and the son of Prime Minister Qin was almost Shizi Xie¡¯s brother-in-law. Shouldn¡¯t this be avoided to arouse suspicion?


    But as long as this troublesome matter was thrown out. The Chief Justice of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and withdrew from the imperial study.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the study room of Shizi Xie Changyuan in Marquis of Yongding Mansion, the atmosphere was a little dense. Just now, news came from the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, saying that the Emperor wanted the fire case of the Imperial Academy to be reviewed jointly by three divisions and Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion would be the presiding judge.


    Xie Changyuan hadn¡¯t said a word since receiving the news, just lowered his eyes and rubbed the white-glazed blue flower brush rack in his hands.


    Li Zhong frowned deeply and said worriedly, ¡°Shizi, if you can¡¯t explain this case to the Right Prime Minister, you will offend the Right Prime Minister Mansion. If it is found out that it is related to the second son of the Left Prime Minister, you will offend the Left Prime Minister Mansion. And if it is found out that it is really Young Master Jiang of Princess of Zhaoren, then you will also offend Princess of Zhaoren Mansion. The presiding judge of this case is not pleasing anyway, it¡¯s really a difficult task.¡±


    Xie Changyuan sighed, yes ah. If it were really Jiang Mu, he would offend the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, then he and Qin Yan¡­

 CH 16.2

    Chapter 16          Trial (2/2)


    Two days later, the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Censor Bureau, together with the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, held a three-division trial on the fire case at the Imperial Academy, and Xie Changyuan, Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, and the Commander of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army presided over the trial.


    Qin Ming, the son of the Right Prime Minister, had bandages wrapped around his arms and legs and was carried into the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, accompanied by the Right Prime Minister, Qin Wenzheng. The second son of the Left Prime Minister, Wang Jingyu, was accompanied by the Left Prime Minister to await trial. Jiang Mu was accompanied by Shen Huai from the Duke of Zhenguo.


    Originally, Xie Changyuan was worried that he would face Qin Yan today, but when he saw that Qin Yan didn¡¯t show up, there was a hint of disappointment in his heart.


    They originally thought that the trial of this case would be a bit complicated, but they never thought that Song Liang, the tribute student, would confess his guilt very quickly. Because His Highness Taizi and Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s secret guards had separately identified him, Song Liang did not even make sophistry or deny it.


    Song Liang admitted that on the day of the Linyong Ceremony, it was indeed he who beat Qin Ming in a sack and threw him into the Chongwen Pavilion. Later, he tricked Jiang Mu into the library and locked the door because he wanted to frame Jiang Mu. But he denied setting the fire, saying that perhaps it was the candlestick that Jiang Mu accidentally knocked over.


    Song Liang immediately testified that Wang Jingyu, the second son of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, instructed him to do so.


    There was a commotion at the scene, and the case was troublesome.


    And Wang Jingyu of the Left Prime Minister Mansion pleaded guilty very quickly, and he admitted on the spot that he had instructed Song Liang.


    The crowd was in an uproar. Whether it was the mastermind or the accomplice, they had never seen such a speedy confession.


    The Left Prime Minister scolded Wang Jingyu angrily at the scene, saying that the children were talking nonsense. He was stopped by the people from the Northern Yamen Imperial Army brought by Xie Changyuan to prevent him from disturbing the court.


    Wang Jingyu spoke loudly, ¡°My action is open and honest. I admit that I have been disgusted with Qin Ming for a long time. Imperial Academy only accepts children of imperial clans, relatives of the third rank, meritorious officials, and officials above the third rank. Moreover, the officials above the third rank can only be privileged students. He, Qin Ming, is a concubine-born and is not worthy of studying with us, which lowers my status. I wanted to teach this kid a lesson, so I found someone to beat him up.¡±


    The whole audience was shocked that the second son of the Left Prime Minister was so arrogant. Although Qin Ming was the concubine-born son of the Right Prime Minister, he was also the son of the Right Prime Minister Mansion and also the only son of the Right Prime Minister. This Young Master Wang openly admitted that he wanted to beat him up.


    Wang Jingyu ignored everyone¡¯s whispers and continued, ¡°I have repeatedly shown my goodwill to Jiang Mu from the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, but the other party always aloft and never gives me a face, so I framed Jiang Mu because I wanted to teach him a lesson.¡±


    Wang Jingyu denied that he let people set fire after the door was locked and denied harming the lives of the two people. He said that he only admitted what he had done, and with his background, he could act arrogantly and domineeringly, but he was not so insidious.


    These remarks shocked everyone at the scene. The son of the Left Prime Minister was really arrogant and unrestrained and only this famous dandy in the capital could say these words.


    The Left Prime Minister covered his face with one hand, he wished he didn¡¯t have this son. He really lost all his face.


    At this time, Jiang Mu¡¯s words brought the case to a climax again. He said that he saw kerosene on the floor and bookshelf in Chongwen Pavilion that day, and he suspected that someone deliberately set the fire.


    Song Liang and Wang Jingyu denied it again. At the moment when the punishment equipment was pulled to the two, Wang Jingyu gritted his teeth and turned his head, looking like a righteous sacrifice. But Song Liang was finished, he was just a scholar with little power, and he couldn¡¯t stand a severe punishment.


    Song Liang wept bitterly and confessed on the spot.


    ¡°Among the tribute students of the Imperial Academy, the annual tribute will select one person every year from the government school, two persons every three years from the prefectural school, and one person every two years from the county school. The system will select outstanding students every six years, two from the government school, one from the prefectural school, and one from the county school. An excellent tribute student will be selected every three years and one could be selected from an average of 600 or 700 people.¡±


    ¡°We, the tribute students, have been studying hard for ten years and have gone to great lengths to enter the Imperial Academy, but the children of these officials, relying on the background of their ancestors, can easily get the places we dream of without breaking a sweat. It¡¯s unfair! Unfair!¡±


    The more Song Liang explained, the angrier he became. He struggled to get up but was held down by the Northern Yamen Imperial Army.


    ¡°For what reason? Qin Ming is just a concubine-born, and Jiang Mu is just the righteous brother adopted by the Princess of Zhaoren. For what reason? How can they? I want them to die, I want them to die¡­¡±


    Because Song Liang was too emotional, he was knocked unconscious by the Northern Yamen Imperial Army, and everyone became silent.


    Song Liang was disheartened after being splashed with cold water and made a confession. It was Wang Jingyu, the second son of the Left Prime Minister, who instructed to beat Qin Ming and then put the blame on Jiang Mu. Song Liang was good at making suggestions when he did this, locked the two in Chongwen Pavilion, and set them on fire.


    After the case was closed, the tribute student, Song Liang, was convicted of attempted murder and was expelled from Imperial Academy. He was exiled to Shuobei for ten years of border repairs, naturalized as a lowly citizen, and never able to enter the officialdom.


    The second son of the Left Prime Minister, Wang Jingyu, instructed the beating and framed others. He would stay behind the closed door in the mansion for three months and was banned from taking exams for two years.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After that, the Left Prime Minister compensated Qin Ming, the son of the Right Prime Minister, with ten thousand taels of silver for injury medicine, and the Imperial Academy with twenty thousand teals of silver.


    Princess of Zhaoren sent Shen Huai to apologize to the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy, saying that this matter was also related to Young Master Jiang of their mansion, and Princess of Zhaoren Mansion donated twenty thousand taels of silver to Imperial Academy.


    When the Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng heard that Qin Yan had donated money to Imperial Academy, he was so angry that his heart was dripping with blood.


    The Left Prime Minister¡¯s son was the initiator of this case, and it was reasonable to compensate the Imperial Academy. But Qin Yan joined in the fun and was so generous. This was to roast his Right Prime Minister Mansion on fire.


    According to Qin Yan¡¯s statement, the matter this time was also related to Qin Ming, the Left Prime Minister compensated, Qin Yan donated money, and the Right Prime Minister could not sit still.


    His son was beaten and almost died, and he had to donate money! The ten thousand taels of silver sent by the Left Prime Minister in his pocket were not warm yet, but he had to add another ten thousand taels to send out.


    Qin Wenzheng gritted his teeth, but still asked Zhang Quan, the housekeeper, to go to the Imperial Academy with twenty thousand taels of silver. Zhang Quan also used Shen Huai¡¯s words, on behalf of Prime Minister Qin, he apologized to the Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy.


    The Chief Officer of the Imperial Academy was still distressed about his collection of books. Some books could be re-purchased, but those unique and rare books were his heart and soul, which was enough to make him sad for several years.


    The compensation from the Left Prime Minister Mansion and the donations from the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion and the Right Prime Minister Mansion eased a little of his depression. After all, the three young masters of the mansion still needed to go to school in his Imperial Academy, and they were quite decent.


    But what a scholar treasured most was the library, and he still suffered in his heart¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Wenzheng was sitting alone in the ancestral hall for a few hours. His mind was full of the day when the fire case at the Imperial Academy was jointly reviewed by three divisions. The second son of the first wife of the Left Prime Minister and that tribute student, Song Liang, repeatedly mentioned that Ming¡¯er was a concubine-born and the contempt in their words poked his heart.


    He went to great lengths to send Ming¡¯er to Imperial Academy, hoping that he would go to school and honor his ancestors. But he didn¡¯t know that the humiliation Ming¡¯er usually suffered in school had reached such a level.


    A few days ago, he had already sent a letter to invite the clan leader and the clan elders to come to the capital, intending to raise Song Mei as his equal wife, and his Ming¡¯er would naturally be called his legitimate son.


    But at that time, he was concerned that Qin Yan, who had been conferred the Princess, was a celebrity in front of the Emperor. He was worried that he would lose His Majesty¡¯s trust if he didn¡¯t handle this matter properly at that moment, so he put the matter on hold.


    He had been an official for many years, and he had always been wise to protect himself. He had never tried testing on the edge of danger.


    But now, the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion had adopted an attitude of drawing a clear line with him. In Qin Ming¡¯s accident this time, Qin Yan not only didn¡¯t care about her younger brother Qin Ming, but from the beginning to the end, she only protected that annoying Jiang Mu. She also didn¡¯t discuss the donation matter with her father. If he handled it improperly, Qin Ming¡¯s life in Imperial Academy would be even more difficult.


    Qin Yan, this daughter, didn¡¯t take his father seriously, then she couldn¡¯t blame him.


    Now that he had no way out, Ming¡¯er¡¯s identity must be resolved.


    Qin Wenzheng exhaled a turbid breath and finally made up his mind. He immediately asked Zhang Quan, the housekeeper, to invite the clan elders to the capital again, and put Song Mei as the equal wife on the agenda.

 CH 17.1

    Chapter 17          Equal Wife (1/2)


    While Qin Wenzheng was waiting for the clan elders to arrive in the capital, what awaited him was the second son of the Left Prime Minister, Wang Jingyu, who was supposed to be confined in his mansion.


    Wang Jingyu stood outside the gate of Prime Minister Qin Mansion with a bundle of sticks on his back, saying that he wanted to see Qin Ming.


    After the housekeeper Zhang Quan told Prime Minister Qin, Prime Minister Qin was furious as his son, Ming¡¯er, was still recuperating on his bed. The younger son of the Left Prime Minister, who didn¡¯t confine properly, went out again and even came to Prime Minister Qin Mansion to disgust people.


    Prime Minister Qin roared, ¡°Tell him to get out of here!¡±


    Zhang Quan was just a housekeeper, how dare he really tell the young master of the Left Prime Minister to go out, but he went out of the mansion again and patiently persuaded the Young Master Wang to return to his mansion.


    But Wang Jingyu stubbornly refused to leave. Today, he sneaked out while the guards were changing shifts, and he even sprained his foot when he climbed over the wall. Today, he couldn¡¯t stop until he achieved his goal, and he insisted on waiting for Qin Ming to come out.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Ming was recuperating in his room while eating lychees from Lingnan. He had no idea that his sworn enemy Wang Jingyu was waiting for him outside the mansion.


    What he didn¡¯t know could be regarded as an unexpected joy. These days of recuperation were the most pleasant days for Qin Ming. His father had been particularly kind to him these days. He often came to visit him, but he was not as stern as before. He could see that his father¡¯s eyes were full of guilt and concern.


    As for his mother, she was always overjoyed when she came to see him recently. Obviously, he experienced this dangerous situation, and the joy in his mother¡¯s eyes initially puzzled him. He almost doubted whether he was his mother¡¯s own son. Only later did he learn that his father wanted to raise his mother as an equal wife, and his mother should be happy about it. After all, she had waited for more than ten years.


    His second sister, who shared the same mother as him, also often came to see him with new clothes and boots made for him. According to his second sister, Qin Ming¡¯s life-and-death experience made their father make up his mind to raise their mother¡¯s status. They, sister and brother, also followed the rising tide, and they were about to become the legitimate son and daughter of Prime Minister Qin Mansion.


    In this regard, Qin Ming was not too happy. He was just faintly looking forward to it, would his eldest sister in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion come to see him?


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Prime Minister Qin was leaving the mansion, he was furious to see the second son of the Left Prime Minister was still standing there.


    Seeing Prime Minister Qin coming out, Wang Jingyu spoke loudly, ¡°Prime Minister Qin, I want to see Qin Ming.¡±


    ¡°Get out of here!¡± Qin Wenzheng roared, his chest hurt, and he coughed violently. Zhang Quan stepped forward in two steps, supported Prime Minister Qin who bent over to cough, and patted his back.


    ¡°Prime Minister Qin, since Qin Ming can¡¯t come out, it¡¯s the same for me to tell you. Although this young master is a dandy, I¡¯m also a dandy who behaves neatly. This time it¡¯s indeed my misbehavior. Although my original intention was not the case, I did almost kill Qin Ming. I¡¯m here to apologize to Qin Ming. Next time, I will make an appointment to fight with Qin Ming fairly and honestly, and I won¡¯t commit crimes behind his back. I promise you this.¡±


    After speaking, Wang Jingyu took out the bundle of sticks from his back, raised both hands, took two steps forward, and wanted to hand the sticks in his hand to Prime Minister Qin.


    Prime Minister Qin pressed his chest with one hand, short of breath, and said angrily, ¡°Get out of here!¡±


    ¡°My apology, you have to accept it even if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Wang Jingyu lifted the hem of his clothes, revealing the plain white trouser inside, raised the sticks with his right hand, and whipped it towards his calf.


    One, two, three¡­ a full ten whips.


    Every time he was whipped, the sound from the whip to the flesh was clearly audible. Apparently, the second son of the Left Prime Minister was not soft on himself.


    ¡°Please tell Qin Ming that I apologized to him.¡±


    After finishing speaking, Wang Jingyu grimaced in pain, and limped toward the carriage with the help of the servant from the Left Prime Minister Mansion and left.


    Prime Minister Qin didn¡¯t know how he should feel. Ming¡¯er was beaten so badly and walked through the gate of death. It was far from what the kid from the Wang family could offset by whipping himself a few times.


    Qin Wenzheng shook his head, the Left Prime Minister was also a scholar and had several generations of prime ministers. How could his family have such a naughty and rascal son? It was really a disgrace to the scholarly dignity.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ji Nanfeng reported to Qin Yan that in the past few days, Jiang Mu was always in a trance and was in a bad mood after returning to the mansion from the Imperial Academy. The secret guard said that nothing special happened at Imperial Academy. Ji Nanfeng also asked Jiang Mu, but Jiang Mu also kept his mouth shut and said nothing.


    After Qin Yan heard about it, he asked Ji Nanfeng to take Jiang Mu to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.


    At the gate of the Imperial Academy after school today, Jiang Mu got into the carriage that usually picked him up, but he was surprised to see Mister Ji in the carriage.


    ¡°Young Master Jiang, Master wants to see you.¡± This Mister Ji¡¯s voice was neither high nor low, but Jiang Mu could hear the displeasure in his tone. Based on what he knew about Mister Ji, he was extremely disgusted with him as he had caused Qin Yan trouble again.


    Jiang Mu was silent all the way, quietly letting the carriage take him to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.


    When entering Qin Yan¡¯s study in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, he saw Qin Yan making tea in front of the tea table.


    Seeing Jiang Mu coming in, Qin Yan said softly, ¡°Sit down.¡±


    Jiang Mu sat opposite Qin Yan at the tea table.


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t speak again, and there was no other noise in the room except for the sound of Qin Yan rinsing the tea with water.


    There was no incense in the room except for the scent of tea. This was Qin Yan¡¯s habit. When she made tea, she won¡¯t burn incense. She said that incense would affect her sense of smell when tasting tea.


    Jiang Mu¡¯s tea ceremony was taught by Qin Yan, and his teacher¡¯s technique of making tea was smooth and natural, without any no sense of blockage at all. There had never been any bells or whistles, all steps were only based on practicality.


    Qin Yan divided the first pot of tea into two cups and pushed one to Jiang Mu.


    Jiang Mu picked up the teacup, the rich tea fragrance filled his nose instantly, and he took a sip. The taste was mellow and refreshing.


    After Qin Yan tasted the tea, she put down the teacup and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Jiang Mu instantly understood that Qin Yan was referring to his recent mood. Mister Ji arranged for someone to follow him, and his situation would be reported to Qin Yan in every detail.


    He trusted Qin Yan, he could only trust her and he had nothing to hide from her.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Jiang Mu simply said the source of his recent depression, ¡°That day, during the three divisions joint trial at Imperial Court of Judicial Review, Song Liang¡¯s words have been lingering in my mind for the past few days. I¡­¡±


    Jiang Mu didn¡¯t know how to express the origin of his depression. After speaking halfway, he didn¡¯t know how to continue.


    Qin Yan roughly knew the development of the trial that day but didn¡¯t pay much attention to the details.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Qin Yan spoke slowly, patiently guiding the young man opposite her to express his confusion.


    Jiang Mu repeated what Song Liang said in court that day, ¡°Song Liang said that these tribute students, who have been studying hard for ten years and have gone to great lengths to enter the Imperial Academy, but the children of the officials, relying on the background of their ancestors, can easily get the places they dream of without breaking a sweat.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who got a place they dream of without breaking a sweat¡­ He could have a bright future, but because of us, because of me, the evil in his heart was stirred up and made him¡­¡±


    Jiang Mu¡¯s eyes were a little sad. He picked up the second cup of tea that Qin Yan had distributed. Instead of tasting it carefully, he raised his head and drank it in one gulp.


    Qin Yan was a little relieved. The deep enmity and hatred did not destroy the conscience of the young man on the opposite side. He guarded his kindness, which led to today¡¯s confusion and guilt.


    Jiang Mu at this age needed timely guidance. He had lost his legitimate elders, and his replacement role was usually done by Qin Yan.


    ¡°Is the taste of the first pot of tea different from the second pot of tea?¡± Unlike the usual coldness in the past, Qin Yan¡¯s voice was exceptionally gentle today.


    Jiang Mu thought, needless to say, every pot of tea had a strong and light taste.


    Qin Yan continued to speak, ¡°Every pot of tea is different, and so are people.¡±


    ¡°You have an identity background that Song Liang doesn¡¯t have, so you can easily enter the highest school of Shuaixing Hall in the Imperial Academy. While Song Liang can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Also, because you have an identity background that Song Liang doesn¡¯t have, your imperial parents were brutally murdered.  In order to survive and avenge, you have to endure the humiliation and have to survive in the enemy camp. While Song Liang doesn¡¯t need to go through these pains of yours.¡±


    ¡°You must understand that people are born differently. Different backgrounds come with different conveniences and advantages, as well as different responsibilities and risks. You don¡¯t have to worry about the different situations you encounter because of your differences.¡±


    ¡°Everyone only lives once in this life, you just need to move forward, and follow your passions, beliefs, and desires. As long as you are worthy of your heart, you don¡¯t have to be overcautious.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more, Song Liang¡¯s mind is not as pure as his name. He wants to take a shortcut to get close to the second son of the Left Prime Minister. That¡¯s why he ran into a disaster.¡±


    ¡°People can¡¯t choose their origin, but they can choose their own path. One has to be responsible for what one does, and you don¡¯t have to bear too much for the choices of others.¡±


    While Qin Yan was talking, she made the third pot of tea, and still pushed one to Jiang Mu.


    Jiang Mu smelled the fragrance of the tea. This one had a light fragrance, and the tea was clearer. Although it was not as strong as the first two teas, it had a different taste.


    Indeed, every pot of tea was different, and so were people.

 CH 17.2

    Chapter 17          Equal Wife (2/2)


    Jiang Mu and Ji Nanfeng went out of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. On the carriage back, Jiang Mu asked Ji Nanfeng, ¡°Is she really only seventeen?¡±


    Ji Nanfeng¡¯s eyes darkened, and he didn¡¯t answer.


    Except for the rumbling sounds of the carriages and horses, there was silence in the carriage. Both of them were lost in their thoughts.


    Qin Yan always told them not to carry too much, but in these years, Qin Yan was the one who really carried the burden.


    This young girl took them through a lot of roads, including smooth ones and bumpy ones.


    Many times, even they had ignored the woman standing in front of them, who was just a girl in her blooming youth.


    Qin Yan was the master that Ji Nanfeng was willing to follow, and the only person Jiang Mu could trust in the enemy camp.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Prime Minister Qin Mansion invited guests with great fanfare, entertained relatives and friends, and held a wedding banquet for his wife Song Mei, his son Qin Ming, and his daughter Qin Nian. Although the wedding ceremony was omitted, the grandeur was comparable to marrying a legitimate wife.


    The invitation was sent to the Duke of Zhenguo Shen Changshan a few days in advance, and of course, Qin Yan, who was still in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, was indispensable.


    Shen Changshan was furious, not many noble families had an equal wife to avoid conflict with the first wife¡¯s family. He, Qin Wenzheng, was really good, and was he not afraid that he would provoke the Duke of Zhenguo by putting on such a big battle?


    Shen Shiyan and Fang Su were also annoyed and outraged, and they also felt worthless to Shen Shiying. Song Mei was already acting as the honorable mistress in the Qin Mansion. Qin Wenzheng didn¡¯t even care about the last decency of the two families and insisted on tearing the cover. This was a blatant insult to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.


    Shen Ci just happened to come back from the Northwest. He stopped his furious grandfather, father, and mother. Shen Ci said to them, ¡°These beam-jumping clowns in Prime Minister Qin Mansion are not worthy of you to come forward to deal with this matter. Us, the younger generation, should do it.¡±


    Shen Ci found Qin Yan, and Feng Yuyao also wrote to ask about the matter. It happened that Ji Nanfeng reported to Qin Yan some things he had found recently about Song Mei. When the three of them came together, they discussed a bad move just like they were playing tricks and pranks together when they were young.


    ¡ª¡ª


    A few days later, when the weather was bright and clear, Prime Minister Qin held a banquet in the mansion and invited famous actors in the capital to sing. It was so lively.


    Song Mei¡¯s clothes today were not as plain as they used to be. They were made of luxurious materials and exquisite embroidery, as they were made by a famous seamstress. The jewelry on her body was also very expansive, and the complexion on her face was also more rosy than usual, perhaps because of the happy occasion.


    Qin Nian was dressed in a butterfly and flower smoke phoenix tail dress with a delicate gold inlaid beads hairpin. She was surrounded by a group of officials¡¯ young ladies, and also with a happy expression on her face.


    Qin Ming¡¯s injuries were almost healed, only the corners of his eyes were slightly bruised. He was accompanied by his classmates who came as guests in the front hall.


    Concubine Shu in the palace also attended the banquet, which really gave Song Mei great support.


    Someone who didn¡¯t know the situation asked Song Mei, who was now Madam Qin, ¡°Why is Xi Garden walled up? Aren¡¯t all the banquets held in Xi Garden in the past?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Song Mei was speechless.


    ¡°Madam Li, you don¡¯t know. It was Qin Yan, the Princess of Zhaoren, who has people walled it up. She was extremely arrogant.¡± One of the official¡¯s wives spoke on behalf of Song Mei.


    ¡°Madam Qin, with such an ignorant young lady in the house, it¡¯s not easy for you to be the stepmother!¡± That madam seemed to be worried about Song Mei.


    While talking, sad music suddenly played in Xi Garden, and the volume of it overwhelmed the music on the Qin Mansion¡¯s stage.


    All the guests looked at each other in confusion. Everyone in the capital knew that Prime Minister Qin held a wedding banquet today, who was so bold? This was causing a ruckus!


    The Xi Garden had opened another main entrance on another street. Prime Minister Qin sent someone to make inquiries. The news came back that Miss Shen Ying over there said that she suddenly missed her madam today, so she invited a musician to play music in the garden to express her sorrow.


    Shen Ying, wasn¡¯t that the maid next to Qin Yan? That was why Qin Yan intentionally caused the ruckus.


    Prime Minister Qin sent another person to try to stop it again, but his people could not enter the gate of Xi Garden, and there were guards from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion guarding outside the gate.


    Concubine Shu also sent someone to Xi Garden, but the other party said that they would not buy anyone¡¯s account. It was their master¡¯s garden, and they did what they liked.


    A wedding banquet but was surrounded by sad music from the beginning to the end.


    On the side of Prime Minister Qin Mansion, a group of officials¡¯ wives comforted Song Mei who looked embarrassed.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with Shen Shiying. Madam Qin, you have given birth to a son to Prime Minister Qin, and it¡¯s reasonable to raise you as his equal wife. What¡¯s more, if it wasn¡¯t for the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion¡¯s insistence that Shen Shiying was just missing, Madam Qin, you should have been the second wife, but you¡¯re just an equal wife. This Princess of Zhaoren is too ignorant.¡±


    ¡°Yanyan¡¯s mother left early. It was because we didn¡¯t teach her well, which made all the madams laugh.¡± Song Mei expressed her grief.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The rotten idea of playing sad music in Xi Garden today was Shen Ying¡¯s initiative, and Qin Yan really didn¡¯t know about it.


    But the bad things Qin Yan did were not much better.


    When everyone was thinking about it, the receiving servant led three young manservants with brocade boxes and entered the banquet hall, saying that their masters had told them to present the congratulatory gift to Prime Minister Qin personally.


    Under the curious eyes of everyone, the first young manservant opened the brocade box, which contained a pair of shoes carved with jadeite jade. The young manservant said loudly, ¡°Princess of Jingyi, send a pair of emerald carved dragon pattern boots.¡±


    The second young manservant opened the brocade box, and inside was a brocade robe embroidered with a picture of a Kylin sending a child on a green background.


    ¡°General of Zhaowu of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, send a green Suzhou embroidery with ice silkworms brocade robe.¡±


    The third young manservant opened the brocade box, and inside was a jade crown with exquisite carvings.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, send a jade-carved crown.¡±


    When everyone was confused, they didn¡¯t know who it was that said recklessly, ¡°Oh! It¡¯s all green!¡±


    At this point, how could everyone not understand that the three were sent here to hinder Prime Minister Qin?


    The three young manservants who present the gifts didn¡¯t wait for everyone to react. They left the gift boxes and slipped away quickly as if afraid they would be beaten if they were one step slower.


    Some people couldn¡¯t help laughing out loud, but they still had profound knowledge. They forcibly held back their facial expressions and comforted Prime Minister Qin, whose face was blackened as charcoal.


    ¡°That¡¯s because the younger generation is ignorant. Prime Minister Qin, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Qin Wenzheng kept telling himself that today was a day of great joy and he couldn¡¯t get angry.


    Song Mei clenched the brocade handkerchief in her hand, what did Qin Yan mean, and what did she mind about?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Song Mei said the same thing again at the banquet, ¡± Yanyan¡¯s mother left early. It was because we didn¡¯t teach her well.¡± These words were eventually passed on to Qin Yan¡¯s ears by those who watched the fun and didn¡¯t take it too seriously.


    Qin Yan raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard these words, did Song Mei really think she ascended the sky in one leap?


    That was to add some weight to Song Mei.


    At the same time, Qin Yan also received an oral order from the Emperor of Hui that she would enter the palace during the Dragon Boat Festival.


    ¡­


    She had to enter the palace again.

 CH 18.1

    Chapter 18          Dragon Boat Festival (1/2)


    The midsummer of the fifth month was the peak season for poisonous insects, also known as the poisonous month. Of course, this season also had another beautiful name, Plum Blossom Falling Days.


    Dragon Boat Festival.


    On the fifth day of the fifth month, it was Tomb Sweeping Day. Also was called ¡°Five Poisons Day¡±, also known as the ¡°Evil Day¡±.


    On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the civil and military officials of the court took a break to show the great kindness of the Emperor, and the monarch and his ministers celebrated together.


    From the imperial family to the common people, every household was busy and lively in preparing for the coming Poisonous Month, in order to ward off evil spirits and avoid harm and pray for longevity and good health.


    The Duke of Zhenguo Mansion was no exception.


    Early in the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, Qin Yan was served by Shen Ying to get up. When she was changing clothes, Qin Yan smelled a special smell on her robe today.


    There were only a few kinds of incense commonly used in Qin Yan¡¯s clothes. Without her instructions, the servants would not take the initiative to change the incense for her.


    Seeing that her master didn¡¯t intend to change the robe after touching it, rather frowned slightly, Shen Ying explained, ¡°This morning, Madam Shizi of the Duke Mansion, who is your aunt, Madam Fang, instructed the servants to smoke atractylodes and angelica everywhere in the mansion, and she didn¡¯t even let go of daily necessities and clothing. Madam said that smoking the two herbs, atractylodes and angelica on the Dragon Boat Festival can ward off disease, avoid the plague, and keep everyone in the mansion safe.¡±


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t like to change her habits, but now she still lived in the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. Since it was arranged by her aunt, she could only follow her aunt¡¯s arrangement. Fortunately, the smell was not too unpleasant.


    After Qin Yan finished dressing and had breakfast, Aunt Fang Su sent someone to invite Qin Yan to the main hall.


    Qin Yan was puzzled for a moment, was there something important to talk about in the main hall?


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t think much and walked out the door with Shen Ying.


    Seeing that the lintels and corridors of the rooms passing by along the way were hung with calamus and mugwort leaves that were not usually there, Qin Yan stopped to take a look, and Shen Ying explained, ¡°Madam Shizi said that calamus and mugwort leaves can ward off insects and prevent diseases, and they were put on the hook by the servants.¡±


    Qin Yan seldom cared about these lunar periods¡¯ traditional customs. The major and trivial things had been enough to keep them busy these years, and they hadn¡¯t had any festivals for a long time. Besides, Mister Ji in the mansion was knowledgeable about pharmacology, deworming and plague prevention. Normally, Mister Ji was in charge of this, and they didn¡¯t do it in a certain lunar period.


    When Qin Yan arrived in the main hall, she saw that in addition to her Aunt Fang Su, there was only a sleepy Shen Ci sitting in the hall. But she didn¡¯t see his grandfather and uncle.


    Shen Ci, who was leaning on the back of the chair with his eyes closed, heard Qin Yan come in and said, ¡°Mother, Yanyan is here, so let¡¯s get started. I got a new book ¡°Wei Liaozi¡± from my grandfather. It kept me awake all night, and I have to go back to make up for it.¡± After speaking, he yawned.


    Qin Yan looked puzzledly at her Aunt Fang Su, who was facing her and Shen Ci sideways at the moment, busy with her hand on the sandalwood table.


    At this time, Fang Su seemed to be ready, turned around, and waved to Qin Yan, ¡°Yanyan, quickly come over.¡±


    Fang Su turned again and reprimanded Shen Ci lightly, ¡°Shen Ci, sit properly, what does it look like!¡±


    Qin Yan walked over slowly. Shen Ci also got up and walked in front of Fang Su.


    Fang Su raised a tray with two black glaze cups filled with wine.


    ¡°This is realgar wine. I only added a little realgar to the wine. It can ward off insects and detoxify the five poisons. It is not harmful to the body. You should drink it quickly.¡±


    Under Fang Su¡¯s expectant gaze, the two drank the realgar wine in the wine cup.


    The two had just put the wine cups on the tray when Fang Su picked up two five-colored strings from the table.


    ¡°These five-color strings are made by me. They are made of green, red, purple, black, and yellow threads. According to ¡°Baopuzi¡±, hanging the five-colored paper in the mountains can summon supernatural beings to protect their safety and health. The five colors symbolize the five elements and have auspicious meanings, so please extend your hands to me.¡±


    Shen Ci and Qin Yan looked at each other, not knowing what happened to Fang Su at this time, and hesitantly stretched out their hands to Fang Su.


    Fang Su tied the five-color strings, one for each person, to their wrists.


    Later, Fang Su tied a wormwood sachet around their waists, wrapped in silk cloth, and the fragrance was overflowing.


    Shen Ci¡¯s sachet was embroidered with five poisonous patterns, while Qin Yan¡¯s sachet was embroidered with pomegranate flowers. The sachet was fastened with five-color silk strings, which were connected into a ruyi pattern, and the workmanship was quite exquisite.


    Fang Su told the two that there were cinnabar, realgar, and incense in the sachet.


    ¡°Wear the sachet to ward off poison and avoid harm. You¡¯re not allowed to take it off. Be good.¡±


    Fang Su watched with satisfaction as the two children were tidied up by her obediently.


    Shen Ci finally understood that his mother was doing the custom of the Dragon Boat Festival, but these things were made by the elders of ordinary people¡¯s homes for children, but he was already in his twenties, and Qin Yan was no longer a child.


    Shen Ci¡¯s tone was a little helpless, ¡°Mother, we are not children anymore. Why are you still doing this?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? In front of me, you¡¯ll always be children.¡± Fang Su interrupted Shen Ci¡¯s words and turned to clean up the table.


    At this time, Fang Su, who turned her back to the two, had wet eyes, and she tried to calm down.


    When the two were children, they went to the Northwest battlefield. As Shen Ci¡¯s mother, Qin Yan¡¯s aunt, and their elders, they never took care of these two children during these festivals. As a member of this family, she knew very well that these two children would not celebrate these festivals in the Northwest all these years.


    And Yanyan was even more bitter. She was without a mother at a young age, and she was not close to her father¡¯s family. How could any elders have given her all this?


    Fang Su was determined to make up for the lack of these two children, which was the only thing she could do as a woman.


    Shen Ci noticed that his mother¡¯s shoulders trembled slightly and seemed to understand something. He took a step forward and put his hands on Fang Su¡¯s thin shoulders.


    ¡°Yes, in front of my mother, I will always be a child.¡± Shen Ci¡¯s voice softened.


    Qin Yan raised her fair wrist, stroked the brightly colored strings with her slender fingers, and looked at Fang Su, ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡±


    Qin Yan was not used to wearing jewelry on her wrist, but she still didn¡¯t take it off. She understood her aunt¡¯s intention.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Per Emperor of Hui¡¯s order, Qin Yan entered the palace at weishi (1 pm ¨C 3 pm).


    Qin Yan got off the carriage at the palace gate and took the sedan chair arranged by the chief eunuch, Li Fuquan, to pick her up.


    There was a good saying that the rivals inevitably crossed paths.


    Not long after entering the inner court, she actually ran into Imperial Concubine Shu, who was sitting on the sedan chair, face to face.


    Both of them just sat steadily, looked at each other coldly, and did not speak.


    Only after the palace servants on both sides saluted the master on the opposite side, they passed by. At the moment that passed by, the two of them didn¡¯t glance sideways, like two strangers.


    Imperial Concubine Shu was the first-rank imperial concubine, and Qin Yan was the highest-rank princess. Of course, their ranks were not comparable. Qin Yan, as a younger generation and a minister, should have stepped down and saluted Imperial Concubine Shu.


    The last time she entered the palace, Qin Yan was only the first eldest daughter of the Right Prime Minister Mansion, the young lady of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, and the niece of Imperial Concubine Shu. That time Qin Yan got off the carriage at the gate of the palace and walked into the Chengqian Palace.


    But today, since Imperial Concubine Shu had been making a fuss about Qin Yan¡¯s disrespect to the elders and ignorance of etiquette, Qin Yan would take the name seriously.


    When Imperial Concubine Shu saw Qin Yan, she also wanted to take the elder¡¯s air to suppress her, but the other party was also holding the air too, so Imperial Concubine Shu endured it again.


    The last time she confronted Qin Yan, she didn¡¯t get a good deal. She was locked up for a whole month, and she only left the palace a few days ago. She couldn¡¯t figure out where the bottom line of His Majesty¡¯s attitude towards Qin Yan was, but the future was long. She had seen many ups and downs in the palace over the years. Who could be so favored extensively? She was waiting for Qin Yan¡¯s unfortunate day and at that time¡­


    Imperial Concubine Shu hated Qin Yan. This girl was even more annoying than her mother Shen Shiying. Shen Shiying was just arrogant, but Qin Yan was blatantly rampant.


    This girl could hurt people in her Chengqian Palace, and she did such disrespectful things to her elders at the wedding banquet in Prime Minister Qin Mansion the day before yesterday. She Qin Yan was only a younger generation, so ignorant of etiquette, and when Imperial Concubine Shu thought of her, she was so angry that her fingernails dug into her flesh.

 CH 18.2

    Chapter 18          Dragon Boat Festival (2/2)


    In the imperial study, the Emperor of Hui, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, and Taizi Feng Zhan, dressed in a black robe embroidered with golden thread, were playing chess.


    After Qin Yan saluted the Emperor of Hui and Taizi, Li Fuquan asked the palace staff to set up a large carved chair not far from the chess game and arranged for Qin Yan to sit down to watch the chess game.


    All three of them had very good sportsmanship in chess. Whether it was the winner, the loser, or the spectator, they didn¡¯t make a sound. The only sound in the room was the sound of the chess piece and the occasional subtle sound of the teacups.


    While tasting the imperial tribute tea, Qin Yan sometimes raised her eyes and swept toward the chess game.


    Emperor of Hui¡¯s chess strategy was steady, and he consolidated at every step.


    On the other hand, Taizi Feng Zhan opposite the Emperor of Hui was an aggressive chess player, and he didn¡¯t care that the opposite was the monarch or his imperial father.


    Qin Yan glanced at Feng Zhan¡¯s angular side face, and there was a hint of admiration in her eyes. Taizi¡¯s style of behavior was quite to her liking.


    After a cup of teatime, the Emperor of Hui lost three games in a row.


    Emperor of Hui picked up the teacup that Li Fuquan handed him, took a sip, and said after sighing, ¡°I¡¯m old, I¡¯m old.¡±


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, come and play a game with Taizi, let me see how many ways you young people play against each other.¡± Emperor of Hui said with a smile, and after he finished speaking, Li Fuquan helped him up and motioned Qin Yan to sit in his place.


    Taizi Feng Zhan didn¡¯t say a word throughout the whole process. He didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or angry. He was playing with a white jade chess piece with his sharply articulated hand, slightly lifted his long and narrow eyes, and looked at Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t know whether the other party was questioning whether she dared to take up the challenge, so she took two steps forward and sat opposite Feng Zhan.


    Emperor of Hui took a seat at Qin Yan¡¯s place just now and took time to watch the two young people talking with their hands.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren is in charge of black.¡± Feng Zhan seemed to be generous and courteous to Qin Yan.


    ¡°Guest do as a host please.¡± Qin Yan was not humble either, holding a black piece in her delicate hand, and dropping it on a random spot on the chessboard.


    Both Feng Zhan and Qin Yan were moving at a very fast speed, seemingly at random, but between the offense and defense, they actually bit each other without letting go, and they were in a stalemate.


    After several rounds, it was impossible to tell the winner.


    ¡°Good! Good! Good! Let¡¯s end the game with a draw.¡± The Emperor of Hui applauded.


    Qin Yan and Feng Zhan equally raised their eyes and looked at each other, both of them saw a trace of admiration in each other¡¯s eyes. They could not meet many opponents, and today¡¯s game of chess was also full of fun.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The three of them moved their positions, the Emperor of Hui sat on the throne, and Qin Yan and Feng Zhan sat on the large carved sandalwood chairs on either side of the Emperor of Hui.


    Li Fuquan served freshly brewed tea.


    ¡°I asked you to come today because of the matter of handing over the Northwest. There are some arrangements I made before that Taizi is not aware of it. Now that Princess of Zhaoren has returned to the capital, I¡¯ll let Princess of Zhaoren tell Taizi.¡± Emperor of Hui said.


    Qin Yan knew that this was not something that could be finished in one or two sentences. She picked up the teacup at hand, took a sip, leaned her back slightly against the back of the chair, changed into a comfortable position, and spoke unhurriedly.


    ¡°When the war between Great Xia and Xirong and the Turks ended four years ago, Your Majesty sent a secret decree to the Pingxi Army to let the border army stay behind to strengthen the border defense, and to seize Gu City.¡±


    ¡°But at that time, the Three Kingdoms agreed that their respective armies would all return to the mountain pass. Regarding the matter of Gu City, it was not appropriate for the people from the Duke of Zhenguo to come forward, so I took over the task.¡±


    ¡°We selected 500 elites of the Pingxi Army and replaced them with new silver armors, tentatively named them as Silver Armor Guards. The Silver Armor Guards first picked out several bandit villages between Xiaoguan and Gu City and recruited some horse bandits, and then joined the guards after training. After dressing up, the Silver Armored Guards re-entered Gu City, got rid of several powerful factions, and recruited some swordsmen.¡±


    ¡°Today, the twenty thousand Silver Armored Guards in Gu City are composed of part of the Pingxi Army and the recruited swordsmen and horse bandits.¡±


    ¡°There are fifty thousand residents in Gu City, and most of them are merchants. We have planted spies in the city from wine shops to restaurants, brothels to casinos, and small vendors to street hawkers. We collected information from all over the city and reported to Your Majesty promptly.¡±


    While talking, Li Fuquan continued to serve tea to Qin Yan. Qin Yan stopped talking, picked up the teacup, and took a sip to moisten her throat.


    Feng Zhan knew a thing or two about these things, but he didn¡¯t know that it was the girl in front of him who handled these things.


    Putting down the teacup, Qin Yan continued, ¡°Mulan Horse Farm is located at the foot of Liangshan near the border of Xirong. The water and grass are lush and suitable for grazing. We recruited the surrounding herdsmen and collected their cattle, horses, and camels. We used their horses to crossbreed with good Dawan horses, and the horses are of excellent breed, which is suitable as military horses. Camels are more suitable than horses to walk in the Gobi Desert outside the mountain pass. Previously during severe winter, the provisions from the Central Plains were always delayed from the scheduled arrival time. The cattle and sheep raised on the horse farm can also be used to supply military provision to the Northwest Camp.¡±


    ¡°Mulan Horse Farm must be kept.¡±


    Qin Yan emphasized it solemnly. Although she handed over the horse farm to protect herself, the horse farm was very important to the Northwest Army.


    One thing Qin Yan didn¡¯t mention was that the mountain pass obviously had their supply of military horses, or else why would they run a horse farm by themselves?


    In those years, Shuobei and the Northwest fought on both sides, and the military resources of the Ministry of War were limited, and the Shuobei Army was often given consideration first during distribution. The reason was very simple. His Highness Taizi was in the Shuobei Camp, the Commanding General of the Shuobei Army, Marquis of Yongding, Xie An, was the Emperor¡¯s brother-in-law, and the Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Xie Changyuan, was the only son of Princess of Anyang.


    To please the imperial family, the Ministry of War gave priority to transporting provisions and military horses to Shuobei.


    As for the Pingxi Army, the status of the Duke of Zhenguo was far from being comparable to that of the imperial family, and the military resources requested from the Ministry of War were always postponed. After being turned down several times, the Duke of Zhenguo decided to find a way by himself. The battlefield was changing rapidly, and it would be too late to wait for the Ministry of War. Therefore, Qin Yan took people around to raise military funds all these years.


    Qin Yan took a sip of tea and continued, ¡°As for Jiang Mu, his real name is Jiang Xun. He is the youngest son of the former emperor of Xirong and the nephew of the current Emperor of Xirong.¡±


    Feng Zhan said in his heart, as expected.


    Qin Yan continued, ¡°In the war between the Three Kingdoms that year, the Turks and Xirong were closing in, Great Xia was forced to fight on both sides, and the situation was tense.¡±


    ¡°Four years ago, the prince of Xirong mutinied, killed the emperor and seized the throne. On the day of the mutiny, the Emperor of Xirong sent his young son and the monarch seal out of the imperial palace through a secret road by an old minister. They chose the border of Great Xia and went to the Pingxi Army Camp to request a meeting with the Commanding General of the Pingxi Army.


    ¡°The place where I received Jiang Xun was in Mushui, so I changed his name to Jiang Mu casually.¡±


    ¡°We agreed to protect Jiang Mu¡¯s life. In exchange, the old ministers who escorted Jiang Mu joined the other civil officials and military generals in the court of Xirong to oppose the joint deployment of troops with the Turks on the grounds that the national treasury was depleted due to the long-term wars. The two factions in the court of Xirong were deadlocked, forcing them to retreat, and Great Xia was spared.¡±


    ¡°Afterwards, the Turks fought alone on the north side, and the Pingxi Army could also go up north without having to be restrained by Xirong. Therefore, the Turks lost consecutive battles in the attack of the Pingxi Army and the Shuobei Army. Their spirits were greatly damaged, and they returned to the outside of Malan Mountain.¡±


    Feng Zhan roughly knew about these things. Back then, there were actually more than two sides fighting, and there were also changes on the southern border in the south. The Count of Pingnan also brought two hundred thousand armies to the south, and the Marquis of Guannei took one hundred thousand armies to guard against Goryeo in the eastern part. He just didn¡¯t know that there was another Jiang Mu in the hands of the Pingxi Army.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, the information on Gu City can be directly handed over to Taizi. How to use Jiang Mu and when to use it, you can decide later.¡± Emperor of Hui said to Qin Yan and Feng Zhan.


    ¡°This minister received the order.¡±


    Emperor of Hui added, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, let¡¯s go together to the Dragon Boat Festival dinner in the palace today.¡±


    Qin Yan¡­

 CH 19.1

    Chapter 19          Night Banquet (1/2)


    At youshi*, Qin Yan together with the Emperor of Hui and Taizi Feng Zhan, went to the Imperial Garden where the banquet was held, and many people were waiting at the banquet. It was already dusk, and the palace lanterns were lit everywhere in the Imperial Garden, and the candles were flickering. The sun was setting on the horizon, what a beautiful sunset.


    (youshi* ¨C 5 pm ¨C 7 pm)


    Everyone got up to pay respect to His Majesty and returned to their seats. Qin Yan¡¯s seat was arranged next to Feng Yuyao, Princess of Jingyi.


    Today¡¯s Dragon Boat Festival banquet was a palace banquet and also an imperial family banquet.


    At the banquet sat four imperial concubines, the second prince, the two princesses, and Xie Changyuan.


    Yes, Shizi Xie of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion was the only son of the Princess of Anyang. Although Princess of Anyang had passed away, Xie Changyuan was still Emperor Hui¡¯s nephew after all.


    Before the banquet started, Empress Dowager sent someone to inform the Emperor of Hui that she was unwell and would not be there today. She told them to enjoy themselves.


    The Emperor of Hui had the palace servants greet the Empress Dowager and then announced the opening of the banquet.


    The dancers were accompanied by the palace music, danced in the garden, with delicious food and wine, and everyone toasted each other.


    In the fifth month, all kinds of fruits were fragrant. Cherries, mulberries, grapes, and other seasonal fruits were placed at the banquet.


    The wine at the banquet today was calamus wine, which was also the custom of the Dragon Boat Festival.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan had heard this Empress Dowager Xiao was also a strange woman. She was the original empress of the late emperor, but she had no children in her life. The current Emperor of Hui, the Eldest Princess of Anyang, and the Duan Wang of Youzhou were all concubine-born sons and daughters of the concubine in the mansion when the late emperor was still the prince.


    The former emperor was a famous dandy before, but after marrying the legitimate imperial concubine, the current Empress Dowager Xiao, the dandy became a new man and repented his actions. The two had mutual respect, and their love was stronger than gold, which could be regarded as a good story. The only regret was that the two had no children.


    Later, Empress Dowager Xiao chose the present, among the only two concubine-born sons of the late emperor, Emperor of Hui, and adopted him as her legitimate son and cultivated him personally. The Emperor of Hui also naturally became the crown prince and the current emperor.


    The Empress Dowager Xiao was a ruthless person. After her family, the Xiao Clan was found involved in corruption, she personally cleaned up the relatives of her family.


    This move was respected by the late emperor and the ministers of civil and military affairs in the court. After the death of the late emperor, she served as the regent of the Empress Dowager for some time, but no one in the civil and military affairs of the court questioned her authority.


    After two years of regency, and after the current Emperor of Hui¡¯s wings gained strength, Empress Dowager Xiao took the initiative to return the power to the Emperor of Hui and retired to Shou¡¯an Palace to enjoy her life. In recent years, Empress Dowager Xiao had rarely appeared in the court and the public, and she had rarely even appeared at the palace banquet.


    It was said that Taizi Feng Zhan was also taught by Empress Dowager when he was a child. Empress Dowager Xiao carefully trained the heir to the throne, Taizi Feng Zhan. It was rumored that Empress Dowager Xiao once said that Taizi Feng Zhan was her most satisfied descendent, even more so than the Emperor of Hui today.


    Oh, by the way, Master Yishan, who taught Emperor of Hui and Taizi Feng Zhan, was said to be an old friend of Empress Dowager Xiao. If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t the Emperor of Hui and Taizi consider brothers?


    Qin Yan suddenly reacted, weren¡¯t the Emperor of Hui and Taizi also her senior brothers?


    This seniority was so chaotic¡­


    I hope you are enjoying the novel! Please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡ª¨C


    Thinking of this, Qin Yan glanced in the direction of Emperor Hui and Taizi. However, he found that Imperial Concubine Xian was also looking at the Taizi, but the Taizi just narrowed his eyes slightly, sipped the calamus wine in the cup, and his expression was unclear.


    Imperial Concubine Xian was the younger sister of Empress Dowager, the younger sister of the Left Prime Minister, and the aunt of the Taizi. After the Empress went to Dajue Temple to worship the Buddha, the Imperial Concubine Xian took over the phoenix seal on behalf of the Empress, and her position was the same as the Empress. However, Feng Yuyao once gossiped that the relationship between the Taizi and the aunt, Imperial Concubine Xian, didn¡¯t seem to be very good, not knowing whether there was anything to do with the Empress being outside the palace all year round.


    Imperial Concubine De, who sat next to Imperial Concubine Xian, was from the Count of Pingnan Mansion. She was Feng Yuyao¡¯s mother and a close friend of Qin Yan¡¯s mother, Shen Shiying. When Qin Yan was a child, as Feng Yuyao¡¯s study companion, she often strolled around the palace, and Imperial Concubine De often took care of Qin Yan. Seeing Qin Yan¡¯s gaze, Imperial Concubine De smiled kindly toward Qin Yan, and Qin Yan also nodded toward her.


    Today, Concubine Shu just quietly watched wine toastings, singing, and dancing, returning to her previous gentle and sensible appearance. Imperial Concubine Shu also hated that when she encountered Shen Shiying and Qin Yan, it was extremely difficult to control her emotions, so much so that she lost her temper and destroyed her image. A few days ago, she was actually confined by His Majesty, making her a laughingstock in the palace. Today, she only tried to reduce her sense of existence.


    The last of the four imperial concubines, Imperial Concubine Jing, came from the Marquis of Guannei Mansion and gave birth to the Third Prince Feng Yi. That Third Prince was not in the palace all year round. He liked to listen to Zen and worship Buddha and enjoyed the scenery. He was also an outlier of the imperial family. Perhaps the Emperor of Hui was too satisfied with Taizi Feng Zhan, he had never restrained the Third Prince Feng Yi, and let him go free.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Shortly after the banquet started, the palace servants brought the yellow rice sweet rice dumplings wrapped in leaves made by the imperial kitchen. After the palace servants helped everyone remove the rice dumpling from the leaves, they put the rice dumpling on a porcelain plate.


    The Emperor of Hui and everyone below tasted the zongzi* with chopsticks, which was the custom of the Dragon Boat Festival Banquet.


    (zongzi* ¨C the yellow rice sweet rice dumplings wrapped in leaves)


    Qin Yan and Feng Zhan were the only ones at the banquet who were drinking and didn¡¯t take a bite of the sweet zongzi in front of them.


    Seeing this, the Emperor of Hui asked Qin Yan, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the Princess of Zhaoren try this zongzi? The craftsmanship of the imperial kitchen is quite good.¡±


    Qin Yan put down the wine cup and replied, ¡°Back to Your Majesty, this minister never eats desserts.¡±


    Everyone at the banquet was a little surprised. This reason¡­ Princess of Zhaoren didn¡¯t even give His Majesty a face?


    ¡°Hahaha, Princess of Zhaoren is really a straightforward person! I remember that Taizi doesn¡¯t like sweets either. Both of your tastes are really similar, aren¡¯t they, Taizi?¡± Emperor of Hui looked at Taizi Feng Zhan while smiling.


    Feng Zhan ignored his imperial father, who was always matchmaking, and just picked up this wine cup and took a sip lightly.


    Everyone at the banquet was also aware that today¡¯s Dragon Boat Festival banquet was a palace banquet, and it was also an imperial family banquet, but the position of Princess of Zhaoren had increased. According to His Majesty¡¯s recent actions and the words just now, His Majesty was matchmaking the Princess of Zhaoren and Taizi.


    Feng Yuyao knew that Qin Yan had no intention of joining the imperial family, or that her cousin Junyan was more suitable for Xiao Yanyan.


    However, Feng Yunchao immediately thought of An Yanxi, the generous and fitting young lady of the Grand Scholar Mansion. An Yanxi used to be Feng Yunchao¡¯s study companion. Since Feng Yunchao was born, the Empress, her imperial mother, left the palace to worship the Buddha at Dajue Temple.


    Her imperial mother never asked about her. She was brought up by her wet nurse. Only Imperial Concubine Xian, which was her aunt, took care of her occasionally, but since she was sensible and knew some of her mother¡¯s past with her aunt, she became estranged from Imperial Concubine Xian.


    Her grandmother, Empress Dowager only took care of her imperial brother Taizi, and her imperial brother Taizi went to the army early. She, the first eldest princess, seemed to have a noble status, but in fact, she was not as happy as the concubine-born Feng Yuyao of Imperial Concubine De.


    Therefore, since childhood, she had been very dependent on her companion, An Yanxi, who was a few years older than her. Although their identities were different, she thought of her as her sister in her heart. After Feng Yunchao learned about An Yanxi¡¯s thoughts on her imperial brother Taizi, Feng Yunchao also regarded An Yanxi as her future imperial sister-in-law.


    Her imperial father seemed to have the intention of matchmaking Princess of Zhaoren and Imperial Brother Taizi. Feng Yunchao was a little nervous about it, what if her imperial brother Taizi agreed?


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    Xie Changyuan, who was at the end of the table, looked slightly cold, just raised his head and took a sip of wine.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this time, Second Prince Feng Xian suddenly spoke to the Emperor of Hui at the main seat, ¡°Imperial Father, I¡¯ve asked the imperial kitchen to prepare some playthings. I want to add some extras program, I hope to have Imperial Father¡¯s permission.¡±


    Emperor Hui looked at Second Prince Feng Xian, and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve always had lots of ideas. Tell me, what program have you prepared?¡±


    ¡°Shoot willows of the Tomb Sweeping Day. Today, we will shoot zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival. However, I have to ask Imperial Father for a reward for the winner. Will Imperial Father agree?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I agree.¡± The Emperor of Hui was also interested.


    The Second Prince Feng Xian raised his hand and clapped twice. The palace servants brought several plates of specially made zongzi. Each of these zongzi was no more than the size of a child¡¯s palm, and ten of them were strung together with thin threads. Feng Xian asked the palace servants to hang a few strings of zongzi on a branch a hundred steps away from the garden where the banquet was held.


    ¡°Does Imperial Brother want to show your skills?¡± The Second Prince Feng Xian asked the Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan raised his eyes and said nothing.


    The Second Prince Feng Xian knew that Taizi didn¡¯t like to play around, so he didn¡¯t ask again.


    Feng Yuyao was eager to try, ¡°I¡¯ll have one¡±.


    Since Qin Yan returned from the Northwest, Feng Yuyao seemed liberated, and instantly returned to the lively and energetic little princess when she was a child. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t because Qin Yan came back, but because of Young Master Shen from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.


    The little girl¡¯s mind*, ah.


    (little girl¡¯s mind* ¨C means that after entering adolescence, the girl¡¯s heart becomes sentimental and develops a love for the opposite sex)


    Feng Yunchao had no interest in horseback riding and archery, so she had no choice but to learn calligraphy and painting.


    Second Prince Feng Xian saw Feng Yunchao¡¯s indifferent expression, so he didn¡¯t ask any more questions, and instead asked Qin Yan, ¡°Does Princess of Zhaoren want to give it a try?¡±


    Qin Yan was not interested in this. She just wanted to end the palace banquet quickly and go back to the mansion to soak in a fragrant hot pool to rest.


    The Second Prince glanced at Qin Yan¡¯s weak look and no longer embarrassed this weak woman.


    Emperor of Hui saw that Xie Changyuan was drinking alone, and said, ¡°Changyuan, go play too.¡±


    Xie Changyuan accepted the order.

 CH 19.2

    Chapter 19          Night Banquet (2/2)


    In the end, there were only three people who shot zongzi, Second Prince Feng Xian, Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao, and Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Xie Changyuan.


    The two men let Feng Yuyao go first.


    Feng Yuyao¡¯s posture when drawing the bow and shooting arrows was not up to par because her arm strength was not enough. Only her first arrow hit a zongzi, and the remaining nine arrows miss the target. She was already very happy like this.


    Feng Yuyao was still secretly happy as if she had taken another step closer to Shen Ci¡¯s life.


    Second Prince Feng Xian prepared this program a few days ago. He had been practicing for a while, and he shot a string of zongzi, a full ten of them.


    Although Xie Changyuan drank a lot of wine, his mind was sober and clear, and the dumplings a hundred steps away were not a problem. However, today was the imperial banquet, and he couldn¡¯t overshadow the prince¡¯s limelight, so he purposely missed an inch in the last arrow, and shot nine of the ten zongzi.


    The Emperor of Hui clapped his hands, and asked the Second Prince, Feng Xian, what reward he wanted.


    The Second Prince first glanced at Qin Yan, and then replied to Emperor of Hui, ¡°I overheard Imperial Sister Yuyao say that Princess of Zhaoren is going to hold a housewarming banquet when she moves to her new mansion. I want to ask Imperial Father to reward me with an invitation to go to the banquet, and I also want to see the excitement.¡±


    Feng Yuyao scolded inwardly, her second imperial brother was really despicable, eavesdropping on the corner. It was really funny, he asked his imperial father for an invitation to Yanyan¡¯s housewarming banquet because he was sure that if his father spoke, Yanyan could not refuse. He was really shameless.


    When Emperor Hui heard this, he said to Qin Yan, ¡°The housewarming banquet held by Princess of Zhaoren should be very lively. Then, Li Fuquan, at that time, also arrange for some people to go to the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion to help with the arrangement, and let the imperial kitchen sends people over. If Princess of Zhaoren needs anything, just ask Li Fuquan to arrange it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that Xian¡¯er and Yuyao join the fun and liven the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion. I also want to join in the fun, but I¡¯m not in good spirits. Taizi will go to congratulate the Princess of Zhaoren on my behalf, okay?¡± Emperor of Hui looked at Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan was about to refuse when he caught a glimpse of Qin Yan¡¯s frowning brows, was she dissatisfied?


    Feng Zhan swallowed what he was about to say as if acquiescing to what the Emperor of Hui said. Princess of Zhaoren Mansion was right next to the Taizi Mansion, so it won¡¯t be too much trouble to show up at that time.


    When Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao saw this, she immediately said, ¡°Imperial Father, I also want to go support Princess of Zhaoren.¡±


    Feng Yunchao did not expect Imperial Brother Taizi would agree, so she had to go over and watch Imperial Brother Taizi for An Yanxi.


    Among the younger generation present, only Xie Changyuan was still drinking and didn¡¯t speak.


    Qin Yan was very helpless as she didn¡¯t like unnecessary socialization. However, banquets had always been organized by Mister Ji, and she didn¡¯t have much to worry about. Qin Yan could only thank His Majesty, the princes, and the princesses.


    Concubine Shu was very annoyed with her son. Xian¡¯er had always had his own ideas, and Concubine Shu was always at ease. She didn¡¯t know about the zongzi program arranged by Xian¡¯er today. But Xian¡¯er actually took this opportunity to support Qin Yan¡¯s moving mansion. She was angry and helpless, so Imperial Concubine Shu glared at the Second Prince Feng Xian.


    Feng Xian knew what his imperial mother was thinking, but he had his own considerations, so he avoided his imperial mother¡¯s gaze and continued to toast with the others.


    The palace banquet ended.


    I hope you are enjoying the novel! Please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Feng Zhan¡¯s carriage left the palace, he met An Wenjing waiting outside the palace gate.


    An Wenjing, the son of the Grand Scholar, used to be Feng Zhan¡¯s study companion. Now he worked as an editor at the Imperial Hanlin Academy, and also participated in the official business of the Taizi Mansion. He was Feng Zhan¡¯s, right-hand man.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s carriage stopped. Song Zhi walked towards An Wenjing and saluted.


    ¡°Master An.¡±


    An Wenjing looked at Taizi Feng Zhan¡¯s carriage, ¡°Master Song, I have some personal matters to find His Highness.¡±


    Prince Feng Zhan lifted the curtain with one hand, ¡°Yanzhi, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Yanzhi was An Wenjing¡¯s literary name.


    An Wenjing was still a little hesitant, but his sister kept pestering him and he couldn¡¯t bear her disappointment, so he always had to give it a try.


    An Wenjing presented the brocade box in his hand with both hands and handed it to Taizi Feng Zhan.


    ¡°This is the wormwood sachet that Yanxi embroidered for Your Highness, she¡­¡±


    An Wenjing also seemed ashamed to speak. The women of the noble family had always been reserved and abided by the etiquette, but His Highness had not been advancing for many years, and his sister seemed to be a little anxious. He didn¡¯t know whether he should indulge his sister.


    Feng Zhan narrowed his eyes but didn¡¯t signal Song Zhi to take it.


    ¡°Yanzhi.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    An Wenjing immediately realized Taizi¡¯s displeasure. Over the years, his sister had made advances to His Highness many times through him, but His Highness had only rejected them. He knew his sister¡¯s obsession. Moreover, he and his father also hope that the Grand Scholar Mansion could establish a closer relationship with the Taizi, which were related by marriage, and his sister Yanxi, who was the same mother as him, was the best choice.


    Yanxi had been proficient in guqin, chess, calligraphy, painting, and tea ceremony since she was a child, according to the highest standards of a noble lady. She often built tents to provide porridge to help the refugees and had an excellent reputation in the capital, and Yanxi¡¯s eyes were full of His Highness Taizi. He and his father believed that Yanxi was the most suitable choice for His Highness Taizi as his crown princess and would also be a suitable choice for an empress in the future.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± An Wenjing spoke again but was interrupted by Feng Zhan¡¯s cold voice.


    ¡°There is no need for other relation between the Taizi Mansion and the Grand Scholar Mansion.¡±


    Feng Zhan understood the considerations of the Grand Scholar Mansion, but he always acted in a business-like manner and didn¡¯t like the muddy water of favoritism.


    ¡°These things are best not to affect your judgment on official duties.¡±


    After speaking, Feng Zhan dropped the curtain, and the carriage drove away from the palace gate towards the Taizi Mansion in Xishan outside the city.


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    An Wenjing looked at the departing Taizi¡¯s carriage and tightened the brocade box in his hands. He also persuaded his sister, but her sister was too determined. She said that she would not marry unless it was Taizi.


    He also knew that His Highness had always kept his word, and it was only because his father was the Taizi¡¯s Taifu that the Taizi had tolerated his probing again and again, then should he continue in the future? What if he still couldn¡¯t get His Highness to change his mind, then it would really delay his sister if she continued to drag on like this.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Not only An Wenjing, but also An Yanxi, who was in a carriage parked at the corner of the palace wall, was looking at the departing Taizi¡¯s carriage. She saw her brother stop the Taizi¡¯s carriage, her brother handed over the brocade box and sachet she had prepared for more than a month to Taizi, and her brother¡¯s disappointed and embarrassed face with her own eyes. His Highness Taizi still did not accept her feelings, just like every time in the past few years.


    An Yanxi told herself not to give up. Taizi didn¡¯t accept her, but he didn¡¯t accept anyone else either. As the heir to the throne, Taizi would eventually need heirs, and sooner or later, His Highness would accept an imperial concubine¡­


    But the carriage that went out of the palace shortly after made An Yanxi¡¯s heart ring with alarm.


    She recognized the black carriage with no emblem, and the carriage belonged to the Princess of Zhaoren, Qin Yan.


    She knew that the annual Dragon Boat Festival banquet was also an imperial family banquet. When Taizi left the palace at this hour, it should be that the palace banquet was over. Was Qin Yan also coming out from the palace banquet?


    The Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, which was bestowed by the Emperor, was next to the Taizi Mansion. Many people in the court had already speculated that the Emperor wanted Qin Yan to enter the Taizi Mansion. She had never worried about it, because the Emperor had never interfered with Taizi¡¯s decision, and Taizi had also never obeyed the arrangement of the Emperor, which was one of the reasons why she admired and adored His Highness Taizi.


    But at the birthday banquet of the Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao that day, she met Qin Yan, that princess had a beautiful appearance and a noble presence. Over the years, she had boasted of her extraordinary appearance, but she was far less breathtaking beauty than Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan had amazing beauty and strong family background. If His Highness Taizi was also confused by Qin Yan¡¯s appearance, then¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan closed her eyes and rested on the carriage, letting Shen Ying massage her shoulders and arms. After the banquet was over, she was held back by Feng Yuyao and spoke a few long-winded words. Feng Yuyao asked Qin Yan to prepare something new for her at the housewarming banquet. She wanted to see something that she would never see at the formal palace banquet. She said that she wanted to see the dancers from the Western Regions. She also wanted to see the snake charmers from the Western Regions and told Qin Yan to arrange it.


    Feng Yuyao delayed Qin Yan¡¯s leaving the palace again.


    After Qin Yan returned to the mansion, she soaked in the orchid hot pool prepared by Fang Su. After entering the palace for a day, socializing with the imperial family was more tiring than going to the battlefield. No wonder her grandfather said that her mother was reluctant to enter the palace back then.


    Qin Yan just wanted to finish the affairs in the capital as soon as possible, and then leave the capital.


    As for her marriage, it was better to choose a husband to marry first to avoid being arranged by the imperial family.


    Who to look for? How about Mister Ji?


    But if he had a girl he liked, then it will delay him.


    Talked about it later.


    Qin Yan immersed herself in the water.

 CH 20.1

    Chapter 20          Seek Revenge (1/2)


    In the front hall of Prime Minister Qin Mansion.


    Song Mei sat in the chair, with her brows slightly frowned, and her eyes a little lost.


    She held a teacup in one hand and wore jade bracelets with excellent color in the other hand. She held the lid of the cup with her fingertips and gently pushed the tea leaves but didn¡¯t take a sip.


    As the summer heat was getting hotter, Li Mama was gently fanning the fan for Song Mei from the side, but the cool breeze couldn¡¯t blow away the dullness in the room.


    At this moment, a middle-aged man strode into the hall. This man was dressed in a green brocade robe, tall and thin, elegant and shrewd.


    ¡°Fourth Master Qin.¡± Li Mama saluted him and spoke.


    Song Mei snapped out of it, put down the teacup, and hurriedly got up to ask that man, ¡°Fourth Uncle, how¡¯s it going?¡±


    Fourth Master Qin took the teacup handed over by the maid, took a sip of tea, sat down on the chair opposite Song Mei just now, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°Another one opened.¡±


    This was an endless answer, and those who didn¡¯t know won¡¯t know what they were talking about. Song Mei was discouraged after hearing this and returned to her seat.


    ¡°What kind of store is it this time?¡± Song Mei asked with a sigh.


    ¡°A restaurant and is still across from our shop.¡± Fourth Master Qin took another sip of tea, no matter how good the new tea was, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to savor it at the moment. He just took two sips to relieve his irritability.


    Putting down the teacup, Fourth Master Qin sighed heavily and said again, ¡°The other party didn¡¯t let go of the shops in our hands with the silk shop, ready-to-wear shop, tea houses, pharmacies, jewelry and jade shops, inns, and the restaurant that opened a few days ago. They all opened at once, and it was very lively.¡±


    The two were silent for a while.


    ¡ª¡ª


    This Fourth Master Qin was the uncle of Prime Minister Qin.


    Although the two uncles and nephews were of different generations, Fourth Master Qin was only six years older than Prime Minister Qin. The two had similar interests and had a deep friendship since childhood in Yangzhou.


    Because Song Mei was Prime Minister Qin¡¯s childhood sweetheart, and the Qin and Song families were family friends, the Fourth Master Qin also took care of Song Mei, who lost both parents and had a declining family for some time, after Prime Minister Qin entered the capital.


    At that time, Fourth Master Qin didn¡¯t embark on an official career, rather did some small business in Yangzhou. After Qin Xiang and Shen Shiying got married, Prime Minister Qin invited Fourth Master Qin to the capital and arranged for him to enter Shen Shiying¡¯s shops to help with the businesses.


    To avoid suspicion, Prime Minister Qin secured Song Mei¡¯s name under Shen Shiying¡¯s shops and villages after several manipulations in those days. Now the person in charge of these shops and villages was Fourth Master Qin.


    ¡ª¡ª


    I hope you are enjoying the novel! Please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Li Mama couldn¡¯t understand what the masters were talking about, but she only found that the atmosphere seemed a little depressing. The maid fanned the fan in her hand and sighed as she watched the two masters sip tea.


    After a while, Prime Minister Qin returned from the government office and entered the main hall.


    The man and woman who had just sat on the chairs frowning stood up together.


    ¡°Prime Minister.¡± The two said in unison.


    ¡°Fourth Uncle is here, sit down.¡± Prime Minister Qin smiled at Fourth Master Qin. Then, he helped Song Mei, who was in weak health, ¡°Madam, sit down.¡±


    Prime Minister Qin stepped into the main seat, sat down, and took the teacup handed over by the housekeeper, Zhang Quan. The tea was clear, and the rich tea fragrance filled his nose instantly. Prime Minister Qin tasted it, and the taste was sweet.


    ¡°Good tea.¡± Prime Minister Qin put down the teacup with satisfaction.


    Zhang Quan on the side said, ¡°Prime Minister, this is the Yuqian Longjing* that was bestowed by the imperial palace on the Dragon Boat Festival.¡±


    (Yuqian Longjing* ¨C green tea leaves that are picked before the Grain Rain season in spring)


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the matter with Fourth Uncle coming here today?¡± The Fourth Master Qin usually took care of many affairs of the shops and villages, and rarely came to Prime Minister Qin Mansion. He suddenly came today, which made Prime Minister Qin a little puzzled.


    Fourth Master Qin and Song Mei looked at each other and said embarrassingly, ¡°Prime Minister, there have been some problems in the shops recently. We didn¡¯t care about it at first, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Fourth Uncle, says what in your mind.¡± Prime Minister Qin said.


    The Fourth Master Qin¡¯s talent for business was not too high, otherwise, in those years in Yangzhou, he would not have made his own business either dead or alive. However, Fourth Master Qin was the only relative in the Qin clan who was engaged in business, so Prime Minister Qin could only rest assured if he handed over the business to him.


    In the past few years in the capital, those shops that were originally owned by Shen Shiying had never encountered any trouble in the business field because they were backed by the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion and the Prime Minister Qin Mansion, which could be regarded as smooth sailing. Therefore, Prime Minister Qin didn¡¯t think that something big could happen to the shops.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Fourth Master Qin gritted his teeth. He couldn¡¯t deal with this matter by himself, so he could only inform Prime Minister Qin and make plans.


    ¡°Prime Minister, in recent days, many new shops have opened in the West City and East City. Since the opening of these shops, various discounts and gifts emerge in an endless stream during the day, crowded with people every day, and businesses are booming. People are flocking in, making others envy them, but it is hard for the same trade. For example, our shops are in a bad business.¡±


    ¡°At first we thought it was just a common situation when he was competing with his competitors in the business field, but later we found out that these shops opened one after another, all on the same side of our shops, on the left and right sides or directly opposite side or diagonally opposite. The shop they opened next to us has the same business as ours, even the signboard name is almost the same.¡±


    ¡°If these are just coincidences or competition among the same trade, it¡¯s just a matter of making discounts to attract customers. However, they also blatantly cut off our customers. The other party¡¯s products and services are first-class, and the discounts are so big that they can be said to be insane. ¡°


    ¡°There are so many shops, making such a big profit, and they are all open next to our shops, besieging us with a big fanfare to grab businesses. Prime Minister, these actions are simply impossible to do business to make money, they just seem to be looking for revenge.¡±


    ¡°However, the shop owned by the second branch of Qin Mansion, Wenxuan¡¯s wife, doesn¡¯t have any of these problems. There is such a big movement here, but they are quite there. Therefore, we suspect that they are targeting Prime Minister Qin Mansion.¡±

 CH 20.2

    Chapter 20          Seek Revenge (2/2)


    Indeed, after the other party made such a big commotion, the second branch was also worried, but the other party had never targeted them. It was almost certain that this matter was aimed toward Prime Minister Qin and had nothing to do with them and they also hoped so. Otherwise, with their wealth, it would not be enough to fill the gap.


    Seeing that Prime Minister Qin¡¯s frowned, Fourth Master Qin who had stopped talking, said again, ¡°Prime Minister, I¡¯m going to say something unpleasant. When we found something wrong, the first thing we suspected was that your first eldest daughter, Qin Yan, the Princess of Zhaoren. She has been blatantly targeting Prime Minister Qin Mansion, and she has also run a large horse farm with strong capital. Only with this force can fight against Prime Minister Qin Mansion. But after checking later, we found more serious problems from the news that came back to us.¡±


    Prime Minister Qin raised his eyebrows and waited for the next paragraph.


    Fourth Master Qin then shared the more troublesome news he found, ¡°When the other party intercepted the supply of our silk village in the south, we found out that the owners of those shops were also from Yangzhou. The owner of Wen Trading Establishment was named Wen Luo. This name is not well known in the capital, but it¡¯s familiar in the southern business world. Wen Luo is a wealthy businessman who came from the Yu family in Yangzhou.¡±


    Prime Minister Qin¡¯s eyes widened as if shocked.


    Fourth Master Qin then said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Prime Minister. It¡¯s the Yu family in Yangzhou where the second daughter of the first wife of the Left Prime Minister is rumored to have grown up since she was a child. Besides, this family has close contact with the Left Prime Minister Mansion.¡±


    Prime Minister Qin frowned. If Qin Yan did this, he could still explain it, but if the Left Prime Minister¡­


    ¡°Prime Minister, is it because the Left Prime Minister was dissatisfied with us because of Ming¡¯er¡¯s affairs in the last Imperial Academy fire case, so he started against us?¡± Song Mei asked worriedly.


    Prime Minister Qin was skeptical about this. According to logic, the Left Prime Minister would not make a big fuss for that matter. The Imperial Academy¡¯s fire case was originally the fault of the Left Prime Minister Mansion. Although the Left Prime Minister¡¯s youngest son was confined and banned from taking the test for two years, those punishments were considered light. That Wang Jingyu didn¡¯t look like a person who would pass the imperial examination to enter the official position. In the future, he would be appointed to an idle position as a literary official, and the Left Prime Minister shouldn¡¯t mind the ban on his son¡¯s examination.


    The Left Prime Minister Mansion was a big household with lots of great careers, and with two generations of prime ministers. Although there had been conflicts between the two prime ministers in the court over the years, each had its own faction in the court, and Prime Minister Qin still had self-knowledge. His Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion was completely incomparable to the Left Prime Minister Mansion, which was already deep-rooted in the capital. It could be bluntly said that the Left Prime Minister might not regard Qin Wenzheng as an opponent at all.


    But this time, it was only found that it had something to do with the Left Prime Minister Mansion. This matter was difficult to handle, and Prime Minister Qin was overwhelmed.


    The people in the capital were happy to see these shops offering so many discounts to compete. They only cared about cheap and high-quality goods and services. It would be better if more shops like this were opened.


    I hope you are enjoying the novel! Please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡ª¡ª


    While Wen Trading Establishment and Song Mei were fighting for resources in full swing, another force quietly entered the capital.


    Yu Qingfeng Bank and pawn shop, which had never appeared in the capital, opened in an inconspicuous house in West City.


    The news spread like wildfire in the capital. Whether it was an individual or a large business, they were all delighted by the news, because the reputation of this bank was unparalleled in Great Xia.


    There were four or five hundred large and small banks all over the prefectures of Great Xia, and some of them had no assets, set up fake names, accepted deposits, and made loans. After a large number of banknotes were issued and several properties were obtained through fraud, the shop was suddenly closed and went out of business, making it impossible for the banknotes holder to cash out or only able to claim a few percent as compensation. As a result, many people were deceived, and some went bankrupt.


    This kind of behavior of fleeing overnight regardless of credibility was commonly known as ¡°night boat¡± in the industry. This kind of situation was not uncommon, which made a business that had bank deposits worry constantly.


    On the other hand, Yu Qingfeng Bank had a high reputation in various prefectures. They implement a five-bank joint guarantee system. In the branches of the bank of each prefecture in Great Xia, whether it was a new branch or an old branch, they promised five-bank guarantees. The five banks jointly guaranteed, that their guarantee certificates and stamp styles were all submitted to the government for record.


    If the bank owed the deposit or borrowed money, and then escaped after closing the store, in addition to prosecuting and arresting the manager of the bank for theft, the other four bank guarantors would also be prosecuted and responsible for compensating for the unsettled money. Therefore, over the years, Yu Qingfeng Bank had never been a case of reneging on its debt.


    Moreover, the loan interest of Yu Qingfeng Bank was considered low in the same industry, which was very different from the high-interest rate of other banks.


    This bank had donated funds to local prefectures over the years for disaster relief, water conservancy construction, official roads, and so on. It had an excellent reputation in the eyes of the prefectures¡¯ government offices and common people¡¯s businesses.


    It was said that the surname of the boss of Yu Qingfeng¡¯s business was Ji. It had rich villages, pawn shops, jewelry and jade shops, teahouses, grain stores, and so on with branches all over the prefectures of Great Xia, only the capital was not involved before.


    Yu Qingfeng suddenly entered the capital this time, and a conscientious person still smelled an unusual signal.

 CH 21.1

    Chapter 21          Housewarming (1/2)


    On the sixth day of the sixth month, Auspicious Gods should be moving in the spring with liveliness, and Heaven was at peace. It was a suitable day for traveling, relocating, moving to a new home, offering sacrifices, praying for blessings, and constructing. The auspiciousness was chosen by the supervisor of the Imperial Observatory, and the Princess of Zhaoren moved to her new mansion.


    In the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, there was a lotus pond connected to the plum groves on the north side. The lotus leaves swayed gently in the warm breeze and the red and white lotus flowers decorated in the middle. A lonely crane wandered quietly in the reeds by the pond. The housewarming banquet was held in the pavilion of the lotus pond.


    It took two months for the reconstruction of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion to be completed. The original rooms and halls didn¡¯t change much, only the flowers and trees of the forest garden had been greatly adjusted according to Qin Yan¡¯s preferences.


    The housewarming banquet was only a small gathering. At sishi*, the guests came one after another.


    (sishi* ¨C 9 am ¨C 11 am)


    After entering the summer, the heat was unbearable, and all the large and small court meetings were changed to the Taizi Mansion in Xishan. In the past, civil and military officials had to enter the palace to go to court before dawn. Now it was also dawn, but they were going out of the city to the Taizi Mansion in Xishan. Many courtiers even set up houses in the villages of the western suburbs and moved their families out of the city, so that they could easily go to court and escape the summer heat, but also for summer vacation.


    After the meeting was over, Taizi Feng Zhan came from the Taizi Mansion next door to the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion. Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao arrived at the Taizi Mansion early in the morning and arrived with Prince Feng Zhan.


    Not knowing where the rumors came from that Qin Yan loved jade, most of the gifts from the guests were jade.


    Princess Jingyi Feng Yuyao knew that Qin Yan was good at painting, so she sent a white jade carving writing utensil; the Second Prince sent a green jade landscape figure inkstone; Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao sent a jasper with lingzhi pattern ornament; the Taizi on behalf of the Emperor sent a set of white jade chess pieces and only the Taizi didn¡¯t send jade himself but sent a coral tree.


    It was a long summer, but today was not too hot. The sun was just right, and the breeze was not dry.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The people in the pavilion were seated in separate seats, with the Taizi sitting at the main seat, and Second Prince Feng Xian and Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao were seated at the lower left and right respectively.


    Shen Ci was next to the Second Prince, opposite Shen Ci was the Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao and opposite Prince Feng Zhan at the other end was Qin Yan, the host of today¡¯s banquet.


    It was time to start the banquet.


    A musician in the nearby pavilion sat cross-legged on the rattan mat and gently stroked the guqin on her knees. While the guqin was playing, Feng Yuyao asked Qin Yan in dissatisfaction, ¡°Where¡¯s the Western Regions dancer I want?¡±


    Qin Yan laughed that this girl was still thinking about it. Qin Yan explained to everyone, ¡°It¡¯s hot in the summer, and the heart is prone to get excited. It¡¯s better to calm your mind and breath. Therefore, there is no singing and dancing in the banquet today.¡±


    After speaking, Ji Nanfeng, who was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a handsome appearance and a warm temperament, stepped into the pavilion, and a group of maids with trays behind him also walked in a line.


    After saluting, Ji Nanfeng introduced the drinks and dishes.


    ¡°Some of the dishes at today¡¯s banquet were prepared by the people from the palace¡¯s imperial kitchen, and some are from the kitchen of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.¡±


    ¡°There are two kinds of fine wines at the banquet, one is the imperial wine of the palace, the golden stem dew, and the other is the self-brewed white pear blossom of the mansion. The imperial wine from the palace is familiar to all the nobles. Whereas this homemade white pear blossom is taken from the pear flowers that just bloomed in the south of Jiangnan in mid-spring. It took three months to make, and they have a unique flavor. All of you can choose by yourself.¡±


    Taizi Feng Zhan, at the main seat, motioned to Song Zhi who was standing beside him, ¡°Test it.¡±


    Song Zhi took the wine jar with white pear blossom on the maid¡¯s tray and poured a cup into the azure glazed wine cup in front of Feng Zhan. A complete pear blossom was floating in the transparent wine and even the stem was clearly noticeable. It was so beautiful. The fragrance of wine and pear blossoms immediately overflowed.


    Second Prince Feng Xian and the two princesses also asked for white pear blossom wine.


    Shen Ci looked at Qin Yan, ¡°Yanyan brewed by yourself?¡±


    Hearing this, everyone at the table also looked at Qin Yan. Qin Yan motioned to Shen Ying to fill the wine cup in front of her, then glanced at Ji Nanfeng who was standing beside her, and replied, ¡°It was Mister Ji¡¯s arrangement.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng nodded and continued to introduce the dishes as the maids served the dishes one after another.


    ¡°Twelve delicacies of imperial cuisine from the palace: hundred bird paid homage to the phoenix, stewed duck tongue, double crispy shrimp and eel, stewed chicken in yellow mud, steamed pig¡¯s trotter with maple, white cloud rouge slices, stewed sliced shredded fish, assorted clay pot, eight-treasure tofu, braised quail eggs, water-lily duck bamboo sticks, and three crispy soups,¡±


    ¡°There are six seasonal dishes from the mansion¡¯s kitchen: winter melon and turtle soup, almond bergamot, cicada cabbage, green mixed bitter gourd, stir-fry shrimp in ginger juice, and fried carved honey.¡±


    Whether it was drinks or dishes, there were attendants at each seat who test poison with silver needles.


    Feng Yuyao tasted the green mixed bitter gourd, which was sweet in bitterness, and fragrant in sweetness. But it was not delicious.


    Feng Yuyao¡¯s little face crumpled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the saying about eating bitter gourd?¡±


    Ji Nanfeng explained, ¡°It was recorded in the medical book of Five Qis: When the five flavors enter the body, the sour enters the liver, the spicy enters the lung, the bitterness enters the heart, the salty enters the kidney, and the sweet enters the spleen.¡±


    ¡°Summer heat is heavy with humidity, and bitterness can clear the heat and dry the humidity. Bitterness can be used to relieve heat, and the yin of bitterness can be used to mediate the summer yang heat.¡±


    ¡°Bitter melon is bitter in taste but cold in nature. It can enter the heart, spleen, and stomach meridians. It has the effects of clearing heat, relieving summer heat, and improving eyesight. This is a good vegetable for clearing heat and eliminating thirst in summer.¡±


    ¡°As for bitterness, don¡¯t eat too much. According to the ¡°Prescription Worth a Thousand in Gold, in the seventy-two days of summer, one can omit the bitterness and increase the spiciness to nourish the lungs.¡± The stir-fried shrimp with ginger sauce is fragrant and slightly spicy, the added spiciness was to nourish the lungs.¡±


    Everyone understood it clearly, and they sighed that the food in the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion was not extravagant, but it was very tastefully chosen.


    Feng Yunchao unconsciously saw that the plum grove beside the lotus pond seemed to be separated by a wall. She seemed to remember that when she came to the mansion before, there was a big land of plum groves. The plum blossomed in winter was spectacular.


    In doubt, Feng Yunchao asked Qin Yan, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, dare to ask why a wall was built in the plum grove? Isn¡¯t this ruining the natural scenery of that grove?¡±


    Qin Yan stopped her chopsticks but did not speak.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s hand holding the wine cup froze, then put down the wine cup and said coldly, ¡°The wall was built by my people.¡±


    Hehe, no one could respond to this.


    Feng Yunchao¡­ Now she could rest assured that Imperial Brother Taizi had no intention toward Princess of Zhaoren.


    Second Prince Feng Xian¡­ It seemed that there was one less competitor.


    Feng Yuyao¡­ Yanyan also had no idea about you, Your Highness.


    Shen Ci¡­ It was good that Taizi had self-knowledge.


    Qin Yan¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Between the wince cups and flowering branches, everyone was slightly drunk.


    Seeing this, Qin Yan said, ¡°Everyone, follow me to walk around the evergreen mountainside to get rid of the alcohol.¡±


    Everyone got up and left the table. Qin Yan led the way, and everyone set foot on the mountain path beside the lotus pond.


    There were fruit forests planted at the foot of the mountain slope, and the fragrance of the fruit could be smelled during the passing.


    The trees on both sides of the mountain path were at different heights, the green bamboos were shady, and the stems were sparse and dense. There were some unknown wildflowers scattered along the path, which looked lovely and wildly interesting.


    Along the mountain path, a small stream slowly flowed down to the foot of the mountainside into the lotus pond. This was the spring water from the nearby Jade Spring Mountain.


    The wind blew the leaves, the plants swayed gently, and the trees were making some rustling sounds.


    Not long after, everyone stopped at a stone platform. There were several piles of moss-covered stones next to the platform, each stone was accompanied by pine, and the leaves and stones depend on each other. Looking out from the east of the stone platform was the lotus pond where the banquet was held just now.


    There was an empty bamboo house surrounded by trees and bamboo beside the stone platform and a circle of insect-repellent and mosquito-repellent herbs were planted around the bamboo house.


    It was noon at this moment, but the pines and cypresses were lush, and the trees were towering here, casting a large area of shade.


    The bamboo shadows were moved by the sun, all in silence.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Everyone took their seats in the prepared seats. Qin Yan was seated at one end of the root carving tea sea*, which was opposite the seat of Taizi Feng Zhan.


    (Root carving tea sea* ¨C specialized tea table which uses tree roots to make a tea table for drinking tea)


    Shen Ying took a jar of jade spring water from the evergreen mountainside and placed it beside the tea table.


    Qin Yan washed her hands and boiled water in a clay pot. When it boiled for the first time, she added jade spring water to stop the boiling. When it boiled for the second time, she added jade spring water to stop the boiling. When the wall of the pot begins to bubble up, she removed the clay pot from the fire.


    She rinsed the utensil, blanched the teacups, measured the tea, and poured hot water three times from a high-raised kettle after rinsing the tea.


    In the purple clay pot, the green-brown fresh tea leaves swirl and slowly unfold, permeating the bright orange-yellow tea, and the fragrant orchid fragrance overflowed.


    Qin Yan divided the pot of tea into six cups, which were brought to the banquet by the maid.


    ¡°This is Mother Tree Dahongpao* from Yangyayin Forest in Minzhong County, Yangzhou. It is warm in nature and suitable for digestion and drinking after feasting. Today, I borrow the ¡°Seven Bowls of Tea Poem¡± by tea fairy Lu Tong.¡±


    (Mother Tree Dahongpao* ¨C is a type of oolong tea with excellent quality)


    For the first cup, ¡°First cup moistens the throat.¡± Qin Yan said slowly.


    Everyone watched the color, smelled the fragrance, and sipped tea.


    For the second cup, ¡°Second cup to breaks the solitary stuffiness.¡±


    For the third cup, ¡°Third cup search for dry intestines, and can recite five thousand volumes of text.¡±


    For the fourth cup, ¡°Fourth cup sweat lightly, and the injustices in life are scattered to the pores.¡±


    For the fifth cup, before Qin Yan could speak, the Second Prince Feng Xian took over and said, ¡°Fifth cup is to clear the muscle and bones.¡±


    For the sixth cup, Feng Yunchao took over the words, ¡°Sixth cup led to a fairy.¡±


    For the seventh cup, Feng Yuyao smiled and said, ¡°Seventh cup can¡¯t be eaten, only feel the two armpits with fresh air.¡±


    After drinking, everyone laughed together.


    At this moment, a good wind was blowing, the pines were whistling in the wind, the water was gurgling, the cranes were singing, the guqin was playing, and the fragrance of tea was lingering. And there was a group of outstanding talented people in the forest.


    Looking at Qin Yan at the opposite tea table, Feng Zhan¡¯s mind unexpectedly flashed to the scene in Meishan at this moment¡­

 CH 21.2

    Chapter 21          Housewarming (2/2)


    The atmosphere was a bit hot and stuffy at this moment, with the maids of the two princesses fanning their fans. Second Prince Feng Xian also took out a jade folding fan from his waist and fanned it slowly.


    Shen Ying also opened a bamboo fan, ready to drive away the heat for Qin Yan.


    Feng Yuyao¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw it, ¡°Shen Ying, your master has drawn a new fan? Show me quickly.¡±


    Since it was just a small gadget, Qin Yan didn¡¯t say anything to stop it, and Shen Ying handed the folding fan to Feng Yuyao.


    Feng Yuyao opened the fan, looked at both sides carefully, and clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Yanyan, your painting skills have improved again. How about giving me this fan? I¡¯ll exchange it with you.¡±


    Feng Yuyao shoved her original round fan to Shen Ying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m taking it.¡±


    Qin Yan glanced faintly at the feminine round fan in Feng Yuyao¡¯s hand that came from the supervisor of the Minor Treasure in the palace.


    Feng Zhan just glanced at the folding fan in Feng Yuyao¡¯s hand, and the word ¡°Drunken Mountain¡± was written boldly and powerfully in the inconspicuous corner of the fan.


    Was that written by Qin Yan? Didn¡¯t she say that the people in the mansion were uneducated?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan was a little tired in the afternoon, and it was not easy to drive away guests directly, so she said tactfully, ¡°There are guest rooms in the mansion, everyone can choose one of their own to rest.¡±


    ¡°Yanyan, I have a courtyard, I don¡¯t need a guest room, oh.¡± Feng Yuyao said proudly.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, then I¡¯ll trouble you.¡± Second Prince Feng Xian was not polite. If there was no progress in his relationship with Qin Yan, he would not leave.


    Feng Yunchao looked at Taizi Feng Zhan. Feng Zhan was about to take his leave when thunder suddenly rolled through the air, and the sky instantly became dark.


    It was drizzling, then the big raindrops fell instantly.


    It seemed that the host didn¡¯t intend to keep the guests, but it was Heaven¡¯s will.


    Everyone immediately entered the bamboo house next to the stone platform to take shelter from the rain.


    The bamboo house had only one floor, but it was still bright and spacious. The house was built on stilts with a few steps. There were several rattan chairs in the house. Everyone patted the small amount of rain on their bodies, and then each found a rattan chair to sit down and rest, waiting for the rain to stop.


    Ji Nanfeng asked the maids to smoke mugwort leaves and wormwood in every corner of the house to repel mosquitoes.


    At this time, the rain was getting heavier. The heavy downpour hit the bamboo house and the rain flowed down the eaves like a waterfall.


    Feng Yuyao looked at a square bamboo table with wooden cards on it, and asked suspiciously, ¡°Yanyan, what is this?¡±


    Qin Yan replied in a low voice, ¡°Horse tag*.¡±


    (Horse tag* ¨C one of the ancient Chinese card games)


    ¡°How do you play this?¡± Feng Yuyao seemed to be a little interested, and she was idle anyway.


    Qin Yan saw that Feng Yuyao apparently wanted to play. She was also interested, and her sleepiness was gone. She hadn¡¯t played cards for a long time, and her hands were itchy. It was raining hard and they were trapped here, so how about playing a round?


    ¡°How about we pay the horse tag with the Yizhou method? It¡¯s very interesting!¡± Qin Yan urged everyone in the bamboo house.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Qin Yan looked around, and everyone was puzzled.


    Yes, how could the princes and princesses know these street playthings? Qin Yan smiled.


    ¡°Mister Ji, Shen Ying, Shen Ci, let¡¯s play a few rounds to demonstrate to the nobles. You can learn from it.¡±


    The heavy downpour trapped everyone here, and they had no other choice but to let the host Qin Yan make arrangements.


    After playing for four rounds, Qin Yan managed to close all three houses by herself. Qin Yan was smiling happily, ¡°Who of you will try it?¡±


    Feng Yuyao was also intrigued, ¡°Me, me.¡±


    Second Prince Feng Xian also sat down, ¡°I¡¯ll do one too.¡±


    Feng Yunchao was not interested in such mundane things, and she looked at Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan frowned and was slightly surprised.


    This Qin Yan was able to enter into such mundane affairs in an instant from the elegance of just now.


    Feng Zhan got up and walked to the card table and sat across from Qin Yan.


    ¡°Come, come, come. Mister Ji gives out the chips.¡± Qin Yan had been a different person since she sat at the card table.


    Feng Yuyao sat above Qin Yan, and Second Prince Feng Xian sat below Qin Yan.


    Shen Ci went to the soft couch under the south window of the bamboo house, resting his head on a rattan pillow, listening to the sound of rain, and lying down for a nap.


    Feng Yunchao sat next to Feng Zhan and watched from the sidelines.


    In the rain, the maids with raincoats and bamboo hats brought sour plum soup.


    One Taizi, one Prince, one Princess, and one Princess of Zhaoren were playing horse tag in a bamboo house in the rainy woods.


    In the first few rounds, Qin Yan took the lead, but after that, Taizi Feng Zhan gradually got to the point, where he and Qin Yan almost came to a draw.


    Second Prince Feng Xian kept feeding Qin Yan with cards, and he was not happy to lose. Feng Yuyao felt that she was playing by herself, and the more she played, the more irritated she became.


    In the end, the host Qin Yan won the game.


    ¡°One chip is one tael of silver. Your Highness Taizi lost two taels to me, Second Prince two hundred and fifty taels, and Yuyao six hundred taels. Please send someone to deliver it to my mansion on another day.¡± Qin Yan counted the winning chips in her hands with a smiling expression.


    ¡°No, Yanyan. Do you want to collect this kind of money?¡± Feng Yuyao grimaced, she didn¡¯t have fun and yet lose money.


    ¡°There is a saying that there is no father and son on the card table. One thing belongs to one thing, can¡¯t be confused. Xiao Yuyao, I will invite you to see the Western Regions dancer another day with the money I won!¡± Qin Yan was in a good mood.


    Feng Zhan, who was sitting opposite Qin Yan, leaned back on the bamboo chair, narrowed his long and narrow eyes, and the corners of his lips were slightly hooked. He looked at the woman opposite who was counting chips brightly and ostentatiously at the card table and had changed from her usual lazy appearance.


    Was this really the powerful woman who managed Gu City and ran the Mulan Horse Farm with great abilities?


    ¡ª¡ª


    The summer thunderstorm came and went suddenly. The heavy rain stopped at shenshi*.


    (shenshi* ¨C 3 pm ¨C 5 pm)


    The breeze blew. The wind brought some earthy smell, mixed with the smell of grass, as well as the fragrance of pine branches and wildflowers, which were brewing in the slightly humid air.


    At sunset, the birds sought refuge in the forest and flew around the green mountains, but the evening clouds didn¡¯t delay the guests.


    Everyone returned happily.


    ¡ª¡ª


    That night at the Taizi Mansion in Xishan, Feng Zhan was approving the memorials in the study room. Today, he stopped over too long in the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, and the memorials had piled up into a mountain.


    Feng Zhan gently pinched his eyebrows. Today, he was going to show his face at the housewarming banquet in Princess of Zhaoren Mansion and left, but he never thought that he would go to tea tasting after the lunch banquet, drink tea and then stay to play horse tag. Even if it was raining heavily, it wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t braved the rain to hurriedly handle official business. What was wrong with him¡­


    Thinking of this, Feng Zhan seemed a little irritable.


    At this moment, in the silence of the mountain, a barely audible whistle suddenly sounded. Feng Zhan frowned as he liked quietness. There was no musician in the mansion, and without his order, no one dared to play music in the mansion.


    ¡°Song Zhi.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was quite unhappy.


    Song Zhi came in in response.


    ¡°Where is the whistling coming from?¡± Feng Zhan also had some guesses at this time.


    ¡°Your Highness, it sounded like coming from the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion¡­¡± Song Zhi¡¯s voice gradually faded away. That person, he couldn¡¯t handle her.


    Feng Zhan frowned, the Princess of Zhaoren did things without rules and regulations, just like to do things the way she wanted. His future days wouldn¡¯t be peaceful.


    Thinking about this, Feng Zhan was a little curious.


    Qin Yan had the elegance of making tea with spring water in the woods, and the vulgarities of only recognizing money but not people at the card table. She made it difficult for people to understand her between her vulgarities and elegance.


    Was there such a woman in this world?


    ¡ª¡ª-


    The shadow of the moon was in the sky, and the mountains were vast.


    In the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, Qin Yan was leaning against the soft couch under the south window of the bamboo house. Qin Yan was resting under the moonlight, with her eyes closed, listening to the night insects chirping and the frogs croaking in the grass. Suddenly, wave after wave of bells ringing coming from the Dajue Temple on the other side of Jade Spring Mountain.


    ¡°Wrong tune.¡± Qin Yan suddenly opened her mouth.


    Shen Ying heard the words and said to Jiang Mu who was playing flute on the stone platform outside the bamboo house, ¡°Young Master Jiang, Master said the tune is wrong.¡±


    Jiang Mu frowned and stopped the music. When he was just about to speak, Ji Nanfeng came up, ¡°Mister Ji.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng nodded and stepped into the bamboo house.


    ¡°Master, the dew is heavy at night, so don¡¯t be greedy for coolness.¡±


    Facing such a laid-back master, Ji Nanfeng felt more and more like an old maid.


    Qin Yan got up lazily, took a cup of lotus leaf porridge handed over by Ji Nanfeng, tasted a few mouthfuls, and put it down.


    With the lamp in Shen Ying¡¯s hand, she walked down the mountainside under the moonlight.


    What a pleasant day!


    The author has something to say:


    Curiosity is the beginning of love.

 CH 22.1

    Chapter 22          Fortunate (1/2)


    At the Chengqian Palace in the Inner Court of the Imperial City.


    Second Prince Feng Xian was about to leave after having lunch with Imperial Concubine Shu but was stopped by Imperial Concubine Shu and was asked to stay for tea before leaving.


    Imperial Concubine Shu dismissed the palace servants, leaving only the mother and son in the hall.


    Both of them were just sipping tea, neither of them said anything, and the atmosphere was a bit depressing.


    Feng Xian seemed to have guessed what his imperial mother was going to say when she asked to stay behind.


    A few days ago, at the housewarming banquet in the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, the absurd story of several people who attended the banquet trapped in the bamboo house in the rain and played horse tag, was spread out for some reason, and even reached the ears of the Emperor.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, the Emperor was happy about it.


    In recent years, the Taizi and the Second Prince couldn¡¯t be said to be at odds, but their relationship was indeed not very harmonious. The Emperor marveled that the Taizi was able to sit at the card table with the Second Prince calmly and play the horse hanging for four hours.


    The Emperor laughed and said that the horse tag could be promoted in the court, and the disputes that couldn¡¯t be resolved in the court could be resolved at the card table.


    This move was opposed by Taizi Feng Zhan. Taizi raised the issue that horse tag would easily make people addicted, waste time and energy for no reason, and delay political affairs.


    This incident became a joke and spread in the morning court.


    For the first time, from the Taizi was born to joining the army, and then supervising the country, he had neither too big nor too small of a joke for the courtiers to make fun of in private. His Highness Taizi said that it was easy to get addicted to horse tag, perhaps he must have experienced it personally, otherwise, he would not have stayed in the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion for such a long time uncharacteristically.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Xian knew that his imperial mother didn¡¯t want him to get too close to Qin Yan, but Qin Yan was one of the few choices he could borrow power from.


    It was also taboo for the empress and imperial concubines to do politics. Feng Xian never asked his imperial mother to intervene in his affairs in the court, and he was determined to win over Qin Yan, so he didn¡¯t want his imperial mother to interfere unnecessarily.


    Feng Xian didn¡¯t want to argue with his imperial mother and was thinking about finding a suitable reason to leave.


    ¡°Imperial Mother¡­¡±


    Feng Xian¡¯s words were interrupted by Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s cold voice.


    ¡°Where did you get the confidence to compete with Taizi?¡±


    Feng Xian was silent and didn¡¯t answer the question. His imperial mother never interfered with his actions in the court, then why did she suddenly ask such a question today? He initially thought that his imperial mother was going to talk about Qin Yan.


    Imperial Concubine Shu put down the teacup, looked at Feng Xian, who was sitting in the chair, and said calmly, ¡°Do you have any misunderstanding about Taizi¡¯s power? Because of the Empress, Taizi is at odds with his uncle, the Left Prime Minister, which is equivalent to clipping his own wing. But behind the Taizi is the Empress Dowager Xiao of Shou¡¯an Palace. That person in the Shou¡¯an Palace has had no children all her life, but she cultivated Taizi. Although Empress Dowager Xiao has already retired from the court, she also cleaned up her own relatives. However, she has worked hard for so many years, and the foundation is already deeply rooted, which should not be underestimated.¡±


    I hope you are enjoying the novel! Please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡°Imperial Mother knows that you think your imperial father is supporting you to balance the power of Taizi. But anyone with a discerning eye can see that His Majesty is matchmaking Taizi and Qin Yan, and what Qin Yan¡¯s background represents, I don¡¯t need to go into details. What about your marriage? Not to mention the legitimate imperial concubine, I haven¡¯t even seen any shadow of the side concubine.¡±


    ¡°What are you competing with Taizi for? After these years of peace, isn¡¯t it good to go to the fief to spend the rest of our lives in peace?¡±


    Imperial Concubine Shu seemed a little agitated when she said this and took a sip of tea to calm her mind.


    ¡°Imperial Mother, Imperial Father didn¡¯t have many sons. Apart from the Taizi, there are only me and Third Prince. The Third Prince has no intention of pursuing politics and spends all day talking about Zen in the mountains and rivers. I didn¡¯t want to compete. I only think that in case Taizi misbehaves or there is an accident, the throne still has to be succeeded. I guess that Imperial Father¡¯s intention is the same.¡±


    Feng Xian didn¡¯t agree with his mother¡¯s statement. In his eyes, his imperial mother was also a woman in the palace, who didn¡¯t understand the situation of the court and the intention of the Emperor.


    Imperial Concubine Shu sighed softly, ¡°Are you so sure that Third Prince Feng Yi has no intention toward the throne?¡±


    Feng Xian looked at Imperial Concubine Shu in surprise.


    Imperial Concubine Shu sneered and said, ¡°Third Prince Feng Yi is the only son of Imperial Concubine Jing. Imperial Concubine Jing came from the Marquis of Guannei Mansion, and the Marquis of Guannei holds a massive military force. I heard that the Third Prince loves listening to Zen and is a frequent visitor to Wanning Temple.¡±


    ¡°Does Imperial Mother means Ning Wang of Wanning Temple?¡±


    Feng Xian was shocked by his imperial mother¡¯s words as Ning Wang was a taboo in the imperial family.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Imperial Concubine Shu didn¡¯t respond anymore, just took a sip of tea.


    Imperial Concubine Shu understood that this son of hers underestimated the Taizi and the Emperor.


    Having been with the Emperor for many years, Imperial Concubine Shu herself still couldn¡¯t see through the mind of the person sitting on the throne, let alone her son who still lack in his maturity and means. Imperial Concubine Shu didn¡¯t want her son and herself to become victims in the struggle for imperial power, but Xian¡¯er insisted on doing his own thing.


    ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s tone was a little weak.


    ¡°Does it have to be Qin Yan?¡±


    ¡°Have you considered my position and my feelings? As soon as I see Qin Yan, I will think of Shen Shiying. Have you ever thought that if Qin Yan becomes your imperial concubine, how will I get along with her and with you after that?¡± Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s voice was a little forlorn.


    When Feng Xian heard this, he only focused on the part, ¡°If Qin Yan becomes your imperial concubine.¡±


    If Qin Yan became his, Feng Xian, imperial concubine, he would have the backing of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, and his uncle, the Right Prime Minister, would do his utmost to help him. Qin Yan, who had rich resources, would also be a great help to him. In this way, he had another chance of winning.


    Feng Xian recalled playing horse tag at Princess of Zhaoren Mansion that day. It seemed that Qin Yan was very interested in the horse tag. He fed her cards to show her favor and she should have seen that, which showed this was good progress. Qin Yan should also have a bit of a favorable impression of himself, even half a point was better than the previous resistance. Next time, he had to strike while the iron was hot¡­

 CH 22.2

    Chapter 22          Fortunate (2/2)


    Seeing that Feng Xian didn¡¯t answer, and a smile overflowed from his lips as if thinking of something pleasant, Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s heart became cold, and said coldly, ¡°You can leave.¡±


    ¡°Imperial Mother, take care of your health. I¡¯ll retire.¡±


    Feng Xian didn¡¯t even notice his imperial mother¡¯s sad expression and left Chengqian Palace in a hurry. He still had to find a way to get closer to Qin Yan, so that no one else could get ahead of him.


    When Feng Xian left, a momo came in and massaged Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Niangniang, do you want to take a short nap?¡±


    Imperial Concubine Shu remained silent, feeling a little sad in her heart.


    Her only son, thought only about power and the throne, regardless of her feelings as a mother.


    When she found out that she was pregnant at first, she only hoped to be a prince, which could strengthen her position in the palace and help her brother, Wenzheng, to have more influence in the court.


    But now, she was very envious of the Imperial Concubine De who only gave birth to only one princess.


    Although Imperial Concubine De gave birth to a princess, her status was no less inferior than that of an imperial concubine who gave birth to a prince. Feng Yuyao, a concubine-born princess, had been given a title since she was born. This was a great honor given by His Majesty to the Count of Pingnan Mansion.


    Yes, this was the charm of power. No wonder Xian¡¯er was so persistent.


    At this moment, Imperial Concubine Shu hoped that she could have a daughter, a caring daughter, a daughter who could accompany and talk to her.


    For so many years in the palace, she couldn¡¯t even tell her own mother about many things and could only keep it all in her heart. After all, those secrets could only be brought to the grave one day.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Imperial Concubine Shu didn¡¯t tell anyone that she hadn¡¯t been served in the bed for many years.


    After giving birth to Feng Xian seventeen years ago, Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s body recovered extremely slowly. When Feng Xian was three years old, Imperial Concubine Shu only regained her figure before giving birth.


    It had been four years since pregnancy that she had been honored by His Majesty for the first time.


    It was on a rainy night, and the two on the imperial couch were already in the moment of heat. However, Li Fuquan suddenly shouted to report something important outside the hall.


    His Majesty got up and left, leaving Imperial Concubine Shu alone to calm down on Emperor¡¯s bed.


    Li Fuquan lowered his head and entered the bedroom to change clothes for His Majesty. Before leaving, Imperial Concubine Shu only vaguely heard the word ¡°Xi Garden¡±.


    At that time, she was sympathetic to His Majesty¡¯s diligence in government, thinking that it was her brother Wenzheng who had some important government affairs to discuss with His Majesty.


    Only on the next day did she realize that she was just a joke as there was no such thing as being busy with government affairs.


    It was true that something had happened at Xi Garden, but it was not about the Right Prime Minister, Qin Wenzheng, it was about Shen Shiying.


    Shen Shiying gave birth last night. Because it was her first child, she was having difficulty giving birth. It was extremely dangerous for a woman to give birth, like passing through the gate of hell.


    The news immediately came to His Majesty¡¯s ears, and His Majesty summoned the imperial physician of the Imperial Hospital to Xi Garden overnight to keep Shen Shiying safe.


    However, Shen Shiying was only a courtier¡¯s wife, and His Majesty¡¯s move was a bit too much.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Imperial Concubine Shu once doubted whether Qin Yan was His Majesty¡¯s child, but the child gradually grew up and her appearance was really similar to Wenzheng and even her aunt, which made Imperial Concubine Shu no longer doubt Qin Yan¡¯s identity.


    However, this made Concubine Shu feel hateful even more. If Shen Shiying was pregnant with the Emperor¡¯s child, she could still understand His Majesty¡¯s anxiety that night. But Shen Shiying¡¯s belly was Wenzheng¡¯s child, and His Majesty still cared for ??her so much.


    Oh, His Majesty didn¡¯t care about Shen Shiying¡¯s child. He cared about ??Shen Shiying, the woman he could never get.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Imperial Concubine Shu once thought that His Majesty treated her very well. His Majesty was sympathetic to her loneliness in the palace and granted her permission to invite her female family members into the palace to accompany her from time to time. She had no sisters in her family, only two legitimate wives of her two younger brothers. Wenxuan¡¯s wife was a commoner businesswoman, and the other was Wenzheng¡¯s wife, Shen Shiying.


    She really sent someone to invite Shen Shiying into the palace once, but Shen Shiying refused because of physical discomfort.


    His Majesty took a lot of trouble to see Shen Shiying, but the funny thing was, that person still didn¡¯t appreciate it.


    Imperial Concubine was unwilling to serve in the bed anymore. She had already given birth to a prince and didn¡¯t need to be favored anymore. She was even more reluctant to think about the humiliation of Shen Shiying¡¯s childbirth that night.


    As if tacitly understood, His Majesty never summoned her to bed again. She wondered if His Majesty didn¡¯t want to think about the danger of Shen Shiying¡¯s birth that night when she slept with him.


    After marrying into the imperial family, it was enough to compete for favor with a group of women in this palace, but she still had to be jealous of another woman outside the palace, another woman who didn¡¯t belong to the Emperor.


    Because of this, she once lost her dignity, repeatedly lost her composure, and turned into a disgusting appearance like the market shrew that she disliked the most before.


    She was born into a scholarly family, a family of poetry and etiquette in vain. The tolerance and self-cultivation that had been cultivated for many years were all lost.


    Sadly, this was also the sadness of countless women like her.


    ¡ª-


    When Shen Shiying¡¯s body was not found under the cliff that year, she was worried about whether there was an accident for some time. After being attacked and missing, there had been many rumors in the capital over the years that were unfavorable to Shen Shiying¡¯s reputation. If Shen Shiying was still alive, there was no reason to not show up for so many years. Maybe she was washed away by the river, and she hoped that there was no other reason.


    Qin Yan was also very fortunate and didn¡¯t die when she fell off the cliff.


    Yes ah, Qin Yan was indeed fortunate, the little girl could not be drowned in such a deep Taiye Pond.


    Imperial Concubine Shu took a deep breath, then gracefully took a sip from the teacup.


    If Qin Yan was gone, Xian¡¯er wouldn¡¯t be at odds with his mother again.


    Need not worry, there always be a chance.

 CH 23.1

    Chapter 23          A Crane Cry (1/2)


    In the Mossy Waterside Pavilion at Taizi Mansion in Xishan.


    After the court ended, An Wenjing invited Taizi Feng Zhan for a round of chess.


    On the tea table a few steps away from the chess game, An Yanxi sat down to make tea, and Feng Yunchao gently fanned her fan on the rose chair beside her.


    There was no sound at this time, only the sound of the falling chess pieces and the sound of tea.


    Suddenly there was a crane cry in the distance, and An Yanxi looked up suspiciously.


    ¡°This should be the lonely crane in the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, and Qin Yan really didn¡¯t find a companion for it.¡± Feng Yunchao explained to An Yanxi.


    Feng Yunchao looked in the direction of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, smiled, and spoke again, ¡°However¡­ a crane in a pond is also refined and elegant. Yanxi, what do you think?¡±


    After speaking, Feng Yunchao looked at An Yanxi, but the other party frowned slightly, as if she was thinking about something, and didn¡¯t even notice that the tea in the pot was boiling.


    ¡°Yanxi, Yanxi¡­¡± Feng Yunchao called out several times before An Yanxi came back to her senses.


    An Yanxi hurriedly removed the tea from the fire. This pot of water was too cold to be used again, so it had to be boiled again.


    Feng Yunchao seemed to understand An Yanxi¡¯s depression. Next to the Taizi Mansion, there lived a noblewoman with a beautiful appearance, the Princess of Zhaoren, Qin Yan. A woman who even her imperial father was matchmaking with Imperial Brother Taizi.


    It might be the first time that Yanxi had felt threatened. Anyone would be afraid that another single woman who was better than herself lived next door to her beloved.


    ¡ª¡ª


    As usual, Taizi Feng Zhan defeated his opponent at the end of the game.


    ¡°Your Highness, I admit your superiority.¡± An Wenjing bowed to Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t say a word, just took a sip from the teacup in his hand.


    Smelling the tea fragrance, Feng Zhan suddenly recalled Qin Yan who was making tea in the forest that day. He looked sideways at the tea table, not her.


    Feng Zhan turned his eyes back to the chessboard and continued drinking tea.


    An Wenjing was overjoyed when he saw Taizi looking at his sister Yanxi on the other side of the tea table.


    Previously, when An Wenjing played chess with Taizi, whether in the palace, the Taizi Mansion, or the Grand Scholar Mansion, Yanxi always made tea by the side. But His Highness Taizi had never paid attention to Yanxi. Would things work out for his sister this time?


    An Yanxi also noticed the momentary glance of His Highness Taizi, and she felt a little happy in her heart. Was he really moved by her sincerity?


    Only Feng Yunchao saw through it. At first, she thought that Imperial Brother Taizi was looking at Yanxi, but she saw that Imperial Brother Taizi turned his eyes back after a quick glance, and quickly picked up the cup to drink tea to conceal the disappointment that flashed in his eyes.


    Feng Yunchao was very familiar with the expression of Taizi Feng Zhan. Imperial Brother Taizi should be the same as herself, recalling Qin Yan who was making tea in the forest that day¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Feng Yunchao and An Yanxi were on their way out of the Taizi Mansion, An Yanxi wanted to say something but hesitated.


    After passing a flower garden, Feng Yunchao dismissed her attendants back and sat opposite An Yanxi in a pavilion.


    ¡°Yanxi, do you have something to ask me?¡±


    Feng Yunchao seemed to be able to guess what Yanxi was going to ask.


    An Yanxi did not pretend to be reserved. She looked at Feng Yunchao and said, ¡°Princess, that day, at Princess of Zhaoren Mansion¡¯s housewarming banquet, His Highness Taizi stayed in Princess Mansion for a whole day. I heard that His Highness also played horse tag for several hours at the Princess Mansion. This is unlike His Highness¡¯s usual style. Princess, you know my obsession, I¡¯m a little worried¡­¡±


    An Yanxi¡¯s eyes seemed to be slightly worried.


    Indeed, Feng Yunchao also saw the abnormality of Imperial Brother Taizi. Imperial Brother Taizi had always disliked banquets, and he wouldn¡¯t stay too long even for palace banquets. But that day, he stayed in the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion for so long which was quite out of the ordinary.


    However, even Feng Yunchao herself felt that the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion or Qin Yan was indeed somewhat interesting.


    Feng Yunchao did not answer her, but a smile appeared on her lips as if she was immersed in some kind of pleasant memory.


    ¡°Princess, is His Highness Taizi interested in Princess of Zhaoren?¡± Seeing that Feng Yunchao was only silent, An Yanxi had a bad feeling in her heart. If even Feng Yunchao favored Qin Yan¡­


    At this time, Feng Yunchao¡¯s mind was still recalling the ¡°Seven Bowls of Tea Poem¡± on the mountainside in the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, and An Yanxi¡¯s sudden words interrupted Feng Yunchao¡¯s thoughts.


    Feng Yunchao frowned slightly and sighed softly, but her mouth was different from the usual comfort toward An Yanxi.


    ¡°Yanxi, do you want to consider finding another person who is worth entrusting?¡±

 CH 23.2

    Chapter 23          A Crane Cry (2/2)


    An Yanxi was a little shocked. Feng Yunchao had always supported her obsession with His Highness Taizi, and even explicitly expressed her hope that An Yanxi could become her imperial sister-in-law in the future. This princess even allowed An Yanxi to use her name to have more contact with His Highness Taizi.


    But today¡­ was there really a change? Was it Qin Yan?


    ¡°Yanxi, I have always been grateful for your company and care for me since I was a child. If it wasn¡¯t for the violation of etiquette, I would definitely call you sister. Therefore, I have no selfish intentions in my following words, all for the sake of you.¡± Feng Yunchao looked serious, and carefully worded what she was about to say.


    An Yanxi¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Feng Yunchao took a deep breath and said, ¡°Last year, Double Seven Festival*, it was also in this pavilion, I saw it all.¡±


    (Double Seven Festival* ¨C a traditional Chinese folk festival also known as Chinese Valentine¡¯s Day)


    An Yanxi looked at Feng Yunchao in surprise, her face suddenly turned red, and she seemed a little embarrassed.


    Feng Yunchao¡¯s words reminded her of that embarrassing memory again.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On the official holiday of the Double SevenFestival last year, An Yanxi came to the Taizi Mansion alone, saying that she was there to pick up the book that her brother had left behind. After entering the mansion, she found Taizi Feng Zhan, who was sitting alone in the pavilion.


    An Yanxi put down her lady¡¯s reserve and summoned up her courage to invite Taizi to walk around the lake, but was coldly rejected by Taizi.


    Taizi Feng Zhan didn¡¯t give a face to An Yanxi, nor did he deliberately lower the volume. Therefore, those words were also listened to by Feng Yunchao, who had returned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you find other excuses to stay longer and do other things that bother me. Your improper behavior will interfere with your brother¡¯s judgment on government affairs. I will only say this once.¡±


    An Yanxi blushed with shame, retreated, and walked away after saluting.


    On the Double SevenFestival that day, Feng Yunchao also came to the Taizi Mansion to ask Taizi to take her out to play, but her Imperial Brother Taizi refused because he was busy with official business and said that Lu Chen would take her there. Feng Yunchao left angrily, and then returned, but happened to see An Yanxi enter the pavilion where Imperial Brother Taizi was just now.


    Feng Yunchao didn¡¯t mean to listen at the corner, but with the words of Imperial Brother Taizi, if she appeared again, Yanxi would be even more embarrassed. So, she hid behind the banana leaf next to her and waited for Yanxi to leave and reappear.


    Feng Yunchao always thought that there would eventually be women in Imperial Brother Taizi¡¯s mansion, if it wasn¡¯t Yanxi, it would be other people. And Yanxi was the best choice since she knew her so well.


    She had never seen Imperial Brother Taizi get along with any woman except Yanxi. Although Yanxi had never been close to Imperial Brother Taizi, she had never said a few words to her Imperial Brother Taizi. So, Feng Yunchao thought that her Imperial Brother Taizi was cold-hearted towards women.


    Until that day at the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion. That day, Feng Yunchao saw Imperial Brother Taizi looking at a woman with a smile on his face for a long time for the first time.


    Feng Yunchao selfishly hoped that Yanxi would be her imperial sister-in-law, but she respected Imperial Brother Taizi¡¯s thinking even more. Besides, Imperial Brother Taizi hated others interfering in his affairs the most, so Feng Yunchao was not going to touch that bad luck.


    But Yanxi didn¡¯t seem to be the one who would turn back without hitting a wall.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Yanxi, the bloody storms in the harem are not uncommon to me over the years. Even my imperial mother, the Empress of the country, has become a victim of the harem battle. You should have heard of those things.¡±


    ¡°Looks like Imperial Brother Taizi has no intention towards you all along. Even if you finally entered the Taizi Mansion, you would enter the palace in the future. Without the protection of Imperial Brother Taizi, can you spend this long life safely in the palace? Can you protect your child in the future?¡±


    ¡°You will be the same as those sad women in the harem I saw. One by one, famous and noble women from noble families, have been reduced to a resentful woman who washes their face with tears all day long.¡±


    Sitting alone on the carriage returning to the city, An Yanxi kept repeating Feng Yunchao¡¯s words in her mind.


    An Yanxi understood that Feng Yunchao¡¯s words came from the bottom of her heart, but that didn¡¯t change her mind. Since she was a child, she felt that she was the most suitable candidate for the crown princess, and no one could match her.


    Feng Yunchao¡¯s attitude changed after she went to the Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s housewarming banquet, what happened that day?


    When thinking about this, the curtain of the carriage was lifted by the wind and An Yanxi looked in the direction of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, ¡°If I¡¯m not suitable, is Qin Yan suitable?¡±


    At this moment, Feng Yunchao¡¯s carriage suddenly stopped and made An Yanxi a little puzzled.


    The palace servant next to the princess¡¯ carriage came over, motioned for An Yanxi¡¯s carriage to move forward, and lined up beside Feng Yunchao¡¯s carriage.


    Feng Yunchao opened the carriage curtain and looked at An Yanxi for a moment.


    Feng Yunchao said helplessly, ¡°Yanxi, on the day of the Double Seven Festival, I will ask Imperial Brother Taizi out to play. At that time, you can seize the opportunity yourself.¡± Then she put down the curtain and left.


    An Yanxi closed her eyes, this first princess, was seemingly indifferent, but her heart was actually soft.

 CH 24.1

    Chapter 24          Falling into the Water (1/2)


    ¡°Chronicle of the Rites of the Book of the Han Dynasty: The seventh day is the beginning of the four seasons of heaven and earth, and the beginning of human life.¡±


    On the seventh day of the seventh month was the Double Seven Festival which was also a public holiday for the courtiers.


    It was midsummer and all kinds of grass was tender. The summer breeze was not dry in the morning. There were maids and servants collecting dew in the flower garden, medicine garden, and forest garden of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.


    Ji Nanfeng came from the Medicine King Valley. Because of his habit in the valley, he collected the dew this morning on the Double Seven Festival and used it to make pills with pine and cypress.


    The significance of the Double Seven Festival was not just the beautiful feelings. For Ji Nanfeng, today was a very suitable day for prescribing medicine.


    Feng Yuyao went out of the city at sishi* and went to the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion in Xishan to find Qin Yan.


    (sishi* ¨C 9 am ¨C 11 am)


    It was already noon when she reached the mansion and ran into Ji Nanfeng who was directing everyone to move boxes of clothes and volumes of books to the open space in the mansion.


    This was the custom of the Double Seven Festival. It was necessary to take advantage of the scorching sun to dry the books and clothes to clear off the filth of insects. It was said that things that had been exposed to the sun on this day would not be eaten by insects for a year.


    When Feng Yuyao found Qin Yan, Qin Yan was looking at flowers under the porch.


    ¡°Where did you find Mister Ji? He makes a harmonious and orderly home.¡± Feng Yuyao joked.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Not knowing if it was Feng Yuyao¡¯s illusion, she could hear a little regret in Qin Yan¡¯s tone.


    Feng Yuyao invited Qin Yan to go boating on the Qianshui Lake in the south of the capital, but Qin Yan was not interested.


    It happened that Fang Su, the mistress of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, sent someone to invite Qin Yan, saying that Qin Yan would practice threading needles with her aunt during the day and would set up an incense table in the mansion to offer sacrifices to the Weaver Maid to seek for marriage tonight.


    Hearing the word ¡°threading needles¡±, Qin Yan and Shen Ying both trembled unconsciously.


    ¡°Please tell my aunt that I have made an appointment with Princess of Jingyi to visit around the lake today. Please apologize to my aunt for me.¡± Qin Yan had never been good at rejecting her aunt, Fang Su, directly. At this moment, she was extremely grateful for Feng Yuyao¡¯s arrival.


    When the people from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion left, Feng Yuyao leaned forward on the railing of the porch and laughed out of breath, ¡°Yanyan, so you do have a time when you are afraid. Is the threading needless? Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the same western suburbs, Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao went to Taizi Mansion in Xishan early in the morning to invite Taizi Feng Zhan to tour the lake, but Feng Zhan politely declined on the grounds of official duties.


    Feng Yunchao spent a few hours in the Taizi Mansion. In the end, Feng Zhan agreed to go boating with her on Qianshui Lake in the evening on the ground that Taizi was too busy to show up even on her birthday and since today was a holiday, Imperial Brother Taizi had to go with her.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Today, in the West and East Cities of the capital, there were Double Seven Festival Temple Fairs, crowded with people from everywhere, which were extremely lively.


    There were many young men and women out on the street, and the women were all well-dressed. Many girls were wearing brightly colored wreaths on their heads, and brightly colored flowers dotted their foreheads, with all the flowers in full bloom.


    A pair of men and women at the temple fair was very eye-catching. The man was dressed in a dark brocade robe with indigo silver thread, with a tall figure and handsome appearance. The woman beside him was petite with a pretty face, and the most touching thing was the woman¡¯s sweet smile.


    ¡°This velvet flower is so beautiful. Brother Changyuan, which one is more beautiful, this one or the one on my head?¡± A Yan smiled beautifully, and her hand, whose nails were dyed bright red with impatiens juice, picked up the velvet flower in the shape of jasmine and held it up beside the white orchid silk flower on her temples for comparison.


    From Xie Changyuan¡¯s point of view, the color and style of the two flowers were similar, and there was not much difference. They both match the bright yellow cotton dress on A Yan today.


    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± Xie Changyuan replied.


    A Yan was accustomed to Xie Changyuan¡¯s concise words. Brother Changyuan had never spoken sweetly, but A Yan was already satisfied that he could take some time out of his busy schedule to accompany her.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Second Prince Feng Xian learned from the spies in the palace yesterday that Feng Yuyao invited Qin Yan to visit the lake today. So, he sent someone to charter the most exquisite and luxurious decorated boat in Qianshui Lake.


    To successfully invite Qin Yan, Feng Xian also went to invite Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao, whose identity was higher than that of Feng Yuyao and Qin Yan, yesterday.


    Feng Yunchao also struggled to find an opportunity to make Imperial Brother Taizi less disgusted, and to allow Yanxi and Imperial Brother Taizi to get along more, so she readily agreed to Second Imperial Brother¡¯s proposal.


    However, Feng Yunchao continue to ask again, could she bring Imperial Brother Taizi?


    Feng Xian¡­! He wanted to say no, but he dared not¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Today, many people in Qianshui Lake were having a feast on the boat.


    On the rippling lake surface, there were many wild geese and mandarin ducks made of oil paper floating, which added a little romance to the air.


    Second Prince Feng Xian really waited for Taizi and Feng Yunchao by the lakeshore. At this time, Feng Xian caught a glimpse of the brother and sister of the Grand Scholar Mansion, An Wenjing, and An Yanxi, who were walking leisurely in the distance. Feng Xian also heard the rumors that An Yanxi seemed to be the potential crown princess. He was overjoyed and without spending much effort, he sent someone to invite the An family¡¯s brother and sister.


    On the second floor of the boat, Taizi sat in the first place, and Second Prince Feng Xian and Feng Yunchao sat opposite each other. Oddly enough, the Second Prince left two seats.


    The Second Prince seemed to be waiting for someone. The boat had not moved for a long time, and Taizi Feng Zhan was a little impatient. Just as he was about to speak, Feng Xian got up again and went out.


    The people who were sent to keep an eye on saw Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion¡¯s carriage, and there seemed to be Shizi Xie¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Miss A Yan, in the carriage.


    Feng Xian thought to himself that Heaven really wanted to help him. He was destined to take one step further with Qin Yan today.


    Xie Changyuan was supposed to go to Shuyu Shop next to Qianshui Lake to have a small dinner with He Xiao but was stopped by the Second Prince¡¯s people who came to invite him. He couldn¡¯t refuse, so he took A Yan on board the decorated boat.


    Qin Yan and Feng Yuyao hadn¡¯t arrived for a long time, and Feng Xian couldn¡¯t keep Taizi waiting for a long time, so he ordered the boat to take off. The boat traveled around the lake, with the musicians playing the zither and the flute. The evening breeze was gentle, and the scenery was just right.

 CH 24.2

    Chapter 24          Falling into the Water (2/2)


    Not long after, an attendant whispered in the ear of Second Prince Feng Xian, Feng Xian explained a few words to him, and then the boat deviated from the original route and turned back abruptly.


    Heading slowly to the side of an awning boat, the awning boat could be seen rowing from side to side in the water. The one who was trying to row with a wooden oar at the back of the boat was actually Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao.


    The nervous boatman was standing beside Feng Yuyao and his posture was a little unstable. However, Shen Ying at the bow was standing firmly on the swaying boat, which showed her skill.


    When the curtains of the cabin were lifted, a woman in a white moon dress could be seen resting in the cabin.


    The Second Prince, who was on the boat, got up and went out, and said to Feng Yuyao on the awning boat, ¡°Imperial Sister Yuyao, your boat doesn¡¯t look very safe. Hop on to my boat and visit the lake together.¡±


    Feng Yuyao joked with a frown, ¡°Second Imperial Brother, you¡¯d better sail further away, otherwise I have to suspect that you are here to deliberately bump me.¡±


    ¡°Imperial Sister Yuyao, is Princess of Zhaoren in the cabin? His Highness Taizi and Princess of Changle are also on my decorated boat. Can you two give me the honor to tour the lake together?¡± Feng Xian said again with a smile.


    Feng Yuyao scolded inwardly, Second Imperial Brother was still so shameless and used Taizi and the first princess to put pressure on them.


    Feng Yuyao handed the oars back to the boatman, and stepped into the cabin, ¡°Yanyan, maybe we still have to go. It¡¯s really disheartening.¡±


    Qin Yan smiled, ¡°You can learn to row in the lotus pond in my mansion in Xishan before you come out to play with it. If one accidentally falls into the water, it will be unsightly.¡±


    When Feng Yuyao heard the words ¡°falling into the water¡±, her heart quivered. She just wanted to ask Yanyan to come out to play, but she accidentally forgot that Yanyan nearly died when she fell into the water in the Taiye Pond when she was young. She should be afraid of water. She also asked her to visit the lake, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t overturn the boat just now.


    Qin Yan got up and boarded the decorated boat with Feng Yuyao.


    As soon as the two of them got on the back of the boat, they met A Yan who came out of the cabin.


    After A Yan saluted them, she said to Qin Yan, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, can I have a word with you?¡±


    Oh, something is coming! Feng Yuyao raised her eyebrows and was about to say no, but Qin Yan spoke first.


    ¡°Yuyao, you go in first.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    At the back of the boat.


    Qin Yan and A Yan stood opposite each other at a distance of two steps.


    Shen Ying was waiting about ten feet away.


    A Yan was a head shorter than Qin Yan, and looking at Qin Yan gave her more pressure. She didn¡¯t allow any uncertainties between her and Brother Changyuan. A Yan raised her chin slightly and spoke coldly.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, Brother Changyuan is also on the decorated boat. You have nothing to do with Brother Changyuan anymore, and you should keep a distance from him. Today, you should avoid him.¡±


    Qin Yan was taken aback by the arrogant words of the little girl in front of her. Because of Old Man Yishan¡¯s face, she didn¡¯t reject A Yan just now.


    But this little girl seemed a little ignorant.


    Let her Qin Yan avoid him? What a big face.


    Qin Yan smiled.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Suddenly, there was a strong impact on the hull as the pleasure boat behind collided with the decorated boat. A Yan, who was standing on the eaves of the boat, leaned back without paying attention. Qin Yan subconsciously reached out to pull her. When she was about to touch her, A Yan who was facing up smiled sarcastically at Qin Yan. A Yan withdrew her hand and let herself fall into the water.


    Qin Yan immediately understood what Feng Yuyao said to her at Yunfu Teahouse that day, ¡°Rumor has it that A Yan is very simple, but I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Qin Yan withdrew her hand, and stood at the back of the boat, watching A Yan who was shouting for help and splashing water in a leisurely manner.


    Shen Ying hurried to her master¡¯s side, but Qin Yan did not let her save her.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not our turn to save the beauty in distress.¡± Qin Yan said leisurely.


    As soon as the words fell, a dark figure plunged into the water. It was the secret guard who Taizi Feng Zhan had asked Song Zhi to arrange to protect A Yan.


    Qin Yan raised her eyes and looked at the pleasure boat that had just crashed over. Qin Nian was surrounded by a group of young masters and young ladies at the bow of the boat¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Shortly after Feng Yuyao had taken her seat, she took out a folding fan, opened it, and fanned it out of boredom.


    Seeing the folding fan of Qin Yan in Feng Yuyao¡¯s hand, Second Prince Feng Xian coaxed and said, ¡°Imperial Sister Yuyao, I really like the fan in your hand. How about exchanging it with Imperial Brother? Just say what Imperial Sister wants.¡±


    Feng Yuyao glanced coldly at the shameless Second Prince, ¡°Imperial Brother is drunk.¡±


    Hearing the conversation between the two, everyone present looked at the fan in Feng Yuyao¡¯s hand.


    Xie Changyuan unconsciously glanced at the fan in Feng Yuyao¡¯s hand. In the painting, there were mist and clouds in the mountains, which was elegant and it was a masterpiece. Xie Changyuan¡¯s eyesight was excellent, and he clearly captured the inconspicuous inscription in the lower right corner of the fan, ¡°Drunken Mountain¡±.


    That word!


    It was A Yan¡¯s handwriting. Back then in Wanxue House in Meishan Mountain, he had seen the inscriptions on A Yan¡¯s paintings, which were exactly the same as the handwriting of the words ¡°Drunken Mountain¡±.


    That year, he was rescued by A Yan in Meishan. He couldn¡¯t see for the first two days, and then his eyesight gradually recovered. However, due to the heavy snow closing in the mountain and making it inconvenient to travel, he stayed in Wanxue House for a few days.


    At the first sight, he was attracted by the delicate paintings and vigorous inscriptions in the Wanxue House. Xie Changyuan thought that the little girl who saved him was delicate and weak, but he never thought that her painting skills and brushwork were so exquisite that it made him feel a little fond of A Yan.


    Although since she arrived in the capital, A Yan had devoted herself to those novelties playthings and rarely painted. However, he was deeply impressed by A Yan¡¯s handwriting and would never remember it wrong.


    How could there be A Yan¡¯s words on Feng Yuyao¡¯s fan? And that painting was also similar to the artistic conception of A Yan¡¯s painting.


    In doubt, Xie Changyuan was about to ask.


    The hull of the ship was knocked by a violent blow, and several exclamations from outside interrupted Xie Changyuan¡¯s words.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Princess of Zhaoren pushed Miss A Yan into the water!¡±

 CH 25.1

    Chapter 25          Arrogant (1/2)


    When Xie Changyuan ran to the back of the boat, he saw that a man in black in the water had rescued A Yan and was swimming toward the decorated boat with her. Xie Changyuan breathed a sigh of relief. A Yan had saved his life, and he should have done his best to protect her. If something happened to her because of him, Xie Changyuan would be to blame.


    When Xie Changyuan rushed over, he seemed to bump into Qin Yan who was standing on the edge of the boat.


    Xie Changyuan turned his head and looked to the side. The two master and servant, Qin Yan and Shen Ying stood idly, their expressions as usual, and there was no slightest shame on their faces.


    Originally, on the way out of the cabin, Xie Changyuan had a secret suspicion in his mind. Whether Qin Yan had a conflict with A Yan and pushed A Yan into the water because she was interested in him.


    But seeing Qin Yan¡¯s indifferent appearance at the moment, Xie Changyuan¡¯s heart sank a little. She was really indifferent and had no empathy. Even if she was a peerless beauty, it was just skin with an empty shell.


    Qin Yan¡¯s left shoulder was bumped by Xie Changyuan just now, which was a little painful. She frowned slightly and looked back at Xie Changyuan.


    The once-enviable unmarried couple, for various reasons, was now estranged. Even after today¡¯s encounter, there would be another layer of estrangement between the two.


    When they were young, although they didn¡¯t interact much, they were quite harmonious.


    Besides, there was that incident at the time.


    A Yan in the water looked up at the side of the boat. Xie Changyuan and Qin Yan stood together, and the two really like a pair of well-matched people when they looked at each other.


    A Yan¡¯s heart was full of alarm, Qin Yan must not be allowed to have more contact with Brother Changyuan, and they must not be allowed to renew their affection again. Absolutely not.¡­¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    The man in black brought A Yan to the decorated boat and handed her over to Xie Changyuan.


    Xie Changyuan thanked the man in black, ¡°I don¡¯t know your distinguished name and you have rescued my wife today. I¡¯m very grateful to you. I will visit your home with a gift to thank you another day.¡±


    The man in black didn¡¯t say a word. After giving Xie Changyuan a fist salute, he walked over to Song Zhi who came out of the cabin and said something to Song Zhi in a low voice.


    Song Zhi nodded when he heard the words, and looked at A Yan who was surrounded by Xie Changyuan with a strange expression. Then he turned around and entered the cabin again.


    And the man in black who had just saved the life also left and went to another inconspicuous boat.


    Everyone understood clearly that the man in black was the secret guard of His Highness Taizi.


    A Yan fell into the water and the secret guard of His Highness Taizi went to save people in a blink of an eye. Was this Taizi¡¯s last-minute plan or was it that Taizi had previously instructed the secret guard to protect A Yan?


    Everyone had their own speculation again. His Highness Taizi was taught by Master Yishan, and Miss A Yan was also said to be a disciple of Master Yishan. It was no wonder that His Highness Taizi and Miss A Yan were brothers and sisters under the same master.


    This A Yan was really lucky. Although her background was not prominent, she was married to the Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion by the Emperor, and she was also the disciple of Master Yishan and the junior sister of His Highness Taizi. Now it seemed that His Highness Taizi also attached great importance to her and sent secret guards to protect her. This girl A Yan couldn¡¯t be offended.


    Just now Shizi Xie called Miss A Yan his wife, was she the tacitly recognize first wife?


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this moment, Second Prince Feng Xian and Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao also came out of the cabin and came to the back end of the boat.


    Feng Yuyao walked to Qin Yan¡¯s side, looked Qin Yan up and down, and asked worriedly, ¡°Yanyan, are you okay?¡±


    Hearing this, Xie Changyuan looked at Feng Yuyao coldly.


    Was Feng Yuyao blind? It was A Yan who had an accident, did Qin Yan looks like something was wrong? What could happen to her?


    Second Prince Feng Xian also asked Qin Yan with concern.


    At this moment, a delicate female crying voice suddenly sounded.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, I was so scared just now. I was so afraid that I would never see you again. Woo, woo, woo¡­¡±


    A Yan sobbed softly as she spoke.


    Because A Yan was rescued not long after she fell into the water, she just choked a few mouthfuls of water while struggling in the water, so she was only a little frightened, but she was still conscious. It was not big deal.


    Xie Changyuan wrapped his arms around A Yan¡¯s shoulders, and A Yan buried herself in Xie Changyuan¡¯s arms and sobbed softly.


    Xie Changyuan stroked A Yan¡¯s back lightly, and coaxed the little girl in his arms softly, ¡°A Yan be good. Brother Changyuan is here, don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Second Prince Feng Xian¡­


    Qin Yan¡­


    Shen Ying¡­


    Feng Yuyao couldn¡¯t help shivering with goosebumps all over.


    That pair of a cheating couple! They had no shame in front of everyone!


    ¡ª¡ª


    A Yan¡¯s drenched cotton dress was attached to her body, and the cool evening breeze blew through, making her shiver with cold.


    Xie Changyuan was about to take off his coat and put it on A Yan.


    The An family brothers and sisters also came out of the cabin, and An Yanxi asked the maid to pass the cloak that she took along to the decorated boat to Xie Changyuan.


    ¡°Shizi Xie, this is my cloak. If Miss A Yan doesn¡¯t dislike it, she can put it on first, and not catch the wind chill.¡±


    An Yanxi was well-mannered and kind-hearted, which was in stark contrast to Qin Yan¡¯s indifference over there.


    Qin Yan hadn¡¯t said a word since A Yan fell into the water, which was really unfeeling.


    After Xie Changyuan thanked An Yanxi, he wrapped the cloak around A Yan.


    A Yan bowed to An Yanxi and said softly, ¡°This little girl thanked Miss An.¡±


    An Yanxi returned a gentle smile to A Yan, with a generous expression.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Seeing that A Yan¡¯s mood had recovered a little, Xie Changyuan asked A Yan softly, ¡°What happened just now?¡±


    Qin Yan waited for A Yan¡¯s answer.


    Everyone was also waiting for A Yan¡¯s answer.


    A Yan glanced timidly in Qin Yan¡¯s direction, then retracted into Xie Changyuan¡¯s arms without speaking.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s eyes were slightly cold, ¡°A Yan, don¡¯t be afraid. Just tell the truth.¡±


    A Yan glanced at Qin Yan quickly again, with tears in her eyes, and said to Xie Changyuan, ¡°Brother Changyuan, a boat suddenly ran over just now, and I didn¡¯t stand firm. It¡¯s my own fault. It¡¯s none of Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s business. Really, it¡¯s my own fault.¡±


    Everyone felt that Miss A Yan was lovable, kind, and tactful. She probably didn¡¯t want to make Shizi Xie embarrassed, so she swallowed her grievance and kept explaining that this matter had nothing to do with the Princess of Zhaoren.


    Qin Yan narrowed her eyes slightly, was that it?


    ¡ª¡ª


    The pleasure boat that had just run into them was also detained by the Second Prince¡¯s people next to the decorated boat, and the young masters and young ladies on top were also restrained by the Second Prince¡¯s people, all standing on the side of the boat.


    As soon as A Yan¡¯s words came out, a female voice on the pleasure boat muttered, ¡°It¡¯s obviously the girl A Yan was pushed by Princess of Zhaoren. I saw it all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw it too.¡±


    ¡°I also saw Miss A Yan who was pushed by Princess of Zhaoren, and then Miss A Yan fell into the water.¡±


    ¡°Miss A Yan is so pitiful that she dare not say it.¡±


    ¡­


    With all the mouths full of gold, it seemed that it must be true that Qin Yan pushed A Yan into the water.


    The people on the two boats looked at Qin Yan with a complicated looks.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, don¡¯t blame Princess of Zhaoren by all means. I¡¯m too stupid that she didn¡¯t hold me.¡±


    A Yan, who shrank in Xie Changyuan¡¯s arms, added weakly.


    Didn¡¯t hold her?


    Everyone looked at Qin Yan, who was taller than ordinary women, and Shen Ying, a maid with excellent skills beside her, and then at the petite A Yan in Xie Changyuan¡¯s arms.


    Oh, who was not the clever one among the crowd, and it was not uncommon to use the rear courtyard methods.


    Perhaps the accidental collision of the boat was true, but when the collision occurred, the Princess of Zhaoren took advantage to push A Yan into the water, which was probably also true.


    This A Yan was really simple and kind. She almost lost her life and had to defend the Princess of Zhaoren.


    Probably Princess of Zhaoren was jealous of Miss A Yan because Shizi Xie broke the marriage contract with her. She resented Miss A Yan and waited for a chance to revenge.


    She was really petty and even more malicious.


    ¡ª¡ª


    An Yanxi said to Qin Yan with a serious look, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, if there is any misunderstanding, talk it out properly. How can you treat human life as child¡¯s play?¡±


    Qin Yan moved the left arm that had just been bumped by Xie Changyuan just now, and her phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously.


    A Yan, the person concerned, didn¡¯t say anything, but An Yanxi jumped out to convict her?


    When Feng Yuyao heard this, she blew up, ¡°Miss An, did you see Yanyan harm people¡¯s lives with your own eyes? How can you make that conclusion?¡±


    An Yanxi wanted to argue again but was stopped by An Wenjing.


    An Wenjing shook his head at An Yanxi, motioning her to stop confronting Princess of Jingyi. Today¡¯s matter had nothing to do with them, and there was no need to get involved to make the Princess of Jingyi and Princess of Zhaoren unhappy.


    Interestingly, A Yan, who just said ¡°it¡¯s none of the Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s business¡±, was now just shrinking in Xie Changyuan¡¯s arms, and she hadn¡¯t denied everyone¡¯s suspicions and accusations against Qin Yan.


    Xie Changyuan looked at A Yan who was shivering with cold in his arms and said coldly to Qin Yan, ¡°You once fell into the water and almost died. Do as you would be done by others. I¡¯m sorry to know that you have become so malicious now.¡±


    Everyone looked at Qin Yan meaningfully. Shizi Xie was defending A Yan, but he didn¡¯t leave any room for the Princess of Zhaoren, Qin Yan. This was to draw a clear line with the former fianc¨¦e, Princess of Zhaoren!


    Shen Ying wanted to say something, but Qin Yan raised her hand, and Shen Ying stopped talking.


    Qin Yan looked at Xie Changyuan and said indifferently, ¡°Shizi Xie, it¡¯s your people who fell into the water today. If you want to seek justice for your fianc¨¦e, please report to the County Chief and provide witnesses and evidence yourself. I, Qin Yan, will accompany you.¡±


    ¡°But please remember, if the final result is not what you said, then I will doubt whether you¡¯re falsely framing me. Then, Marquis of Yongding Mansion must give me an explanation.¡±

 CH 25.2

    A Yan was relieved to see that Qin Yan was fighting with Brother Changyuan. The development of the situation was smoother than she expected, but she didn¡¯t plan to give Qin Yan a chance to amend it.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, I¡¯m so cold. Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    At this moment, she just wanted to be alone with Brother Changyuan. Maybe after this time, she and Brother Changyuan could move one step further.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xie Changyuan felt guilty. Today, A Yan fell into the water because of himself. He should treat her kindly and compensate her.


    Xie Changyuan released A Yan, went to the cabin, and said goodbye to Taizi and the Princess of Changle. He came out and carried A Yan in his arms and said, ¡°Your Highness Second Prince, thank you for your hospitality and I¡¯ll leave first. Everyone, goodbye.¡±


    Xie Changyuan and A Yan got off the decorated boat and got into another smaller boat.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Looking at the departing figure of Xie Changyuan, Qin Yan pulled the corners of her lips slightly with a little mockery.


    Indeed, she nearly died when she fell into the water, not once, but twice.


    The first time was in Taiye Pond when she was young. The funny thing was that if she hadn¡¯t fallen into the water, she and Xie Changyuan would not have had a marriage contract.


    And the second time¡­ After she fell into the water in Taiye Pond as a child, she learned to swim. But three years ago, in Meishan, she had an accident that shouldn¡¯t happen at all.


    When Qin Yan remembered that time she fell into the cold pond in Meishan, her heart became a little cold.


    That time, if it hadn¡¯t been for a little girl with no common sense who suddenly appeared and shouted loudly on the cliff after the heavy snow, causing an avalanche, she wouldn¡¯t have been knocked down the cliff by the sudden falling snow bed and fell into a cold pond, and almost died because of it.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Today¡¯s An Yanxi was a little abnormal. She had changed from her usual upright and dignified appearance and had repeatedly spoken by pointing the sword at Qin Yan.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, you are angry with the little girl and almost killed her because of jealousy for a man. This is not the way a noblewoman should behave.¡±


    An Yanxi¡¯s aggressiveness today made An Wenjing a little puzzled. But his sister had always had her own mind, so he didn¡¯t interfere too much.


    Qin Yan squinted her eyes at An Yanxi. She was keenly aware that Miss An was targeting her today, but she had no interaction with her normally. Why was it?


    Feng Yuyao was slightly angry, ¡°Miss An, the Imperial Court of Judicial Review requires all witnesses and material evidence for judgment before the person can be convicted. On what basis do you put a label of harming others¡¯ lives on Yanyan? Is this the practice in the Grand Scholar Mansion?¡±


    When it came to Grand Scholar Mansion, An Wenjing couldn¡¯t stay out of it.


    ¡°Princess of Jingyi, there is a saying that you help the rationale but not the relatives. If the emperor breaks the law, he will share the same crime with the common people. You are blinded by your personal relationship with Princess of Zhaoren, which is biased.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Feng Yuyao was very angry. Why didn¡¯t she find this An family¡¯s brother and sister so annoying before?


    Qin Yan narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the brother and sister, An Wenjing and An Yanxi, with her red lips slightly hooked. She opened her mouth slowly, ¡°I haven¡¯t been in the capital for a long time, but today I¡¯ve seen the upbringing of the Ministry of Rites, the Minister An Mansion. It is rumored that the well-read and knowledgeable Grand Scholar An, but the young master and the young lady of the mansion acted so ignorantly and can only conclude the matter with just a few words. Are you so brainless?¡±


    An Wenjing and An Yanxi¡¯s expressions immediately changed.


    An Yanxi was furious. Qin Yan was clearly at fault, but her attitude was so arrogant. Did she rely on the support of the Emperor?


    On the other hand, An Wenjing calmed down instantly, just now he was really impulsive to protect her sister Yanxi.


    However, this Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s words were really merciless.


    The atmosphere at the back of the decorated boat was a little tense and deadlocked.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the cabin, Song Zhi reported to Taizi Feng Zhan what the secret guard saw.


    The secret guard, who was sent to protect A Yan, could clearly see what happened.


    At the moment when the boats collided, A Yan was on the edge of the boat when she fell backward. Princess of Zhaoren, Qin Yan, stretched out her hand to pull A Yan but A Yan withdrew her hand on her own initiative and didn¡¯t let the Princess of Zhaoren touch her. A Yan seemed to have voluntarily fallen into the water.


    Feng Zhan frowned after hearing this, and Feng Zhan also heard the conversations of everyone outside the cabin clearly.


    A Yan, this woman had an impure mind, and she could even be said to have a bad mind.


    Feng Zhan had been dealing with Master Yishan for many years. His master looked at people primarily based on their character, not their talent. If A Yan¡¯s character was not good, his master would not foolishly accept her as a disciple.


    Feng Zhan doubted if there was a problem with the information he got.


    ¡°Where is Master Yishan recently?¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    ¡°The master¡¯s whereabouts are uncertain, but someone sent a box of sand two months ago, saying it came from Penglai.¡± Song Zhi replied.


    Master Yishan usually wandered around, and occasionally sent people to send some weird gadgets to Feng Zhan.


    ¡°Go to all the places where the master may be and ask what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t want to be used as a tool.¡±


    Feng Zhan was a little angry at the moment. If his secret guard hadn¡¯t seen the entire development clearly, he might even think that Qin Yan was malicious.


    ¡°Song Zhi, withdraw the secret guards that were sent out.¡±


    Song Zhi took the order.

 CH 26.1

    Chapter 26          Injustice (1/2)


    Qin Yan was not interested in wasting time with them here anymore, nor was she interested in touring the lake, so she was ready to leave.


    At this time, Second Prince Feng Xian looked at Qin Yan and said, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, I believe in you, and today I must return your innocence.¡±


    But Qin Yan was not interested in talking to everyone present. If they wanted to report to the County Chief or Imperial Court of Judicial Review, they needed to go through the procedures. What was the point of pointing a finger here?


    People would only choose what they wanted as ¡°truth¡± and only identified the ¡°truth¡± in their favor.


    Besides, just such a trivial matter as the size of a sesame seed was like a big unsolved case. Were they panicking for nothing?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Second Prince Feng Xian¡¯s expression was bad, and asked in a cold voice to the boat that collided with them, ¡°Who said just now that he saw Princess of Zhaoren push Miss A Yan into the water?¡±


    At this moment, everyone who had just been heckling lively over there held their breath and kept quiet. No one wanted to be a notable person. They all lowered their heads and lowered their eyes in an attempt to avoid the sight of the Second Prince.


    Their boat just now was originally some distance away from this luxuriously decorated boat, but suddenly it accelerated toward the decorated boat. Although the young masters and young ladies who were standing on the deck and watching the scenery in style were a little puzzled, they were very playful and found it very interesting.


    When they were about to collide with the decorated boat, someone on the boat recognized them. Standing on the edge of the decorated boat was Princess of Zhaoren Qin Yan and the fianc¨¦e of Shizi Xie of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, A Yan.


    At the moment when the two boats collided, someone saw Princess of Zhaoren Qin Yan stretch out her hand, and then Miss A Yan fell into the water.


    From their point of view, they did see that the Princess of Zhaoren pushed A Yan.


    Moreover, the young masters and young ladies of the officials on this boat were all invited by Qin Nian, the second young lady of the Right Prime Minister Mansion, today. None of them knew the unpleasantness between the Second Miss Qin, Qin Nian, and her eldest sister, the Princess of Zhaoren. Everyone seemed to have a tacit understanding, even if they were just suspicious, they insisted that the Princess of Zhaoren had pushed someone.


    It was a pity that after A Yan fell into the water, someone immediately jumped into the water to rescue her. If someone died, this matter would be even more bigger and exciting.


    Later, they were even more excited when they saw Shizi Xie of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion come out of the cabin. Shizi Xie¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e pushed his current fianc¨¦e into the water, how would Shizi Xie handle this? This was a bloody scene, ah!


    It wasn¡¯t until the Second Prince and Princess of Jingyi came out that they knew it was not good. There were several big Buddhas on the decorated boat at the same time. The background of each family was higher than that of the people on the boat, not to mention the prince and the princess. Only then did they stop watching the excitement, just hoping the matter to calm down as soon as possible, and not make it any bigger.


    Second Prince Feng Xian sent someone to detain their boat, and they couldn¡¯t leave even if they wanted to slip away.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Seeing that no one answered, Second Prince Feng Xian asked in a cold voice, ¡°Who just said that he saw Princess of Zhaoren push A Yan with his own eyes? Stand out immediately. This Prince has no free time to wait. If you don¡¯t tell me, I will send someone to ask your father and brother one by one to see if they say it or not.¡±


    All the young masters and young ladies froze, how could they let their families know about this? Everyone looked at each other as if they had a tacit understanding. Then, a small open space was opened up in the crowd, and a young lady in a green skirt stood in the middle.


    The young lady who kept her head down and said nothing was named Du Ling, whose father was the Right Minister of the Ministry of Finance who had just entered the capital some time ago.


    This Du Mansion also could be said lucky. The former minister of the Ministry of Finance, An Binghuai, was corrupt, and the case had implicated another assistant minister of the Ministry of Finance. And the new Right Minister of the Ministry of Finance, who was newly appointed to the capital, became the Minister of the Ministry of Finance under the recommendation of the Right Prime Minister, Qin Wenzheng.


    Therefore, Du Ling, the second daughter of the newly appointed Minister of Finance, became Qin Nian¡¯s little follower and followed Qin Nian¡¯s lead.


    It was Du Ling who shouted loudly after A Yan fell into the water, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren pushed Miss A Yan into the water.¡±


    It was also when everyone was heckling just now, Du Ling insisted that she saw Princess of Zhaoren stretch out her hand and push Miss A Yan down.


    Seeing that the matter had come to this point, Du Ling couldn¡¯t just hide anymore. After saluting, she said, ¡°Your Highness Second Prince, it was me who saw Princess of Zhaoren push Miss A Yan¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Second Prince Feng Xian¡¯s cold voice.


    ¡°Think clearly and say it again. Did you see it with your own eyes that Princess of Zhaoren push someone?¡± Feng Xian said word by word, with a profound pressure in his words, which made Du Ling¡¯s scalp numb when she heard it.


    Second Prince Feng Xian¡¯s eyes were cold. Du Ling raised her eyes only to take a look and was so frightened that she withdrew her eyes, hanging her head and thinking about how to answer.


    It seemed that the Second Prince was going to protect the Princess of Zhaoren. Du Ling said in her heart, it would be meaningless to continue biting Princess of Zhaoren and this was not a trial, even though the concerned person A Yan had already left. Since she blew it up to this extent, the favor she showed to Second Miss Qin was also considered good. Thinking of this, Du Ling said with a sigh of relief, ¡°Your Highness Second Prince, I only saw Princess of Zhaoren stretch out her hand, and Miss A Yan fell into the water. Perhaps my eyes are blurry and I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°In other words, you didn¡¯t see Princess of Zhaoren push anyone?¡± The Second Prince¡¯s voice was truly cold.


    Du Ling was sweating coldly, was this the coercion of the imperial family? The coercion of power?


    ¡°Yes, yes, I didn¡¯t see it.¡± Du Ling¡¯s voice was trembling and forced herself to finish the sentence.


    Feng Xian raised a sneer at the corner of his mouth, and scoffed in his heart, playing with him without weighing her own identity.


    Feng Xian turned to Qin Yan and said warmly, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, everyone misunderstood you.¡±


    Qin Yan looked as usual and didn¡¯t make a sound.


    The Second Prince¡¯s condescending interrogation method was indeed very characteristic of the capital.


    However, Feng Yuyao was right, these young masters and young ladies from noble families were indeed difficult to deal with, and Qin Yan was indeed bored.

 CH 26.2

    Chapter 26          Injustice (2/2)


    An Yanxi turned her head to her brother, An Wenjing, with a smile, ¡°Oh, brother, this is the charm of power, ah. At last, I have seen it today.¡±


    An Wenjing¡¯s face changed, and he immediately scolded An Yanxi with a suppressed voice, ¡°Yanxi!¡±


    An Wenjing was very surprised, what happened to Yanxi today? She would not be so unreasonable usually. Moreover, it was the Second Prince who asked the question just now. No matter what the truth was and if Yanxi questioned the outcome, which meant she questioned the Second Prince.


    Second Prince Feng Xian said in a bad tone with a cold face, ¡°Is Miss An saying that this Prince is using power to oppress people?¡±


    The An family brothers and sisters were shocked. The Grand Scholar Mansion was the Taizi¡¯s faction and had no relationship with the Second Prince, or even with an antagonistic relationship, it had not been brought to the surface. It was extremely inappropriate to cause this situation today, which might cause trouble to their father and His Highness Taizi, and even the Emperor would not like it.


    An Yanxi regretted her unyielding words just now, but Qin Yan really made her feel threatened, which caused her to become agitated.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this time, Feng Yunchao came out, ¡°Second Imperial Brother, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding.¡±


    When the young masters and young ladies on Qin Nian¡¯s boat saw Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao, they were even more afraid. Fortunately, nothing happened when the two boats collided. This first princess was someone that His Highness Taizi highly values. They didn¡¯t read the almanac when they went out today. At this moment, they all resented Qin Nian who invited them to tour the lake. They couldn¡¯t afford to offend anyone on the decorated boat over there.


    In the cabin just now, after the brother and sister of the An family went out, Song Zhi did not avoid Feng Yunchao when he reported to Taizi Feng Zhan what the secret guard had seen of A Yan falling into the water. Therefore, Feng Yunchao knew the truth about the whole thing.


    Feng Yunchao also listened to the conversation outside. She sighed that Qin Yan at this time seemed to be like her imperial mother back then. All mouths were full of gold, and there was no way to justify it. Her imperial mother could only escape the conspiracies in the palace and trapped herself in Dajue Temple for many years.


    At this moment, when the evening wind picked up, Shen Ying took out the cloak and put it on Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan tightened the cloak on her body and frowned, she didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer.


    Feng Yunchao glanced at Qin Yan who seemed impatient, and said, ¡°Today, this is a misunderstanding. According to the report of Imperial Brother Taizi¡¯s secret guard, A Yan leaned back out of the boat because the two boats collided. Princess of Zhaoren stretched out her hand to save A Yan, but before she could touch her, A Yan has already fallen into the water.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t still want to question what Imperial Brother Taizi¡¯s secret guard said, right?¡±


    Feng Yuyao looked around at the people on the scene, and everyone bowed their heads and said nothing. Who would dare to question His Highness Taizi¡¯s secret guard? There was no reason for His Highness Taizi to cover up for the Princess of Zhaoren.


    Second Prince Feng Xian said to Qin Yan, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, I have believed in you from beginning to end.¡±


    Feng Yunchao took An Yanxi¡¯s hand and comforted her, ¡°Yanxi didn¡¯t know about it, so she said a few more words.¡±


    An Yanxi was a little embarrassed and disappointed. She thought that Qin Yan would not be able to clean this matter regardless of the facts. Today, she even used the rear courtyard methods that she usually disdained, but she never thought that Feng Yunchao would actually speak for Qin Yan.


    Her previous judgment was correct, Qin Yan was indeed a threat.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Second Prince asked the pleasure boat, ¡°Why did your boat crash over?¡±


    The boatman was pushed out by the Second Prince¡¯s people. When he saw the prince and princesses on the opposite side, the boatman did not dare to hide it. He immediately knelt down and pointed at Du Ling in the crowd and said, ¡°Every noble, please spare my life. It¡¯s that young lady who tells me to crash into it.¡±


    A few steps behind Du Ling was Qin Nian who was hiding behind the crowd.


    Qin Nian was her backbone, but Du Ling couldn¡¯t bear to look back. She had already offended the Second Prince and Princess of Zhaoren, and she couldn¡¯t implicate Qin Nian. Otherwise, there would be no one to plead for her.


    ¡°It was me. It was me who was playful. I wanted to scare the two girls at the back of the decorated boat. But I didn¡¯t recognize that they were Princess of Zhaoren and Shizi Xie¡¯s fianc¨¦e. I also didn¡¯t know that there were Second Prince and two princesses on the boat. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    Oh, that meant, if they weren¡¯t nobles, she could play with human life?


    Besides, in the Qianshui Lake today, the Second Prince¡¯s decorated boat was the largest and most luxurious, and even fools knew that there were many nobles on top who couldn¡¯t be afforded to offend. This reason¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Taizi Feng Zhan was already very impatient with today¡¯s farce. He went out of the cabin and prepared to leave.


    Among the young masters and young ladies on the pleasure boat, some had seen the Taizi from a distance and wanted to cry but had no tears. Today was a crime day!


    There were two princes and two princesses on the decorated boat, which was enough to choke them. Unexpectedly, there was a powerful Taizi who supervised the country, and even their fathers and brothers had to survive under Taizi¡¯s hands. How could they be excused?


    They were so frightened that their legs went soft and knelt down to salute the Taizi.


    Today¡¯s Feng Zhan was dressed in a black brocade robe embroidered with gold thread, a jade crown on his head, and his face was still as cold as ever.


    He walked steadily on the slightly rocking deck and stopped five steps away from Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan raised her eyes to meet Feng Zhan¡¯s deep black eyes.


    Feng Zhan fixed his eyes on the delicate face of Qin Yan, who seemed didn¡¯t care, in front of him.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly lower, ¡°Isn¡¯t your secret guard also watching? If my secret guard doesn¡¯t say anything, are you going to just bear the reputation of being vicious?¡±


    Qin Yan¡­


    Would anyone believe what her secret guard says?


    Taizi Feng Zhan looked at Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s expression with a look of displeasure, but his words also confirmed what Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao had just said. Princess of Zhaoren Qin Yan was indeed wronged.

 CH 27.1

    Chapter 27          Jealous (1/2)


    Feng Zhan turned to look at the pleasure boat beside him, and said with a cold tone, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s interesting to crash into a decorated boat if you see no noble person on the boat?¡±


    Everyone on the pleasure boat buried their heads lower and said nothing.


    Du Ling¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and the cold sweat on her back soaked her clothes. She never imagined that there was the Taizi on the decorated boat. To them, His Highness Taizi, who was the same as the clouds in the sky, how could he appear in this place?


    There was not much time left for Du Ling to think about it. She thought about it roughly that she couldn¡¯t bear this matter alone.


    Du Ling spoke hurriedly, ¡°Your Highness Taizi, I was instructed by someone. It was the Second Miss Qin of the Right Prime Minister Mansion. Qin Nian asked me to find the boatman to crash the decorated boat and this pleasure boat is even chartered under Qin Nian. Your Highness Taizi, please investigate clearly.¡±


    Everyone on the cruise tacitly opened up another position, revealing Qin Nian, who had been hiding behind others.


    Today¡¯s Qin Nian was wearing a lake blue silk pleated dress. She originally bowed her head kneeling down. After hearing Du Ling disclose her, she raised her head calmly and lowered her eyes to look at Taizi Feng Zhan¡¯s black boots on the decorated boat and opened her mouth steadily.


    ¡°I was truly wronged. I just saw my eldest sister standing on the decorated boat from a distance, so I asked Miss Du to instruct the boatman to drive the boat over and wanted to greet my eldest sister. It was probably Miss Du who misinterpreted what I meant or the boatman who misinterpreted it, that caused this misunderstanding. I hope Your Highness Taizi can investigate clearly.¡±


    Qin Nian spoke unhurriedly, not at all like there was a ghost in her heart. After saying that, she saluted while kneeling and said while looking at Second Prince Feng Xian, ¡°In any case, this matter is caused by me, and I¡¯ll apologize to everyone. For the losses caused to the decorated boat, Cousin Second Prince can send someone to draw up a list and send it to the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion, and I¡¯ll compensate according to the price.¡±


    Qin Nian¡¯s courage to take responsibility and her generous attitude gave everyone a good impression.


    Du Ling opened her mouth and said nothing. Qin Nian said it was a misunderstanding, so it could only be a misunderstanding.


    Du Ling was very shocked that Qin Nian was able to turn this matter around, which opened her eyes.


    After entering the capital, Du Ling realized the position of female family members in the rear courtyard of the capital. She still had a lot to learn, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t understand how she had suffered losses when dealing with these noble families in the future.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°It turned out to be Cousin Niannian. I didn¡¯t think you would do it on purpose, it was all a misunderstanding.¡± Second Prince Feng Xian didn¡¯t want to have any estrange with his uncle, the Right Prime Minister, Qin Wenzheng, because of this, and planned to let it go.


    But Taizi Feng Zhan planned to give them a warning.


    Feng Zhan said in a deep voice, ¡°Song Zhi, draw up the list of everyone on the pleasure boat. Tomorrow, in the name of the Taizi Mansion, send a set of ¡°Yan¡¯s Family Instructions¡± to their mansion one by one.¡±


    All the young masters and young ladies¡­!!!


    This time had to endure the lecture!


    This time had to endure the punishment!


    This time had to kneel at the ancestral hall!


    This time had to be confined!


    This time the pocket money would be deducted!


    ¡­.


    Song Zhi immediately sent someone over to the pleasure boat to register all the young masters and young ladies who were drooping their heads.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Seeing that the matter had been resolved satisfactorily, Second Prince Feng Xian coaxed Qin Yan, ¡°Yanyan, do you want to play a few rounds of horse tag? I have someone prepare a card table on the boat.¡±


    Everyone¡­


    Second Prince, was it appropriate for you to mention this now?


    ¡°Your Highness Second Prince, I used to oppress people with power. I like to be called by my title, so you¡¯d better call me Princess of Zhaoren.¡±


    Qin Yan said this to answer Second Prince Feng Xian, but she looked at An Yanxi.


    This was Qin Yan¡¯s response to An Yanxi¡¯s phrase ¡°the charm of power¡±. She wasn¡¯t only not modest at all, but also had an attitude of ¡°oppressing people with power¡±.


    An Yanxi sneered in her heart. Qin Yan was so arrogant in front of His Highness Taizi, regardless of dignity and reputation, how could she be worthy of the noble and extraordinary His Highness Taizi?


    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired today, so forget about the horse tag. Let¡¯s make an appointment at Princess Mansion in Xishan another day.¡± No matter what was the purpose of the Second Prince today, Qin Yan had received his favor.


    Taizi Feng Zhan, who was about to get off the boat, heard that Qin Yan invited Feng Xian to play horse tag at Princess Mansion in Xishan, felt a little uneasy for some reason.


    Feng Zhan took back the steps he took, turned around, swept his eyes coldly across Qin Yan and Feng Xian¡¯s faces, and said coldly, ¡°Being addicted to horse tagging will delay official duties. Second Imperial Brother, have you forgotten what I¡¯ve said before?¡±


    Feng Xian was annoyed that Taizi was so intolerant. Could it be that Qin Yan didn¡¯t invite Taizi, so Taizi was jealous about it?


    Tsk, tsk¡­


    Taizi, Feng Yunchao, and the An family¡¯s brother and sister left the decorated boat together.

 CH 27.2

    Chapter 27          Jealous (2/2)


    Although there were many twists and turns today, Feng Xian was also quite satisfied. He defended Qin Yan and Qin Yan seemed to have accepted this favor, so she invited him to go to the Princess Mansion in Xishan to play horse tag. It was very good and was not far from marrying Qin Yan as his imperial concubine.


    After Taizi and his party got off the boat, Qin Yan and Feng Yuyao also bid farewell to the Second Prince and prepared to leave.


    Second Prince Feng Xian suddenly remembered something and stopped Feng Yuyao, ¡°Imperial Sister Yuyao, that fan¡­¡±


    Although Feng Yuyao didn¡¯t like the Second Prince¡¯s thick skin, he defended Yanyan today, which made Feng Yuyao a little tangled. But this fan was Yanyan¡¯s thing, and she couldn¡¯t give it away without her permission.


    Qin Yan stopped and looked back, wondering why Feng Yuyao didn¡¯t leave yet.


    Feng Xian said to Qin Yan, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, I admire your fan very much. Can I ask you for one?¡±


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t care, her fan was just an ordinary object, and there were many in the warehouse. Mister Ji and Jiang Mu also had them. It was just right to be able to use a fan to return the favor of the Second Prince.


    Qin Yan said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to send a fan to the palace another day.¡±


    Feng Xian waved his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t have to be so troublesome. When I go to the Princess Mansion in Xishan for a horse tag, I will go to your mansion to pick it up myself.¡±


    ¡­..


    Feng Yuyao thought to herself, climbing up along the pole. The Second Imperial Brother was really thick-skinned.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Today at Qianshui Lake, when Xie Changyuan went ashore with A Yan who was drenched all over, he thought that A Yan would be better off soaking in a hot pool to warm herself. However, due to the crowded streets today, the speed of the carriage was extremely slow, which might cause A Yan to catch a cold if delayed for too long, so he decided to take A Yan straight to Shuyu Lane on the west bank of Qianshui Lake.


    Originally, He Xiao also invited Xie Changyuan to Shuyu Lane today. Although it was not suitable for a girl to go to that place, it was now a stopgap measure.


    The eye-catching feature of Qianshui Lake in the south of the capital was not the light and color of the lake, but the Qianshui Promenade that surrounds the lake.


    The Qianshui Promenade was lined with buildings, courtyards, and pavilions, including the famous brothels in the capital.


    This place was different from the ordinary red-light district. Among these singing and dancing clubs, there were many talented elegant prostitutes.


    Every year, the Qianshui Promenade held a courtesan competition jointly held with various dance clubs, and one outstanding person would be selected, that was, the courtesan of the year.


    This year¡¯s courtesan was Miss Nanxu from Shuyu Lane. This new courtesan Nanxu was an elegant prostitute who was good at poetry and music.


    And Miss Nanxu was held up by He Xiao, the eldest son of the Minister of the Ministry of War.


    He Xiao was a frequent visitor to Shuyu Lane.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Xie Changyuan arrived at Shuyu Lane, He Xiao had not left.


    Seeing that Xie Changyuan also brought A Yan, tsk¡­ Did A Yan, who was drenched all over, fall into the water? What was the situation?


    Xie Changyuan ignored He Xiao¡¯s curiosity and asked Nanxu to take A Yan to soak in a hot pool.


    And let the young manservant go out to buy clothes for A Yan.


    Nanxu shook her head with a smile and said, ¡°How can you ask the young manservant to buy clothes for a girl. I have new clothes in my room. According to Miss A Yan¡¯s body size, I¡¯ll change it a little bit, and it will be fine in a while.¡±


    At this moment, A Yan, who was drenched and embarrassed, looked at the generous Nanxu, who was dressed brightly and elegantly, and regretted that she deliberately fell into the water today.


    It seemed that Brother Changyuan and Nanxu were very familiar with each other, who was this Nanxu?


    ¡ª¡ª


    When A Yan went inside to take a bath, Xie Changyuan and He Xiao were drinking by the window. The lake was shining outside the window, with the sunset glow and Nanxu was doing needlework on the beauty couch at the side. At this moment, there was an illusion of a peaceful and quiet life.


    Oh, but in fact, they were all frustrated people.


    Nanxu, formerly known as An Qingruo, was the second daughter of the previous minister of the Ministry of Finance, An Binghuai.


    An Binghuai was removed from his position and his home was ransacked because of his corruption, which involved a lot of people. The Emperor and the Taizi were outraged. The male members of An Mansion were exiled to Shuobei, and the female family members were used as official prostitutes. An Binghuai had only two daughters, the eldest daughter had been married to Jiangnan and escaped the crisis. But the second daughter, An Qingruo, was not so lucky. She was reduced to Shuyu Lane by the Qianshui Lake. Fortunately, she was saved from humiliation by her acquaintance He Xiao.


    And An Qingruo had long passed the age of discussing marriage, and it was late to get married, but it was because she secretly loved Xie Changyuan. She had been waiting for Xie Changyuan¡¯s filial piety period to end, even if as a concubine, she was willing. She waited for her predestined love marriage, but what awaited her was the downfall of the family.


    Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t know An Qingruo¡¯s thoughts, but how could He Xiao, a frequent visitor of the brothels, not see it?


    When A Yan was soaking in the hot pool, she kept guessing about Nanxu¡¯s identity. She always felt that Nanxu looked familiar. Who did she look like?


    Just thinking about it, Nanxu brought the clothes in. Outside the screen, Nanxu¡¯s voice was soft, ¡°Miss A Yan, the clothes are here, call me if you need something.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Nanxu.¡±


    Nanxu went out and saw that Xie Changyuan and He Xiao were still drinking. As usual, she took the pipa and sang while playing it at the side.


    When A Yan came out, this was what she saw. She felt extremely uncomfortable. She didn¡¯t like how Nanxu was so familiar with Brother Changyuan.


    A Yan took a closer look at Nanxu¡¯s appearance, did she actually look like her, Miss An?


    She had inadvertently overheard the conversation between Brother Changyuan and He Xiao. It seemed that He Xiao liked An Yanxi, the eldest young lady of the An family, so Nanxu was¡­


    It turned out to be like this, He Xiao actually found a substitute!


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Taizi and his party boarded the carriage to leave Qianshui Lake, An Yanxi stepped forward to the Taizi¡¯s carriage and said she wanted to speak to His Highness Taizi alone.


    Feng Zhan frowned in displeasure, but still waved back Song Zhi who blocked in front of An Yanxi.


    An Yanxi had prepared a sachet she made by herself a few days ago. The embroidery on it was exquisite. Today¡¯s Double Seven Festival was also the time to test the girl¡¯s needlework. An Yanxi was very satisfied with her embroidery.


    Before taking the route of talented women by herself, Taizi remained unmoved. She planned to let His Highness Taizi know more about her.


    At this moment, An Yanxi and the Taizi were standing under a willow tree. Praying for marriage under the tree on today¡¯s Double Seven Festival was just right.


    Before An Yanxi could take out the prepared sachet from her sleeve, Feng Zhan said coldly, ¡°I told you before that your improper conduct will affect your brother¡¯s judgment, did you not remember?¡±


    After speaking, Feng Zhan boarded Taizi¡¯s carriage and left.


    An Yanxi stood there in a daze, and she didn¡¯t even hear Feng Yunchao calling her when the Princess of Changle¡¯s carriage came over.


    When Feng Yunchao saw An Yanxi¡¯s depressed expression, she knew in her heart that Yanxi should have been rejected by Imperial Brother Taizi again. At this moment, she left her alone, then put down the curtain and left.


    An Yanxi¡¯s heart was sour.


    In the past, there had never been a woman other than herself next to His Highness Taizi. She thought that even if His Highness Taizi had no intention toward her, relying on the relationship between her brother and her father, she would be the most suitable candidate for the crown princess in the future.


    Now another existence was even more special than her, who was able to win the favor of His Highness Taizi and Feng Yunchao.


    Qin Yan, should not exist.

 CH 28.1

    Chapter 28          Agreement (1/2)


    The night was hazy.


    In the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Xie Changyuan had something weighing on his mind. After dinner, he strolled around the lake in the mansion to sober himself.


    When he got to the lake, he saw A Yan, who was wearing a light pink cotton dress, holding a small silk fan fluttering at the fireflies by the lake.


    A Yan¡¯s laughter was like a silver bell, jumping and skipping, very lively and lovely.


    Xie Chang Yuan smiled unconsciously, A Yan could always bring him joy and relieve his restlessness.


    The maid next to A Yan saw the Shizi in the distance and was about to open her mouth to salute, but Xie Changyuan raised her hand to stop her. He didn¡¯t want to disturb A Yan and couldn¡¯t bear to ruin the beauty of this moment.


    Xie Changyuan walked to A Yan¡¯s side. Just as A Yan jumped up, she turned her foot. Xie Changyuan hurriedly reached out to catch A Yan. He raised his foot and stepped on a lake stone, and the two of them fell on the grass beside the lake.


    Before falling to the ground, Xie Changyuan turned around and put himself on the bottom, and A Yan fell on Xie Changyuan¡¯s body.


    The moment they landed, the corners of their lips brushed against each other accidentally, and they quickly turned their faces away in embarrassment.


    At this moment, the two embraced each other, and the warm breath blew on each other¡¯s neck and shoulders, which caused an ambiguous passion to raise between them.


    ¡°Oh, Miss, are you alright?¡± It was A Yan¡¯s maid, who cried out in surprise without discerning eyes.


    A Yan blushed, and hurriedly got up from Xie Changyuan, stood aside, and had her maid tidy up her dress.


    Xie Chang Yuan smiled, propped on the ground with one hand, and was about to get up, but a fan was pressed by his hand.


    Xie Changyuan picked up the fan and was about to return it to A Yan. When looking at the fan, Xie Changyuan suddenly remembered the folding fan that the Second Prince Feng Xian asked Feng Yuyao for on the decorated boat today that had A Yan¡¯s handwriting.


    Xie Changyuan got up and said to A Yan, ¡°Today on the decorated boat¡­¡± The words had just been spoken, but A Yan interrupted.


    A Yan was still shy at first, but she suddenly heard Brother Changyuan mention the decorated boat. Today, Brother Changyuan stood up for her without hesitation and A Yan was very moved. Brother Changyuan reprimanded Qin Yan coldly, which also made A Yan feel very happy. Today¡¯s effect had exceeded her expectations and she didn¡¯t want Brother Changyuan to think of Qin Yan again, so she interrupted Xie Changyuan¡¯s unspoken words.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, I was really scared today. I don¡¯t want to recall it anymore. Let¡¯s not mention this matter, okay?¡± A Yan pleaded.


    Hearing this, Xie Changyuan felt even more pitiful and guilty for A Yan in his heart. Then he didn¡¯t say anything again, and it was not a big deal to wait for A Yan to get better before asking her.


    Afterward, A Yan accompanied Xie Changyuan for a stroll by the lake.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Qing originally planned to take a walk by the lake after dinner, but after seeing Xie Changyuan and A Yan, she immediately turned around and walked back.


    The maid who followed asked doubtfully, ¡°Miss, why don¡¯t you go?¡±


    Seeing that her young lady was silent and just walked back, the maid looked back.


    It turned out that the man and woman by the lake were Shizi and Miss A Yan. The maids knew in her heart that it was not surprising as their young lady had always avoided Shizi.


    Xie Qing was in a hurry. She didn¡¯t want to face Xie Changyuan, which made her feel embarrassed and ashamed.


    She knew that Xie Changyuan disliked her mother and their brother and sister. For Xie Changyuan, she had always avoided him whenever she could, and never touched the bad luck.


    Now that her brother was back, if she couldn¡¯t survive here, she would go to her brother¡¯s residence.


    ¡ª¡ª


    It was recorded in the ¡°The Book of Han Dynasty ¨C Annals of the Law and Calendar ¡°, ¡°The Weaver Girl period refers to the beginning of the morning glory when the sun and the moon are recorded, it is called the Star Period.¡±


    ¡°When the year ends, it is the start of a new year. On the same day, one can pray for the harvest, pray for blessings, pray for longevity, and pray for children. One can only ask for one, and not more.¡±


    In the imperial garden of the inner court of the Imperial City.


    The imperial concubines in the harem fasted and bathed, headed by Imperial Concubine Xian who held the phoenix seal on their behalf. Before the incense table under the moon, burning incense and praying for favorable weather and a prosperous harvest.


    After the ceremony, the imperial concubines left one after another. Imperial Concubine Xian had always been meticulous in her work and stayed behind to personally watch the palace servants deal with the cleaning-up matters such as the incense sticks, candles, and so on, and guard against catching fire.


    In the time of a stick of incense, Imperial Concubine Xian was ready to return to Jingren Palace.


    Passing a rockery on the road, two low-rank imperial concubines walking slowly on the path behind the banana leaves were gossiping in a low voice.


    ¡°Among the Empress and the four imperial concubines, only Imperial Concubine Xian has no children. Imperial Concubine Xian stayed behind and did not leave. She is so pious. Does she want to pray to the moon to ask for a son?¡±


    ¡°Heh, pray for a son? Even if Imperial Concubine Xian asks Heaven and worships Buddha every day, she won¡¯t be able to ask for it.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell others. I accidentally heard the old lady from the Laundry Bureau say that Imperial Concubine Xian had a miscarriage and seems to be unable to conceive again.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, so miserable! It¡¯s a pity that Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s status is so high that she is almost catching up with the Empress. If there is another son, it will be incredible.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s miscarriage seemed to be related to the Empress who is now in Dajue Temple.¡±


    ¡°Ah! No way? Aren¡¯t the Empress and Imperial Concubine Xian from the Left Prime Minister Mansion? Aren¡¯t they sisters? They are still sisters related by blood!¡±


    ¡°In the imperial family, even fathers, sons, and brothers can kill each other, so what¡¯s more about sisters? Hehe, you mustn¡¯t tell anyone else. Go, go, look at my mouth, I shouldn¡¯t have told you anything¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The sound faded away.


    Just now, the momo was going to teach the two imperial concubines a lesson but was stopped by Imperial Concubine Xian.


    After thinking about her position, she didn¡¯t know that she was so pitiful in the mouths of others.


    Oh, yes, she was indeed pitiful. She had lost the qualifications to be a mother, and it was impossible to have children of her own in this life.


    Imperial Concubine Xian looked to the west side. Sister, could the sound of the bells in Dajue Temple make you feel at ease?


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion.


    Prime Minister Qin set up an incense table under the moon, and together with his son Qin Ming worshipped Kui and asked for wisdom.


    Kui, or God of Fate, was the first star of the Big Dipper. Legend had it that he was the God of Culture, and his name was Emperor Wenchang. In order to be the top scorers in the imperial examination and became prosperous in their official careers, the scholars worshipped Kui and begged for wisdom under the moon on the Double Seven Festival.


    On the incense table, there was a two-foot-tall man with a blue face and eyes, and a paper tie in a brocade robe and black boots. His left hand was brushing the red beard on his chest, and his right hand was holding a red writing brush. The offerings were tea, wine, fruits, and a cooked horned ram¡¯s head with red silk on its horns for decoration.


    After the joss sticks and candles were lit, Prime Minister Qin and Qin Ming bowed to the God of Fate.


    After the worship, the two sat opposite each other at the round table in front of the incense table.


    Qin Ming glanced around and asked puzzledly, ¡°Father, are we the only two people on the Double Seventh Festival this year?¡±


    Qin Wenzheng sighed and said, ¡°Your grandmother is unwell, and is resting in the room.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Qin Ming was waiting for his father to continue. What about his mother and second sister?


    But Qin Wenzheng was drinking and eating by himself and didn¡¯t speak again.


    Qin Ming was puzzled, and asked again, ¡°Father, where is Second Sister? Isn¡¯t she worshipping the Weaver Girl under the moon every Double Seventh Festival night?¡±


    Qin Wenzheng got angry as soon as he heard Qin Nian, and he put down the wine cup heavily.


    ¡°She got into trouble today and is thinking about her mistakes behind closed doors. Your mother couldn¡¯t bear Qin Nian not having dinner, so she went to accompany her. Hmph, how dare she eat after causing such big trouble?¡± Qin Wenzheng said with anger.


    Qin Ming was in the room today. He followed a rare book of martial arts that he bought with two months of pocket money at the bookstore, secretly practiced the martial arts, and didn¡¯t leave the mansion. So, he didn¡¯t know what happened.


    ¡°Father, what trouble did my sister cause?¡±

 CH 28.2

    Chapter 28          Agreement (2/2)


    ¡°When she gets out of confinement, you can ask her yourself.¡± Qin Wenzheng¡¯s tone was not good.


    Qin Nian didn¡¯t hide what happened in Qianshui Lake today and told Qin Wenzheng when she came back.


    Qin Wenzheng was furious when he heard this. Qin Nian actually brought the young masters and the young ladies of his coworkers into such a big disaster!


    They dared to crash the Second Prince¡¯s decorated boat with their status!


    There was also the Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, two princesses, and even the Taizi on the decorated boat!


    Oh, and also Qin Yan!


    Niannian had always acted prudently and decently, but today it should be because of Qin Yan. It was Qin Yan again!


    Listening to Niannian, the Taizi would send someone to deliver ¡°Yan¡¯s Family Instructions¡± to their mansion tomorrow.


    What did this mean? It meant that there was no upbringing in the family!


    He still had to face those coworkers in court tomorrow, where would he put his face?!


    ¡ª¡ª


    The clear night was boundless.


    The lotus pond on the south side of the plum grove in the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion overlooked the meadow at the foot of the mountainside.


    The night breeze was neither cool nor dry. Feng Yuyao and Qin Yan were lounging on the reed mats covered by the meadow, listening to the chirping of insects, and¡­ the melodious sound of Jiang Mu playing flute beside the lotus pond.


    Although Ji Nanfeng instructed the servants to smoke mugwort leaves all over the meadow to repel mosquitoes, occasionally one or two mosquitoes that slipped through the smoke would disturb the two beauties in the dark.


    Shen Ying sat cross-legged on the rattan ball beside Qin Yan and fanned a wide fan in her hand, her eyes were as bright as a torch, chasing the mosquitoes that broke into it.


    Ji Nanfeng stood with his hands on the side beside a few thin bamboos five feet away, looking up at the sky.


    After a long time.


    Feng Yuyao asked suspiciously, ¡°What is it with Mister Ji?¡±


    Shen Ying fanned the fan in her hand and replied, ¡°Princess, Mister Ji always stargazing on every Double Seven Festival.¡±


    Feng Yuyao praised, ¡°Yanyan, this Mister Ji of yours is really a talent, ah.¡±


    Qin Yan closed her eyes slightly, relaxed her body, and spoke in a calm tone, ¡°The Three Stars of the Weaver Girl is in the sky of the East City. They can be seen on the first, sixth, and seventh of the seventh month in the east at dawn which means that it has entered the first month of autumn. By checking the sun and the moon at this time, we can see whether the harvests of the year are in good or bad shape.¡±


    Feng Yuyao praised in her heart. Tsk, tsk, all of them were talents.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At the Cangtai Waterside Pavilion next to the plum grove in Xishan of the Taizi Mansion.


    Feng Zhan held a scroll of scriptures in his hand, and a cup of hot tea was placed on the side table. A white mist was suffusing above the green teacup, and the fragrance of tea spread from the inside.


    There was a sudden flute sound in his ears, Feng Zhan frowned slightly, and raised his eyes to look out.


    It came from over there¡­


    Not long after, there came a woman¡¯s chatter and laughter, which sounded like the Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao.


    Song Zhi, who was accompanied by the side, sighed, Princess of Jingyi looked like she was letting herself free when she went out of the palace.


    Song Zhi left the waterside pavilion and returned shortly, bringing back the news of the secret guard.


    Today, the Princess of Jingyi was staying overnight at the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s flute sound is beautiful, but it seems too desolate. If there are harmonies between the guqin and the flute, then it will be even more¡­¡± Song Zhi suddenly stopped talking as he talked too much.


    Song Zhi followed His Highness Taizi in many ways every day, and he knew a little about everything. Thus just now, he was inspired by his feelings, but he almost forgot that His Highness Taizi didn¡¯t like noise.


    Feng Zhan on the Zen seat put down the scriptures in his hand and squeezed his eyebrows lightly.


    Feng Zhan raised his eyes and swept through the Xihe guqin placed on the table in the waterside pavilion.


    Early this morning, Feng Yunchao brought the guqin to the Taizi Mansion. She knew the temperament of her Imperial Brother Taizi, but she wanted to invite him to visit the lake. She planned to fight a long battle, so she brought the guqin to pass the time. When she left, she forgot to take it back to the palace.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan got up, walked slowly to the guqin, and sat down.


    After trying a few notes, he raised his hand and played the guqin.


    The moment the guqin sounded on the Taizi Mansion, the flute from the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion stopped, but quickly caught up with the rhythm.


    Today, Jiang Mu played ¡°Moon on Mountain Pass¡±, while Feng Zhan played ¡°Wind Through Pine¡±. Although the tune was different, on this quiet night, there was no disharmony.


    The sound of the guqin was clear and intense, whether it was fast or slow, and the sound of the flute was firm and soft, which was indeed wonderful.


    Blowing the night wind, listening to the ensemble of guqin and flute.


    Feng Yuyao said to Qin Yan, ¡°Yanyan, your life in the mansion is pretty good!¡±


    ¡ª


    After the song ended, Feng Zhan got up and sat back on the Zen chair, picked up the scriptures at hand, but didn¡¯t read a word.


    Song Zhi went outside the waterside pavilion, and the secret guard said something in his ear.


    Song Zhi came back and said, ¡°The secret guard came to report that it was indeed the Princess of Zhaoren and Princess of Jingyi over the wall.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± When Feng Zhan heard the words, his expression was not obvious, but he put down the scriptures and picked up the teacup.


    ¡°But the flute just now was¡­¡± Song Zhi hesitated. Song Zhi had also heard the flute from the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion a few days ago, so he tacitly thought that the flute sound came from the Master of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, but unexpectedly¡­


    Feng Zhan raised his head, his eyes narrowed slightly.


    ¡°The one who played the flute just now was Young Master Jiang¡­¡± Song Zhi glanced at His Highness Taizi, and His Highness¡¯s face was as deep as water, which seemed far from good.


    Song Zhi quickly lowered his head, wondering if he had said something wrong.


    Feng Zhan put down the tea he hadn¡¯t yet drunk, and the sound of the teacup touching the table was suddenly a little out of place in the quiet waterside pavilion.


    ¡°Send someone to send the guqin back to the palace tomorrow morning. Does Feng Yunchao¡¯s Yuxi Palace have no place to put a guqin?¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    After speaking, Feng Zhan got up and left.


    Song Zhi followed Taizi Feng Zhan¡¯s footsteps, wondering if it was his illusion that His Highness was walking faster than usual.


    But the guqin and flute ensemble just now was indeed pleasant¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    The night was getting darker, and cooler. Several people in the lotus pond at the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion also dispersed.


    According to Qin Yan¡¯s habit, Ji Nanfeng made a hot pool in the Princess Mansion.


    Shen Ying put down the bruise plaster sent by Mister Ji outside the screen in the hot pool and waited outside.


    Qin Yan in the hot pool raised her hand and lightly rubbed the left shoulder that was bumped into today. In the mist, she recalled the time she fell into the Taiye Pond when she was a child.


    She was pushed into the water that time. At that time, she didn¡¯t know how to swim. She struggled a few times and soon sank to the bottom of the pool.


    Before she became unconscious, she was pulled from the bottom of the pool, and she could vaguely see in the water that he was a little brother.


    Before she could see the person¡¯s face clearly, she fainted. When she woke up, she was still by the pond, and she saw Brother Changyuan with a worried expression next to her at a glance.


    Yes, at that time, Qin Yan also called Xie Changyuan ¡°Brother Changyuan¡±.


    Qin Yan¡¯s mother and the Princess of Anyang were supposed to be good friends. Soon after, the Princess of Anyang proposed to let the two children enter into a marriage contract.


    Her mother felt that it was not bad to have the Princess of Anyang as her mother-in-law. Yanyan should have a better life after marriage, and Xie Changyuan also liked Yanyan.


    Qin Yan was also very grateful to Xie Changyuan for saving her and was not disgusted by it.


    Princess of Anyang exchanged tokens with her mother, and discussed a tentative marriage contract, but still had to wait until the two children grow up to see if there was any fate.


    Qin Yan sighed lightly, it seemed that there was no fate.

 CH 29.1

    Chapter 29          Token (1/2)


    At the Princess Mansion in the Xishan.


    Qin Yan sat behind the desk, playing with a green jade carved lying deer writing brush between the white slender fingers of her right hand, while her left hand gently flipped through the stacks of light cloud-colored paper letters on the desk.


    These letters were the regular reports from the heads of trading establishments in various prefectures, as well as information from various places, including Gu City spies.


    Except for the Gu City reports, Ji Nanfeng received all the other letters. He first browsed them, sorted them out, and then reported the summary to Qin Yan. If there was any particularly important information, then he would submit it to Qin Yan to read in person before making a decision.


    Gu City¡¯s information was originally sent directly to the Taizi Mansion but was sent back by the Taizi Mansion.


    The person from the Taizi Mansion was Song Zhi. He said that His Highness Taizi meant that because Princess of Zhaoren was more familiar with Gu City and the situation at the mountain pass of Northwest, so His Highness Taizi let Princess of Zhaoren receive the information on Gu City, read it first, and then send the original information, including Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s opinion, to the Taizi Mansion.


    Therefore, after Qin Yan returned to the capital, her official duties weren¡¯t much reduced.


    Qin Yan had been used to handling a lot of affairs for many years, and she could flip through the reports extremely quickly.


    In the time of a cup of tea, Qin Yan finished browsing. She raised her head and moved her neck gently, then looked at Ji Nanfeng who was standing opposite the desk.


    ¡°Mister Ji, how was the stargazing last night?¡±


    Since Qin Yan began to handle official duties, Ji Nanfeng had been waiting opposite Qin Yan, which was also a common practice.


    Ji Nanfeng had just been looking at Qin Yan, who was concentrating behind the desk, and every subtle movement of hers, every scowl and frown, was seen by his eyes and remembered in his heart. Their master, no matter where she was or what she was doing, was so beautiful¡­


    When Qin Yan spoke suddenly, Ji Nanfeng almost didn¡¯t regain his senses for a moment. He quickly calmed down his mind and tried his best to hide his secret thoughts. He must not let Qin Yan find out, otherwise, he might even be deprived of the right to stay by her side.


    Fortunately, Qin Yan had never been sensitive when it came to matters between men and women.


    Ji Nanfeng said, ¡°Last night, the stars were dark, and the starlight was unclear. The grain harvest may be poor this autumn.¡±


    Qin Yan frowned slightly.


    It was not necessarily accurate to watch the sky on the night of the Double Seven Festival to see the harvest of that year. However, in the past few years ago, the celestial phenomena were bright at night on the Double Seven Festival, and the grain also had a bumper harvest that year.


    The food issue was of great importance and should not be taken lightly.


    Qin Yan¡¯s voice was cold and spoke indifferently.


    ¡°Notify each of the grain business establishments of the prefectures that there is no need to wait for the autumn harvest. On the premise of stabilizing grain prices, we will start buying grain now, and the old grains will also be purchased, just in case. Order the heads of the prefectures to check the granaries in various places frequently and beware of catching fire.¡±


    Qin Yan had some bad premonitions in her heart. If there was a real shortage of grain, the grain business establishments would hoard the grains to drive up the price of grains to make huge profits. If the people were short of food, there would be more refugees and even turmoil.


    This situation was only in Great Xia, but outside the mountain pass, the wolves were lurking around, and all countries were eyeing covetously. It had only been a few years since the truce and the Great Xia could take a breather, as well as the Turks and Xirong. Thus, this couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    There was a lot of rain this spring and summer, and the only hope was that there would be no more floods, otherwise it would make things worse.


    ¡°Let the spies in Gu City be more vigilant and stare at Xirong and Turks.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and said, ¡°What happened after the trading establishment entered the capital?¡±


    Ji Nanfeng didn¡¯t need Qin Yan to ask more, he knew what his master wanted to know, and he said, ¡°Everything is going smoothly. The businesses of the bank and the pawnshop has begun to make progress. Similar to the situation in the prefectures, the bank has a high reputation in the upper capital. The merchants and even officials prefer to deposit and borrow in Yu Qingfeng.¡±


    ¡°Wen Luo did a good job of what we told him. At the same time, he is also planning and expanding his own business. He is indeed a business genius. Before in Gu City, we almost overlook his talent.


    ¡°Song Mei¡¯s shops were surrounded by Wen Luo, and it¡¯s almost out of breath.¡±


    After Ji Nanfeng finished speaking, he waited for Qin Yan to make the next arrangement.


    Qin Yan put down the teacup and asked, ¡°Can you find out how many properties they have?¡±


    Ji Nanfeng continued, ¡°Their properties are mainly in the upper capital, and they also have some in Yangzhou, but it¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡±


    ¡°Except for the shops on the two streets of the West City and East City in the upper capital, which were originally under Madam¡¯s name, and the two villages in the southern suburbs. Over the years, they have acquired several new shops in the South City and a village in the western suburbs.¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Yan chuckled lightly.


    ¡°Not bad, Prime Minister Qin¡¯s family property is quite rich, so it¡¯s no wonder that Qin Nian can charter a pleasure boat to tour around the lake.¡±


    After Prime Minister Qin entered the capital and bought the house in those days, he collected the dowry gifts for her mother with great difficulty. And those dowry gifts were also brought back to the Prime Minister Qin Mansion by her mother along with the dowry to supplement their household. Oh, now they had flourished.


    ¡°Yesterday, Qin Nian¡¯s pleasure boat collided with the prince, the princess, and His Highness Taizi. If she didn¡¯t have the spare money to charter a boat to tour the lake, we wouldn¡¯t be troubled yesterday. We reluctantly helped Prime Minister Qin eliminate his secret worries.¡±


    ¡°Mister Ji, go ahead and make arrangements. Whether it¡¯s the shops in the West City, East City, or South City, the village in the southern suburbs, the village in the western suburbs, or their properties in the upper capital, they don¡¯t need to keep it in their hands anymore, so as not to cause them any worries.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng took the order and said again, ¡°Master, since Yu Qingfeng entered the capital, several waves of people have been checking us.¡±


    ¡°No problem. In the capital, what can be hidden under the feet of the Emperor? Let¡¯s just do our own business openly.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s tone was light.


    ¡°Mister Ji, go ahead and do it without hesitating.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng took the order and left.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan took a sip of tea and recalled what happened yesterday. She frowned and said to Shen Ying, who was beside her, ¡°Ask Uncle Huai to come over.¡±


    Not long after, Shen Huai came in.


    ¡°Master.¡± Shen Huai saluted.


    Qin Yan nodded and asked, ¡°Uncle Huai, did my mother exchange tokens with Princess of Anyang back then?¡±


    When Shen Huai heard the words, he knew that his master was talking about the token of engagement. When he first returned to the capital, he heard the rumor in the capital that the Shizi of Marquis of Yongding Mansion broke his marriage contract. Shen Huai found the token at that time and was ready.


    ¡°Master, that¡¯s a white dragon-shaped jade pendant and it¡¯s in the warehouse now. Do you want me to take it?¡± Shen Huai asked.


    ¡°No need. Uncle Huai, send it back to Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion on my behalf.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    Shen Huai withdrew after taking the order and sighed in his heart. They used to be a lovely young couple but were destined to be separated.

 CH 29.2

    Chapter 29          Token (2/2)


    At the Taizi Mansion in Xishan.


    Early this morning, someone from the Imperial Observatory came to report to Taizi that the stargazing situation last night was not optimistic.


    After the court meeting, Taizi Feng Zhan summoned the Left and Right Prime Minister, and the Minister of the Ministry of Finance to the Lizheng Hall to discuss official business.


    On the way to the Lizheng Hall, the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, Du Xian, was feeling nervous and sweating on his forehead.


    Du Xian was already very grateful that he could transfer to the capital. Unexpectedly, just after taking the office, his superior was punished for corruption. He was lucky enough to be promoted and became the Minister of the Ministry of Finance.


    But it was not easy for him as a Minister. The position of the Minister of the Ministry of Finance in the six ministries was not as important as that of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel. Moreover, one of his officers was the eldest son of the Minister of the Ministry of War. This Young Master He didn¡¯t want to join the Ministry of War but insisted on relying on his Ministry of Finance, which added a lot of stress for him. He still had to make offerings, for fear of offending this noble young master.


    And on Double Seven Festival yesterday, his daughter Du Ling, who didn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth, offended the prince, and the princess, as well as Taizi at Qianshui Lake. Early this morning, someone from the Taizi Mansion sent a set of ¡°Yan¡¯s Family Precepts¡± to the Du Mansion. His Highness Taizi should be clear about what happened yesterday.


    Thinking of this, he glanced at the Right Prime Minister in front of him, and it was also the second daughter of the Right Prime Minister who brought Du Ling into trouble.


    However, it was thanks to Qin Wenzheng, the Right Prime Minister, that he was able to become the Minister of the Ministry of Finance. Fortunately, nothing major happened this time. He wondered if the Taizi would bring up the old issues again and settle the accounts later.


    Qin Wenzheng frowned, and at this moment he was also guessing whether the Taizi would mention Qin Nian¡¯s disaster yesterday.


    Among the three ministers, only the Left Prime Minister had a relaxed face. He looked at Qin Wenzheng¡¯s darkened face which was very pleasing to his eyes, how could he not guess what Qin Wenzheng was worried about?


    Oh, fortunately, he had foresight. On Double Seven Festival yesterday, he added three times more guards to his youngest son Wang Jingyu than usual in the mansion. Wang Jingyu was unable to leave the mansion to cause trouble yesterday.


    In the past, his son was secretly sneered at by his coworkers in the capital as the second-generation ancestor* who likes to cause trouble. Hehe, now they should be worried about these good sons and good daughters of theirs.


    (second-generation ancestor* ¨C an idiom, that generally refers to the wealthy children of the previous generation who are powerful and rich and the next generation who only care about eating, drinking, and having fun)


    The Left and Right Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance went to the Lizheng Hall, but His Highness Taizi didn¡¯t mention the incident at Qianshui Lake yesterday from beginning to end.


    Instead, he brought up another big thing.


    The Supervisor of the Imperial Observatory stargazed and predicted that there might be a shortage of grain.


    Taizi ordered strictly guarding the news to prevent people from stockpiling grains for huge profits.


    He ordered the Left and Right Prime Ministers to prepare for the worst in advance.


    The Minister of the Ministry of Finance was ordered to inspect the granaries in various places, strictly guarded them, and arranged for people to check the food situation in various places.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After the three ministers left, Taizi Feng Zhan summoned the Minister of the Ministry of War and the Commander of the Southern Yamen Imperial Army, Lu Chen.


    Taizi Feng Zhan ordered the Minister of the Ministry of War to notify the troops stationed on the border to be more vigilant and intensified their training.


    After the Minister of the Ministry of War left, Taizi Feng Zhan asked Lu Chen, ¡°Are there any good candidates in the Pingxi Army?¡±


    Lu Chen replied, ¡°There are several among the guards.¡±


    Taizi Feng Zhan nodded in satisfaction.


    After entering the autumn, the flood season was about to begin. If there was a shortage of grains on top of floods, manpower would be needed everywhere.


    ¡°First, consider whether the character can pass the standard, and cultivate them as soon as possible.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s employment was always based on character first, and then only looked at their talent.


    Lu Chen added hesitantly, ¡°There is one person who is a bit troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Say.¡± Feng Zhan said.


    ¡°Xie Zhao. His identity is a bit special.¡± Lu Chen looked at the Taizi. Xie Zhao was a talented person, but his background had some unpleasant entanglements with the imperial family, and he was afraid that His Highness Taizi would not like it.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, but he only paused for a moment, and then said, ¡°What do you think of this man?¡±


    Lu Chen was overjoyed, was there any hope? In fact, he admired Xie Zhao very much. It would be a pity if he couldn¡¯t put his talents to use because of his family background.


    ¡°Your Highness, I feel that Xie Zhao is like a lone wolf.¡± Lu Chen said.


    Hearing this, Feng Zhan observed Lu Chen¡¯s expression. It could be seen that this subordinate of his admired Xie Zhao very much.


    ¡°First, sharpen his temper, and then let him join in the autumn hunting.¡± Feng Zhan said solemnly.


    Lu Chen accepted the order.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Marquis Xie went straight to Xie Changyuan¡¯s courtyard, but it was completely empty.


    After Xie Changyuan came back from the palace today, he was taken away by A Yan.


    After a stick of incense time, Xie An waited for the return of Xie Changyuan.


    Xie Changyuan was a little surprised to see his father. The relationship between the father and son was not harmonious, and they rarely meet.


    Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t greet Xie An and sat down to drink tea in a pavilion in the courtyard by himself.


    Xie An was also used to his son¡¯s indifference towards him. He stepped into the pavilion, sat down opposite Xie Changyuan, and went straight to the subject, ¡°After the court ended today, the courtiers were discussing the accident of the collision between the two decorated boats in Qianshui Lake yesterday.¡±


    Seeing that Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t respond, Xie An continued, ¡°Looking at your reaction, did you not hear about what happened after you left with A Yan yesterday?¡±


    Xie Changyuan raised his eyes and looked at Xie An coldly. What happened yesterday after he left?


    ¡°Hearsay that everyone on the scene pointed out that Princess of Zhaoren Qin Yan pushed A Yan into the water. Did you also think like that? But later, His Highness Taizi¡¯s secret guard revealed that he saw A Yan being knocked out of the boat first, and Princess of Zhaoren immediately wanted to pull A Yan back. Before she could even touch her, A Yan fell into the water, but everyone on the scene said that the Princess of Zhaoren pushed her.¡±


    Xie Changyuan put down the teacup, looked at Xie An squarely, and frowned.


    ¡°When you brought A Yan into the mansion previously, I thought that you just lost your mother and needed someone to accompany you, so I didn¡¯t interfere too much. But because of her, you even broke your marriage contract with your fianc¨¦e and now because of her, you may have caused Taizi unhappy¡­¡± Xie An¡¯s words were interrupted coldly by Xie Changyuan.


    ¡°Do you still remember the wife that you officially married into the manor?¡± Xie Changyuan¡¯s eyes were cold.


    Xie An opened his mouth but didn¡¯t say anything and left awkwardly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After Xie An left, Xie Changyuan sat alone in the pavilion for a long time.


    Yesterday, he didn¡¯t believe in Qin Yan and didn¡¯t even ask her a question.


    Qin Yan should have been disappointed with him to the end.


    And what had she experienced over the years to become so indifferent¡­


    Qin Yan, who was once a child, was also so lively and lovely, called him Brother Changyuan¡­


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s memory was interrupted by Li Zhong¡¯s hurried steps.


    ¡°Shizi.¡±


    Xie Changyuan looked at Li Zhong with an irresolute expression.


    Before Li Zhong could speak, Xie Changyuan had a bad premonition in his heart when he saw the brocade box in his hand.


    ¡°Shizi, this is sent by Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.¡± Li Zhong said.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s heart sank as he knew what it was.


    ¡°What did the person say?¡± Xie Changyuan¡¯s voice was a little downcast.


    Li Zhong replied, ¡°It was Shen Huai from Princess of Zhaoren Mansion who sent the brocade box. He said that their master asked him to tell Shizi that the marriage contract was over and return the token to each other.¡±


    Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t take the box, nor did he speak again, he just sat there silently.


    Li Zhong said, ¡°Shizi, after the death of the Eldest Princess, I put Madam Qin¡¯s token in the warehouse, is it¡­¡±


    ¡°Withdraw first. Leave the things behind.¡± Xie Changyuan looked at the brocade box on the stone table and felt a little heartache.


    Qin Yan, were you really breaking off with me?

 CH 30.1

    Chapter 30          Backer (1/2)


    In the capital of West City.


    A rich and gorgeous carriage was parked outside the entrance of Wen Silk Store, and a woman in a light stone blue and white brocade dress came out and got out of the carriage with a maid¡¯s help.


    The shop assistant who was waiting at the Silk Store entrance saw that her clothing must be from a female family member of the noble family. And this noble person must be here for the first time.


    With a smile on his face, the shop assistant walked forward, bowed, and said, ¡°Distinguished guest, please come inside. Our Silk Store¡­¡± But the words were interrupted by the maid¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°My lady wants to see the shopkeeper.¡± The maid said coldly.


    The lady mentioned by the maid was looking at the inside of the Silk Store, and Wen Luo, who was wearing a plain brocade robe, was engrossed in checking the newly arrived batch of satin.


    Wen Luo seemed to sense something, he looked up and saw the visitor. He frowned slightly, it was her.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The person who came was Wang Jingyan, the second daughter of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, and also the adopted daughter of Yu Shenghai, a wealthy businessman in Yangzhou who was now the head of the family. And Wen Luo, the adopted son of the late Old Master of the Yu family in Yangzhou, was once regarded as the uncle of Wang Jingyan.


    Wen Luo¡¯s Wen Trading Establishment entered the capital with great fanfare and fought a big battle with Song Mei¡¯s shops. It was no longer a secret in the capital, and it certainly could not escape Wang Jingyan¡¯s eyes and ears.


    After Wang Jingyan got the news, she immediately informed her father, the Left Prime Minister, Wang Xian.


    Since several generations of the Wang family were prime ministers, the Left Prime Minister, Wang Xian, had an extremely keen political sense of smell. Wen Luo¡¯s incident in the business world targeting Song Mei of the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion, might implicate the Left Prime Minister Mansion.


    Those who were interested would find out that Wen Luo was from a wealthy businessman in Yangzhou, the adopted son of the late Old Master of the Yu family, and the adopted brother of the current head of the family Yu Shenghai.


    And the Yu family in Yangzhou, because of the adoption of the second daughter of the Left Prime Minister, Wang Jingyan, had a close relationship with the Left Prime Minister Mansion.


    Now that Wen Luo had entered the capital, and had made frequent actions that pointed directly at the businesses of Song Mei, the wife of Right Prime Minister Qin, which made people wonder if it was the Left Prime Minister Mansion who was targeting the Right Prime Minister.


    The Left and Right Prime Ministers often had different political opinions in the court, and their opinions were contradictory. It was a good thing for the government to have different voices in the court, but this was only a matter of officialdom.


    If the contradiction between the two rose to the point where they had to forge a personal grudge after leaving the court, it wouldn¡¯t be a trivial matter, and even the Emperor and the Taizi would not be happy.


    If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Therefore, the Left Prime Minister, Wang Xian, asked his second daughter, Wang Jingyan, to immediately write to her adoptive father in Yangzhou, Yu Shenghai, to ask what was going on.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Yu Shenghai was shocked when he received Wang Jingyan¡¯s letter.


    Wen Luo was sent to Gu City in Northwest by him three years ago, and Wen Luo had been very honest in recent years.


    His youngest son, Yu Qing, also followed Wen Luo to Gu City before. Although he didn¡¯t stay for too long, Yu Qing returned to Yangzhou because Gu City was too boring. But Yu Qing came back and said that when he was there, he saw that Wen Luo was indeed running a business honestly in Gu City.


    But now, Wen Luo quietly went to the capital, and the business was still so big.


    Moreover, there were many noble families in the capital. To do business in the capital, it was not just relying on the capital. Without a powerful backer, probably he couldn¡¯t even buy a shop. Not to mention that Wen Luo suddenly got so many shops with excellent locations.


    Needless to say, Wang Jingyan¡¯s letter stated that Wen Luo was purposefully fighting against the shops of the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion. It was like telling everyone blatantly that he was targeting the Right Prime Minister.


    Yu Shenghai also understood the sensitivity of this matter. Wen Luo was nominally still a Yu family member, and the Yu family had close contact with the Left Prime Minister Mansion, which indeed made people suspect that the Left Prime Minister was targeting the Right Prime Minister.


    Yu Shenghai immediately wrote back that he really didn¡¯t know why Wen Luo would enter the capital, and this was not his arrangement. He had sent Wen Luo to Gu City three years ago, and Wen Luo had nothing to do with the Yu family¡¯s business for a long time.


    After receiving Yu Shenghai¡¯s reply, the Left Prime Minister Wang Xian was relieved.


    The letter said that Wen Luo went to Gu City three years ago. Oh, Gu City, could it be the eldest daughter of the Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng, the Princess of Zhaoren, Qin Yan?


    Qin Yan, the Princess of Zhaoren, had been making trouble at the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion since the first day she returned to the capital a few months ago. No one in the capital knew that the father and daughter had a bad relationship. It seemed that the person behind Wen Luo might be Qin Yan, the Princess of Zhaoren.


    Qin Wenzheng was not of high birth, but he was able to become the Prime Minister through Hanlin Imperial Academy and be on an equal footing with him. Besides the salary and rewards, the source of income in Prime Minister Qin Mansion was the dowry from his former wife, Shen Shiying. All these made the Left Prime Minister Wang Xian look down on the Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng.


    This time, the person who could settle the account rightfully was back. Hehe, the Left Prime Minister Wang Xian was happy to watch the good show.


    However, on the downside, Wen Luo was still related to his Left Prime Minister Mansion, which made Left Prime Minister Wang Xian a little worried, so he asked Wang Jingyan to deal with it as soon as possible.


    It was okay to watch the fun, but he didn¡¯t want to get himself involved.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Previously, Wang Jingyan had sent invitations to Wen Luo Mansion several times, but Wen Luo avoided them.


    If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Today, Wang Jingyan sent someone to stare at Wen Luo and knew that he had arrived at the Silk Store in West City, so she personally came to block him.


    On the second floor of the Wen Silk Store, there was an elegant room by the window, which was used to receive distinguished guests.


    Wen Luo and Wang Jingyan sat opposite each other, each drinking tea, neither of them spoke, and the room was quiet.


    After a while, Wang Jingyan broke the silence.


    ¡°Uncle Luo, is this the superior Mingqian Longjing tea?¡±


    Wen Luo didn¡¯t answer.


    In the beginning, when his adoptive Old Master Yu was alive in Yangzhou, he gave him a lot of monthly money, and he also had some properties, so his income was not low. However, when in other people¡¯s homes, it was always right to keep a low profile. Even when drinking tea, Wen Luo only drank very ordinary ones.


    But now, since he had become independent, he had been doing business openly and honestly and no longer rely on others. Naturally, he could follow his own preferences, and no longer depend on that Yu person¡­

 CH 30.2

    Chapter 30          Backer (2/2)


    ¡°Uncle Luo, your recent actions in the capital city have caused some trouble for the Left Prime Minister Mansion. You are all sensible people. Presumably, you can understand what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    Wang Jingyan didn¡¯t plan to be too polite with Wen Luo, so she cut to the chase, and went straight to the topic.


    ¡°The news from my adoptive father said that you have been in Gu City for the past few years, so it seems that the person behind you is the Princess of Zhaoren of Xishan, right?¡±


    After Wang Jingyan finished speaking, she carefully observed Wen Luo¡¯s reaction. But unfortunately, Wen Luo had learned through experience in the business world for a long time and had a natural disposition without changing his face even when the Mountain Tai collapsed in front of him. Not to mention that this was not a big scene. Wen Luo just drank tea calmly.


    Wen Luo understood that the other party was testing him.


    He had no direct contact with the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, and the task assigned to him had always been Mister Ji from Yu Qingfeng.


    Two months ago, Mister Ji went to the Yu Trading Establishment in Gu City to find him and negotiated terms with him.


    Yu Qingfeng lent Wen Luo a low-interest loan and then sold the shops in the capital city they had bought to Wen Luo, using the convenience of the power of Princess of Zhaoren as the backer to support Wen Luo¡¯s foothold in the capital.


    While Wen Luo only needed to target the properties of the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion for them.


    Mister Ji from Yu Qingfeng did not hide his identity. He was still the housekeeper of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, and he was also the former housekeeper of the City Master of the Gu City.


    That night, Wen Luo didn¡¯t sleep all night, and he weighed Ji Nanfeng¡¯s proposal again and again.


    The Yu family was kind to him, and he once aspired to serve the Yu family for life.


    But after his adoptive father passed away, his adoptive brother¡¯s actions repeatedly made him feel bitterly disappointed.


    And he had stayed in Gu City for three years.


    Now, he had considered having done his best.


    However in the capital city, there were many powerful people, and it was not easy for him to play by himself.


    Wen Luo sat in the room for a whole night, weighing the pros and cons.


    He finally made a decision to do it.


    Indeed he was only a commoner, and he had to stand alone in the world. He was alone and had nothing to lose, so what was to worry about? At worst, he would be reborn again eighteen years later.


    Thinking of this, Wen Luo laughed and thought that he used to be considered a scholarly businessman in Jiangnan. However, in the past few years running outside the mountain pass in the Northwest, he had become more banditry, just like those guards in the city. Some of them used to be swordsmen and refugees but now they became more honest and righteous.


    And he, Wen Luo, also at this mountain pass became more honest and righteous.


    If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    The Princess of Zhaoren was also the famous City Master of Gu City outside the mountain pass, who had power and means.


    It remained to be seen whether choosing this backer could make a way in the capital.


    On the second day, Wen Luo agreed to Ji Nanfeng¡¯s proposal, and hurriedly hand over the business of Yu Trading Establishment in Gu City. He only said that he was going out to see the goods, so he left Gu City with Ji Nanfeng and went to the capital city.


    As for Wang Jingyan now coming to test whether his backer was the Princess of Zhaoren, oh, Mister Ji once told that the Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s explanation was that they didn¡¯t have to hide it, she just wanted to avenge her personal grudge openly.


    Princess of Zhaoren was tough and ruthless, but she was also straightforward. Thinking of this, Wen Luo laughed.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Wang Jingyan saw that Wen Luo didn¡¯t answer, as if he was in contemplation. She felt that Wen Luo was thinking about how to say it, but then she saw Wen Luo suddenly laugh. What was he laughing at? What was so funny?


    ¡°Uncle Luo¡­¡± Wang Jingyan was interrupted by Wen Luo.


    ¡°Tell me about your purpose?¡± Wen Luo looked up at Wang Jingyan and said.


    Seeing that Wen Luo was willing to speak, Wang Jingyan was relieved because she was afraid that he was stubborn.


    ¡°Uncle Luo, how you want to act is your business, and who is behind you is also your business. But don¡¯t implicate the Yu family, let alone the Left Prime Minister Mansion. Therefore, my adoptive father means that you have severed your relationship with the Yu family from now on.¡±


    When Wang Jingyan said this, her face was slightly arrogant.


    Wen Luo sneered.


    Severed the relationship.


    When the Old Man Yu adopted Wen Luo, it was because he wanted to keep the Wen family, so he didn¡¯t worship in the ancestral hall, entered the family genealogy, or changed Wen Luo¡¯s family name.


    Even so, the clansmen were summoned to publicly declare the identity of the adopted son.


    Oh, now, a younger generation, or a younger generation who was not counted as a family member, had come to tell Wen Luo that he wanted to sever ties with him.


    Bullying too much.


    Wen Luo sneered and said, ¡°I am receiving Second Miss Wang today because you once called me Uncle Luo. However, Second Miss Wang has now returned to the Left Prime Minister Mansion, we will have nothing to do with each other and should be strictly distinguished. The Yu family matters will handle the matter by themselves. I, Wen Luo, remember my identity, and Second Miss Wang also please remember your identity.¡±


    Wang Jingyan didn¡¯t expect Wen Luo to speak so stubbornly. Back then in Yangzhou, in front of the Yu family, he could be regarded as swallowing his anger.


    ¡°Uncle Luo, don¡¯t refuse a toast only to drink a loss. Even if behind you is the Princess in Xishan, the Emperor is unpredictable. Princess of Zhaoren may be a celebrity in the imperial court today but she may lose power one day. Think about it clearly.¡±


    If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Wang Jingyan left unhappily.


    Wen Luo thought to himself, how could he didn¡¯t know that the more friends he had, the wider the way out for him, not to mention that the other party was the Left Prime Minister who was an important person in the court.


    However, today, the Left Prime Minister Mansion and the Yu family put on such a high attitude that if he gave in easily, the other party would make more demands in the future.


    One person does not serve the two masters. Since he relied on the Princess of Zhaoren to act, he could no longer have a relationship with the Left Prime Minister Mansion.


    Otherwise, if there was any disagreement between the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion and the Left Prime Minister Mansion, the first person to suffer would be himself.


    He was afraid that Wang Jingyan might have other schemes, so Wen Luo planned to report this matter to Mister Ji to let him decide.

 CH 31.1

    Chapter 31          Secret (1/2)


    At the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Xie Changyuan was practicing swords on the practice field.


    The man in the field was like a dancing dragon, with superb swordsmanship, and he indeed had the air of the nobility from a noble family.


    Since Xie Zhao returned to the capital, Xie Changyuan sent people to keep an eye on Xie Zhao¡¯s whereabouts.


    Xie Zhao, apart from going to the Ministry of War for his routine business, occasionally had a drink with his coworkers in the Pingxi Army and spent more time in his own mansion.


    Xie An went to find Xie Zhao many times but was turned down by Xie Zhao.


    Xie Zhao¡¯s mansion had only received Xie Qing as a guest.


    And Xie Zhao didn¡¯t have any contact with the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion and Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.


    Xie Changyuan doubted whether the information he had received was wrong. There seemed to be no connection between Xie Zhao and Qin Yan.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After his closing stance, Xie Changyuan calmed his breath, went back to his room to wash and change clothes, and then went to the study.


    As soon as he entered the study, he saw A Yan who was half-crouching in front of the desk, playing with something.


    He walked in two steps and saw that A Yan was reaching out and touching the sandalwood brocade box on the desk.


    Xie Changyuan spoke immediately, his voice slightly cold, ¡°Put it down.¡±


    Xie Changyuan quickly took two steps over, reached out to take the box, turned around, and placed it on the Bogu shelf beside him.


    A Yan was frightened by Xie Changyuan¡¯s sudden speech. Brother Changyuan had never been so indifferent to her.


    A Yan said with a sobbing voice, ¡°Brother Changyuan, do you dislike me?¡±


    Xie Changyuan turned around and saw A Yan with tears in her eyes, and he couldn¡¯t stand it.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Xie Changyuan asked without hesitation.


    A Yan sobbed softly, and she waited for Brother Changyuan to come over to comfort her as usual.


    Today, A Yan happened to hear Uncle Li say that he was preparing for autumn hunting. A Yan thought that she had never been to the autumn hunting in previous years because of her different identities. But now she had a marriage bestowed by the Emperor. Although she was only a side concubine, she could also be regarded as an official family member. A Yan wanted Brother Changyuan to take her to the hunting ground to play, plus she just learned to ride a horse this year.


    When Brother Changyuan was practicing swordsmanship, he didn¡¯t like being disturbed, so A Yan came to Brother Changyuan¡¯s study to wait for him. She knew the habit of Brother Changyuan and he would come to the study to read a book for a while before going to bed every day.


    But when Brother Changyuan saw her cry today, he didn¡¯t come to comfort her, but turned around and looked at the black Bogu shelf.


    A Yan sobbed a few more times, and then stopped by herself.


    Thinking of her purpose today, A Yan calmed down, and muttered softly, ¡°I was thinking, can Brother Changyuan take me to the autumn hunting in the western suburbs? I have learned to ride a horse.¡±


    Xie Changyuan turned around and glanced at A Yan¡¯s small body, and his voice was softer than before, ¡°Based on your riding skills, aren¡¯t you afraid of falling off again?¡±


    Xie Changyuan had always thought of Qin Yan unconsciously these days. On that day, Shen Huai came to return the engagement token on behalf of Qin Yan and asked Li Zhong to return Madam Qin¡¯s token.


    Xie Changyuan did not respond directly at the time, so Li Zhong had to reply to Shen Huai that it was placed in the warehouse before and would take some time to find.


    After that, Li Zhong reported back to Xie Changyuan that Shen Huai didn¡¯t look good after hearing the words, and asked them to return Madam Qin¡¯s token to the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion as soon as possible.


    Qin Yan was the highest rank Princess, and would definitely be invited to the autumn hunting in the western suburbs. Xie Changyuan originally planned to apologize to Qin Yan for the Qianshui Lake incident in person.


    Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t want A Yan to go with him, so as not to cause more trouble, otherwise, he would have more discord with Qin Yan.


    Xie Changyuan frowned slightly, thinking about how to tell A Yan to keep her from going.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, Brother Changyuan¡­¡±


    With the girl¡¯s delicate voice, Xie Changyuan seemed to have returned to his childhood in a trance, and Qin Yan at that time also called him Brother Changyuan¡­


    ¡°Yanyan¡­¡± Xie Changyuan raised his head, his eyes were bright and darkened again, it wasn¡¯t her¡­


    A Yan looked shocked, Brother Changyuan just now¡­


    Brother Changyuan suddenly called her so intimately. Sure enough, Brother Changyuan was more pleased with herself.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Back in Meishan, when Brother Changyuan asked her name, she considered that it was inconvenient to reveal her real name, and suddenly remembered the drawings that Master Yishan threw to her previously, he seemed to mention ¡°Follow Xiao Yanyan¡¯s drawing to learn, I don¡¯t have time to take care of you,¡± so he casually told Brother Changyuan that her name was A Yan.


    When she was in Meishan, Master Yishan would occasionally murmur Xiao Yanyan. She also seemed to hear the Princess of Jingyi Feng Yuyao call Qin Yan, Yanyan.


    A Yan didn¡¯t like to hear the word Yanyan, and she actually didn¡¯t like her name A Yan either.


    When could she change back to her original name¡­


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, I still like you to call me A Yan, okay?¡± A Yan said softly.


    ¡°En.¡± Xie Changyuan seemed a little absent-minded.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, I¡¯m going back first, remember to bring me the autumn hunting!¡± A Yan¡¯s voice was delicate. This girl adjusted her emotions very quickly, she really looked like a child.


    Without waiting for Xie Changyuan to answer, A Yan turned around and left briskly. Before going out, she glanced at the Bogu shelf again.


    In fact, she had already opened the sandalwood box and saw a white jade hairpin inside, which was something used by a woman. It should be a gift from Brother Changyuan to her.


    Brother Changyuan must have wanted to give herself a surprise, right? Was that why he didn¡¯t want her to know?


    Then she would just pretend that she didn¡¯t know, Brother Changyuan treated her so well.

 CH 31.2

    Chapter 31          Secret (2/2)


    In the study at the Taizi Mansion in Xishan.


    Taizi Feng Zhan was in the middle of reviewing the memorials, and the agarwood was burning in the beast stove in the corner of the room with faint smoke curling out.


    Song Zhi came in.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Feng Zhan raised his eyes.


    ¡°Your Highness, our people have received news that someone is buying stale grains in various states.¡± Song Zhi reported.


    Feng Zhan put down the writing brush in his hand, his eyes narrowed dangerously, and Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold, ¡°What did you find?¡±


    Song Zhi told the news he found one by one, ¡°The grain establishment that purchased grain belongs to the same trading company, Yu Qingfeng.¡±


    ¡°Yu Qingfeng was most famous for their bank, which opened in the various prefectures of Great Xia, and was not involved in the capital before. But a few days ago, the bank and pawnshop of Yu Qingfeng opened in the West City of the capital city.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± Having said this, Song Zhi felt that the next news would definitely make His Highness Taizi unhappy.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t like the hesitancy of his subordinates. Why did Song Zhi always commit his taboos recently?


    ¡°Say.¡±


    Song Zhi then opened his mouth and said, ¡°It is said that the family name of Yu Qingfeng¡¯s boss is Ji. Our people have been watching Yu Qingfeng for some time. There is a carriage that often travels back and forth from Yu Qingfeng Bank and the Princess Mansion of Xishan. The person on the carriage is the housekeeper of the Princess Mansion of Xishan, Ji Nanfeng.¡±


    ¡°I suspect that Yu Qingfeng¡¯s boss Ji is Ji Nanfeng, and the master behind Yu Qingfeng is the Princess of Zhaoren.¡±


    Feng Zhan frowned slightly, and his eyes swept across a plain-colored piece of paper on the desk, which was Qin Yan¡¯s opinion on Gu City¡¯s intelligence. The words were concise and the handwriting was powerful.


    Qin Yan, how many secrets did you have?


    ¡°Keep an eye on Yu Qingfeng and their grain establishment. If their actions cause fluctuations in grain prices, order the prefecture government to seize them.¡± Feng Zhan spoke in a cold tone.


    Song Zhi was doubtful. He thought that His Highness¡¯s recent abnormal behavior seemed to have some feelings for the Princess of Zhaoren.


    But if Yu Qingfeng really belonged to the Princess of Zhaoren County, His Highness, this was¡­


    Forget it, he couldn¡¯t comment on his master¡¯s affairs.


    Song Zhi accepted the order and went out.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Prime Minister Qin Mansion.


    At night, Qin Ming was in his own courtyard, holding the posture of a horse stance staring at the book on the stone table in front of him with the faint moonlight and the not-so-bright candlelight, and following the little figures on the book.


    His movement and posture could be said to be clumsy and not elegant.


    Qin Ming was moving his hands and feet, and he was also muttering in his heart that he had spent two months of pocket money to buy a rare book on martial arts which was different and difficult to understand. If he perfected the skills, he would definitely become a master.


    That day, when the Imperial Academy was on fire, Jiang Mu fought for righteousness. Although he slapped Qin Ming, he woke Qin Ming up and did not leave Qin Ming alone in the library in the fire. Qin Ming was grateful to Jiang Mu, so a few days ago, Qin Ming expressed his goodwill to Jiang Mu many times at the Imperial Academy.


    But Jiang Mu still had a cold face.


    Later, Qin Ming repeatedly told Jiang Mu that he would send him back to the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion after school but was rejected by Jiang Mu.


    One time, Qin Ming went to look for Jiang Mu after school to send him back but Jiang Mu said coldly to Qin Ming, ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Qin Ming was instantly angry. Jiang Mu flew to the sky because he did not rely on the identity given to him by his eldest sister but because his eldest sister spoiled him.


    Qin Ming was furious for a moment and punched Jiang Mu. Before he could get close, Jiang Mu grabbed his outstretched fist.


    Jiang Mu raised his right fist and punched Qin Ming¡¯s stomach. Qin Ming immediately fell to the ground clutching his stomach. The pain was so bad that it took a while to recover. When he was forced to get up from the ground, there was no shadow of Jiang Mu.


    Jiang Mu had never disobeyed Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan¡¯s request for him was also Qin Yan¡¯s consistent style of conduct.


    ¡°If you encounter someone with weapons, you must not fight with them and lose your identity.¡±


    ¡°Look for an opportunity, use one move to defeat the enemy, and kill him, then you will be clean.¡±


    When Jiang Mu heard Qin Yan¡¯s words for the first time, he was shocked on the spot.


    Such a sentence came out of the mouth of a little girl, well, Qin Yan had never looked like a little girl, she was a demon.


    Qin Ming had stopped him a few times before, but they were all just glib talk.


    This time, when Qin Ming finally made his move, Jiang Mu didn¡¯t soften his hand, and of course, he didn¡¯t act ruthlessly. After all, he was Qin Yan¡¯s younger brother, and Jiang Mu was afraid that it would be hard to explain if he made big trouble.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After Qin Ming was beaten, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He was the eldest sister¡¯s legitimate brother, what was he, Jiang Mu?


    He angrily went back to the mansion to find his father, Qin Wenzheng and said that he wanted to hire a master to learn martial arts.


    As soon as Qin Wenzheng heard this, he remembered what Jiang Mu said before that he wanted to join the army and immediately became furious. Not only did he not follow Qin Ming¡¯s request to hire a master for him, but he also punished Qin Ming to copy the ¡°Yan¡¯s Family Precepts¡±. Oh, yes, it was the same ¡°Yan¡¯s Family Precepts ¡± that was sent by the Taizi Mansion.


    Failing to hire a master, Qin Ming went to the bookstore in West City and bought a rear book on martial art.


    Every year, there was an unwritten rule in autumn hunting, which was, they could pick any opponent, challenge for competition, martial arts, or any other.


    Therefore, those young masters of the noble families in the capital, who had conflicts and frictions, always like to make an appointment to fight in the autumn hunting. At that time, they could take action and beat each other up. Not only would they not be punished, but if they performed well, there might be a reward from the Emperor.


    This autumn hunting, his eldest sister would definitely go too. At that time, he would show off his skills and make his eldest sister look at him differently.


    Hmph, Jiang Mu, wait.


    He would definitely show his elder sister during the autumn hunting that he was more powerful than Jiang Mu.


    Qin Ming was still practicing clumsily.


    And the young manservant who was guarding outside was struggling a little bit in his heart. He didn¡¯t know where his young master found the book and had been practicing it.


    There were no guidelines for the young master. If he went crazy, how could he survive?


    Should he tell Master?

 CH 32.1

    Chapter 32          Camp (1/2)


    ¡°Poem of Qin Feng on Reeds: The large reeds are green, autumn dew turns into frost.¡±


    As the saying goes, ¡°One night is cooler than the previous night on a windy night in autumn.¡±


    After autumn, the weather gradually turned cooler.


    The Imperial Observatory Bureau selected based on auspiciousness and held the Autumn Hunting Ceremony in the paddock in the western suburbs.


    On the first day of the autumn hunting trip, the Emperor of Hui, dressed in a military robe, drove out of Zhengyang Gate in the imperial carriage, followed by his concubines¡¯ carriages.


    The ceremonial soldiers and the Honglu, Taichang, and Guanglu Temples followed the imperial carriage.


    In addition to the prince and princess, there were also officials¡¯ family members of civil and military in the entourage.


    A carriage was dispatched to report to the world and the ancestral temple.


    There were countless people and horses driving hunting carts and hunting flags. The entourage was mighty, and the beginning and the end of the entourage couldn¡¯t be seen.


    Thus, the Autumn Hunting Ceremony had officially begun.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The paddock in the western suburbs, as a famous hunting ground of the imperial family, covered an extremely wide area.


    The tents inside the camp were built like the inner palace, and the outer perimeter was guarded by the Northern and Southern Yamen Imperial Army.


    According to the usual practice, the commander of the Longwu Army of Southern Yamen, Lu Chen, would lead most of the Southern Yamen Imperial Army to stay in the capital.


    Therefore, the commander-in-chief of the guards in the paddocks in the western suburbs was Xie Changyuan, the commander of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army.


    A few days ago, the Southern Yamen Imperial Army submitted to Xie Changyuan a list of personnel to be sent to the western suburbs to guard the safety of the paddock for safe hunting.


    When Xie Changyuan saw a name on the list, he was a little stunned, but he was also happy to see it.


    There was actually Xie Zhao on this name list.


    To Xie Changyuan¡¯s surprise, it was well known that the Southern Yamen Imperial Army belonged to the Taizi.


    If the existence of Xie Zhao damaged the prestige of the Princess of Anyang, then it also damaged the prestige of the imperial family. Thus, Taizi should not like Xie Zhao either.


    However, the one who proposed to use Xie Zhao was actually the Longwu Army of Southern Yamen under Taizi.


    The inscription and seal of this list were Lu Chen, the Commander of the Southern Yamen Imperial Army. If this was not Taizi¡¯s intention, it should be approved by Taizi.


    Xie Changyuan was really surprised. His cousin, the Taizi, was always known for his resoluteness and decisiveness actions.


    As the heir to the throne, it was impossible to disregard the prestige of the imperial family. However, Taizi disregarded the past and assigned Xie Zhao a real job. Why was this?


    And what Xie Changyuan was happy to see was that Xie Zhao actually knocked himself down.


    Later, when Xie Changyuan and the deputies of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army were discussing the arrangement of the paddock defense, one of the deputy commanders proposed that Xie Zhao lead a team of people in charge of the Qianyang Ridge.


    Qianyang Ridge was well-known for its ferocious beasts in the paddock in the western suburbs.


    The task of guarding the land was extremely dangerous, but the risk didn¡¯t come from the ferocious beasts inside.


    The paddock in the western suburbs covered an extremely wide area, and the terrain of Qianyang Ridge was dangerous. It was difficult to guarantee that everything was safe to control the ferocious beasts from entering and leaving at will. In almost every hunting activity, there would be tigers, leopards, bears, and other beasts that run out by chance to the hunting ground.


    If the nobles who were hunting got hurt, the person would definitely be held accountable.


    Therefore, guarding the Qianyang Ridge was a dirty job.


    And guarding that position, there was almost no chance of showing his face in front of the imperial family. If Xie Zhao wanted to get recognition from the Emperor or Taizi through this job, his wishful thinking had failed.


    There was no doubt that Xie Changyuan¡¯s deputy was well aware of the grudges and entanglements between his superior and Xie Zhao. To make this proposal was to push the boat along the water to curry favor in front of his superior.


    Xie Changyuan agreed to the proposal to let Xie Zhao guard the Qianyang Ridge.


    Xie Zhao, this illegitimate son, was valued by Xie An. He was trained under the command of Shen Changshan, the Duke of Zhenguo of the Pingxi Army, and was granted a general after he returned to the capital.


    All these things made Xie Changyuan extremely unhappy.


    Regardless of whether it was a sham for personal gain or not, Xie Changyuan wanted to see how capable Xie Zhao was?


    ¡ª¡ª


    A few days ago, Lu Chen, the Commander of the Southern Yamen Imperial Army, personally went to the General of Mingwei Mansion to visit Xie Zhao.


    Xie Zhao was very surprised. Like Xie Changyuan, he thought that Taizi would also disapprove of his existence. His hope to make a name for himself in the capital might be in vain, but Xie Zhao was not reconciled.


    However, he never thought that Lu Chen would look to him.


    ¡°I admire General Xie very much. If General Xie wants to do something practical, instead of wasting time in the Ministry of War, the autumn hunting is an opportunity.¡± Lu Chen went straight to the point.


    Xie Zhao knew that behind Lu Chen was Taizi. Lu Chen¡¯s words made Xie Zhao very moved, but Taizi¡­ was this a trap?


    Xie Zhao climbed up the Pingxi Army step by step from a troop leader. He never thought that a pie would fall from the sky nor did he ever think that he would be a lucky man with excellent luck. He only believed in one step at a time. He only believed that there must be results with causes, and there could only be gains with effort.


    Hence, Xie Zhao was very wary of Lu Chen¡¯s statement.


    ¡°What does His Highness Taizi thinks of my origin?¡± Xie Zhao looked directly at Lu Chen and asked what he was thinking.


    Lu Chen smiled and admired Xie Zhao¡¯s outspokenness.


    ¡°General Xie, please relax. What His Highness Taizi means is that Great Xia needs talents, not just His Highness.¡±


    After Lu Chen left, Xie Zhao sat alone for a long time.


    Was it because his own vision too low? He had repeatedly used despicable ideas to speculate the mind of decent people. The previous Qin Yan¡¯s words in the Xiaoguan camp shocked him and affected him for so many years. And today, the meaning of Taizi that Lu Chen conveyed made him feel ashamed again.


    Why did Taizi and Qin Yan have such a big outlook? Was it because of their superior background? Or were they so excellent that they were fearless?


    A few days later, Xie Changyuan arranged for Xie Zhao to go to the paddock to guard Qianyang Ridge, and Xie Zhao also learned from Lu Chen.


    Lu Chen emphasized to Xie Zhao the danger of Qianyang Ridge and the significance of the responsibility.


    Xie Zhao had no objection to this assignment. He urgently needed a real job to show himself. It would be great if he could make contributions at that time.


    How would strong men who came from the battlefield still be afraid of a few ferocious beasts?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Since the beginning of autumn, the court meeting of civil and military officials had been changed back to the imperial city, and Taizi Feng Zhan had returned to the day when he traveled back and forth between Xishan and the imperial city every day.


    Song Zhi suggested to Taizi Feng Zhan: ¡°Your Highness, aren¡¯t you too tired from running around like this? Do you want to move back to the Eastern Palace, or live in the Eastern Palace occasionally, so that you can rest better?¡±


    Taizi Feng Zhan frowned and thought, he had considered this issue before.


    If there were people with an ulterior motive in the Eastern Palace, he could replace the people in the Eastern Palace and strengthen the defense.


    However, in recent days, he seemed to be more accustomed to the Taizi Mansion in Xishan.


    Perhaps, was it because the scenery of Xishan was more pleasant and safer than the imperial city? Although occasionally there would be some noises from the neighbor next door.


    Therefore, Feng Zhan dismissed the idea of ??moving back to the Eastern Palace.


    However, ¡­


    Your Highness, was this the reason?


    Looking at the mountain of memorials, Feng Zhan didn¡¯t go to the paddock in the western suburbs on the first day of hunting, and he would make arrangements after he had dealt with official business.

 CH 32.2

    Chapter 32          Camp (2/2)


    On the first day of the autumn hunting, it was just camping and refurbishing.


    The Princess Mansion in Xishan was not too far away from the paddock in the western suburbs. So, Qin Yan didn¡¯t go to the paddock in the western suburbs on the first day, but only sent Shen Huai to make arrangements first.


    Therefore, in the paddock in the western suburbs, outside Qin Yan¡¯s tent, Xie Changyuan, who said he wanted to meet the Princess of Zhaoren, got nothing.


    It was Shen Huai who received Xie Changyuan. When he saw the visitor, Shen Huai¡¯s expression was not good.


    ¡°Shizi Xie, are you here to return the token?¡±


    Shen Huai¡¯s words were not polite at all. He had a lot of opinions on the Shizi of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion. Whether he was at the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion or the current Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, although Shen Huai was just a servant, he had never been humble.


    Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t plan to return the token, and perhaps he planned to leave some room in his relationship with Qin Yan.


    ¡°I have something to say to Princess of Zhaoren.¡± Xie Changyuan said patiently.


    Xie Changyuan knew that the person in front of him was a retainer of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. He used to follow Yanyan¡¯s mother Shen Shiying to Prime Minister Qin Mansion as a dowry servant. Now he was at Princess of Zhaoren Mansion and was a very important person.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m going to disappoint Shizi Xie. My master hasn¡¯t arrived at the paddock yet.¡± Shen Huai chased away the guest.


    Xie Changyuan was a little suspicious as the hunting would officially start tomorrow. According to the usual practice, the princes, nobles, ministers of civil and military affairs, and officials¡¯ family members would arrive at the paddock to renovate and prepare today.


    Why was Qin Yan not here?


    Besides, Shen Huai the housekeeper of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion was here. Why didn¡¯t Qin Yan come yet?


    Xie Changyuan suddenly thought that Taizi also didn¡¯t come today. Was this related? Taizi and Qin Yan¡­


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. Brother Changyuan¡­¡± It was A Yan.


    Xie Changyuan was not ready to bring A Yan over, so Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t go back to the mansion last night and stayed in the barracks of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army. Today he set off directly from the palace. But in the accompanying entourage today, Xie Changyuan still saw A Yan¡¯s carriage.


    Seeing that Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t seem to plan to take her along, A Yan went to Xie Qing, the half-sister of Xie Changyuan, who was also Xie Zhao¡¯s proper sister.


    Xie Qing was the young lady of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, and she was qualified to go hunting in the western suburbs. Xie Qing could not refuse A Yan, so she asked the mansion to arrange another carriage to set off with her carriage.


    Xie Changyuan felt a lot of displeasure in his heart. A Yan knew the entanglement between him and Xie An, as well as Xie An¡¯s pair of children. A Yan was still his own person in name, and yet she still went to Xie Qing for help, regardless of his face.


    But no matter what, the final result was that A Yan still came.


    ¡°Shizi Xie, to avoid unnecessary unpleasantness in the future, please don¡¯t appear outside my master¡¯s tent during the hunting period.¡± Shen Huai looked at the man and woman in front of him and felt very displeased. Shen Huai really didn¡¯t want his master to be in a bad mood because of irrelevant people.


    Xie Changyuan took A Yan away.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At night, Xie Changyuan sat alone by the bonfire, holding a stick in his hand to stir the flame, and in the other hand held a water bag. There was no wine in the bag, only mountain spring water.


    Xie Changyuan was laden with anxiety at the moment, and he urgently needed a huge drink.


    The responsibility of guarding the safety of the paddock was very important. Even if he only took a sip of alcohol, he might be slow to react and make mistakes. Xie Changyuan could only use water to relieve his sorrows.


    The person he sent to keep an eye on Xie Zhao reported back that Xie Zhao had no contact with the Duke of Zhenguo and Princess of Zhaoren.


    Moreover, he also sent someone to the Pingxi Army to inquire. Xie Zhao and Qin Yan didn¡¯t have any interaction in the Northwest Camp. Was there any biasedness in his original information?


    At that time, he asked the Duke of Zhenguo for the person, but the Duke of Zhenguo sent someone to turn him down.


    Before he left Xiaoguan, he accidentally heard that the Duke of Zhenguo asked Qin Yan for her opinion that day, and it was Qin Yan who tried to protect Xie Zhao and oppose handing it over to him.


    At that time, his mother had only passed away not long ago, and he was very tired from chasing Xie Zhao for a long time. He thought it was more likely that Duke of Zhenguo Shen Changshan didn¡¯t let the person go, but with Qin Yan there, Qin Yan was supposed to hate the betrayal of marriage because she engaged with him, so Xie Changyuan expected Qin Yan would definitely help him to get the person.


    He never thought it was Qin Yan who opposed it.


    Qin Yan actually defended Xie Zhao! Xie Zhao, the illegitimate son who couldn¡¯t see the light!


    Xie Changyuan couldn¡¯t believe it, but he was helpless on the grounds of the Duke of Zhenguo. He couldn¡¯t let go of the dignity of the young master of the noble family and continue to pester.


    In the end, he returned to the capital with sorrow, fatigue, and a huge psychological gap.


    On the way back to the capital, Xie Changyuan hated Xie An, Xie Zhao, and Qin Yan even more.


    This hatred lasted for many years.


    This also led him to say casually to He Xiao at the gate of the city when Qin Yan returned to the capital, ¡°It¡¯s just a verbal joke from the elders in the family, what kind of fianc¨¦e is she?¡±


    But what if it was just a misunderstanding?


    If it was a misunderstanding, he would explain to Yanyan, and then what?


    Then between Yanyan and himself¡­


    Thinking of this, Xie Changyuan raised his head again and poured a mouthful of cold spring water. The spring water rolled down his throat and into his stomach, making his whole body even colder.


    Xie Changyuan self-deprecatingly, was it still possible?


    Qin Yan was so dazzling now¡­


    Recently, Xie Changyuan heard people talking behind his back more than once, saying that he Xie Changyuan was blind and missed such a one-of-a-kind fiancee.


    ??Xie Changyuan¡¯s heart was always a little sour. Once upon a time, he also liked that soft and cute little sister Yanyan very much.


    That time,  Qin Yan fell into the water in Taiye pond. After Qin Yan was rescued, the first thing she saw was himself. For the first time, Xie Changyuan saw that Qin Yan only had himself in her eyes, and he also understood the gratitude in Qin Yan¡¯s eyes. Xie Changyuan knew that this little sister would treat him differently in the future.


    Therefore, Xie Changyuan became a person with an ulterior motive and didn¡¯t name the other person who went into the water to save Yanyan first.


    After rescuing Yanyan from the water, the person, who had just jumped into the water, handed her over to him.


    And that person now seemed to be related to Yanyan again.


    However, that person and Qin Yan had no fate in the past, and there would be no fate in the future, too.


    Xie Changyuan remembered a story he accidentally learned from his mother back then. Although it was a grievance and dispute of the previous generation, judging from Qin Yan¡¯s current style of behavior¡­


    ??Xie Changyuan was extremely certain in his heart that Qin Yan would never enter the imperial family.

 CH 33.1

    Chapter 33          Fierce Horse (1/2)


    Paddock at the western suburb.


    The morning light, through the thin cold mist, cast a magnificent haze on the forest meadow.


    On the race ground, the bells and drums sounded in unison, and the metal clinking sound resonated at the same time.


    The flags on the side of the field were fluttering in the wind, making whistling sounds.


    This was the second day of autumn hunting. Today, extra programs such as martial arts competitions, horse racing, and others were arranged to warm up everyone as the hunting would officially start tomorrow.


    Opposite the stands was a circular arena, and at this moment there were two tall and burly warriors fighting with their bare hands.


    Today, the Emperor of Hui in the stands looked very good. An unfamiliar imperial concubine beside him held a wine jug and added wine into Emperor of Hui¡¯s cup from time to time.


    Next to the Emperor of Hui was Concubine Ning, who had just entered the palace and was very favored by the Emperor of Hui. This time, among the imperial concubines accompanying this autumn hunting, in addition to one of the four concubines including Imperial Concubine Shu, there was also Concubine Ning.


    Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s seat was on the other side of the Emperor of Hui. She sipped her wine lightly, sometimes looked at the arena, and sometimes glanced at Concubine Ning with a little displeasure.


    Like Imperial Concubine Ning, a lot of people had entered the palace in recent years, but they had been replaced in less than two months at most. Concubine Ning thought she was the starring role, but they were all substitutes for that person, either with similar eyebrows and eyes, a similar face shape, or a similar appearance.


    Which part of Concubine Ning looked similar this time?


    Imperial Concubine Shu turned her head and looked at Concubine Ning¡¯s face. Oh, it was there.


    Our Majesty, was he passionate or dedicated?


    The second prince, who was seated next to Imperial Concubine Shu, understood his imperial mother¡¯s unhappiness today. On today¡¯s occasion, Concubine Ning rose above his imperial mother and sat next to the imperial throne of his imperial father. She was so intimate with her father in public, regardless of the face of his imperial mother, which was really undignified, but his imperial father allowed Concubine Ning to be arrogant.


    Second Prince Feng Xian would say a few words to Imperial Concubine Shu from time to time, comment on the fight on the field, or discuss the weather and scenery. He wanted his imperial mother to be at ease. His imperial mother was different from Concubine Ning. Concubine Ning was just a plaything, and his imperial mother was one of the four imperial concubines, not to mention, she had him.


    Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao looked at the field with an indifferent expression. The left and right sides of her seats were still empty. Those were Brother Taizi, Feng Yuyao, and Qin Yan.


    Brother Taizi was busy with official business, but where had Feng Yuyao gone?


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this moment, Feng Yuyao was in front of Qin Yan¡¯s tent and finally waited for Qin Yan who had just arrived in the paddock.


    Qin Yan originally planned to stay in the tent to rest. Feng Yuyao also knew that Qin Yan didn¡¯t like excitement, and she would definitely not take the initiative to watch the competition. So, she came to find her in person.


    ¡°Yanyan, you must go to the race ground with me today. You¡¯re most familiar with the race ground. Tell me more about it then.¡± Feng Yuyao was very curious about Qin Yan and Shen Ci¡¯s experiences in the Northwest, and she also wanted to be more understanding of Shen Ci¡¯s life.


    Qin Yan understood Feng Yuyao¡¯s thinking, and she was not disgusted by her. Except for being a part of the imperial family, Yuyao was good in every aspect.


    If Yuyao and Shen Ci would really get together, it was also their fate.


    Then Qin Yan agreed to go to the race ground with Feng Yuyao.


    Jiang Mu was also there. Of course, Shen Ying and Uncle Huai also went to accompany them.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After Xie Changyuan had arranged his official duties properly, he sat on the stand together with A Yan.


    A Yan was very curious about various things in the paddock, and Xie Changyuan occasionally would explain patiently to A Yan.


    Although Xie Changyuan was a little displeased with A Yan looking for Xie Qing to bring her to the paddock, he quickly calmed down.


    He also blamed himself for avoiding A Yan for the past few days. If he didn¡¯t want to bring her, he should make it clear to her.


    A Yan was simple and kindhearted. She had a simple straightforward mind and didn¡¯t have so many twists and turns. It was naturally easy to ignore some sensitive communication problems.


    Xie Changyuan looked at A Yan lovingly who was looking around curiously. This girl had saved his life, and she was simply like a blank piece of paper and helpless. He should treat A Yan more kindly and protect A Yan.


    Xie Changyuan couldn¡¯t help but look at the empty seat beside Feng Yunchao. This was the first time today.


    Qin Yan was so powerful, and with so many people protecting her. Hence, she could be arrogant and domineering.


    Today, was she not coming again?


    Not far from Xie Changyuan was Xie Qing. Xie Qing¡¯s mind was not in the arena. She heard that her brother, Xie Zhao, would be on duty during the autumn hunting, but she had never been able to find her brother. Why couldn¡¯t she see him?


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Qin Yan and Feng Yuyao came to the stand to take their seats, the fierce battle in the arena came to an end.


    On the stage stood a burly and strong man, who was this year¡¯s Wu Juren Lin Zhong, who was now serving in the Northern Yamen Imperial Army.


    Lin Zhong had been fighting on the field for several rounds, and he had knocked down six or seven challengers off the arena before.


    Emperor of Hui was very satisfied, and smiled at Xie Changyuan: ¡°Changyuan, your subordinate is very good and will be rewarded.¡±


    Xie Changyuan was also very satisfied with the outstanding performance of his subordinate today as Lin Zhong gave credit to the Northern Yamen Imperial Army.


    At this time, Lin Zhong in the arena suddenly looked towards the stand, cupped his fists with both hands, bowed to salute, and said in a thick voice, ¡°Your Majesty, this minister wants to ask for a favor.¡±


    At this moment, the Emperor of Hui was delighted and said with a smile, ¡°Oh? Tell me about it.¡±


    Lin Zhong looked in the direction of Princess of Zhaoren Qin Yan and said, ¡°This minister wants to compete with the soldiers of the Pingxi Army. Emperor, please give permission.¡±


    Everyone looked at Princess of Zhaoren Qin Yan who had just taken her seat.


    Today¡¯s Qin Yan was dressed in white narrow sleeves with a dark pattern of silver thread brocade robe and her hair was tied up in a simple white jade hairpin. She was still so beautiful and peerless.


    Qin Yan heard the words, but her face remained calm.


    The three generations of the Shen family were all involved in military affairs, so only Qin Yan came from the Pingxi Army.


    Emperor of Hui said to Qin Yan, ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, is there anyone in the mansion who can fight?¡±


    Since the Emperor had opened his mouth, not to fight was to resist and disrespect the decree.


    Qin Yanfeng¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    Shen Ying said, ¡°Master, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    At this time, Jiang Mu, who was in the seat next to her, turned to look at Qin Yan, and said in a relaxed tone, ¡°Let me go, I haven¡¯t exercised for a long time.¡±


    Qin Yan nodded.


    With Qin Yan¡¯s instruction, Jiang Mu stood up, bowed to the Emperor of Hui, and said loudly, ¡°Your Majesty, Jiang Mu from the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion will fight.¡±


    Emperor of Hui nodded.


    Jiang Mu, let¡¯s see how Qin Yan taught him.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Today, Jiang Mu was wearing a bright blue outfit.


    He got off the stand, walked straight to the edge of the arena, jumped up, and stood firmly on the arena.


    Jiang Mu cupped his fists toward Lin Zhong.


    ¡°Jiang Mu, from the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, comes to take up the challenge.¡±


    Lin Zhong cupped his fists back and said, ¡°Lin Zhong, please give me your advice.¡±


    After speaking, the two fought quickly.


    The two people in the arena were very different in build and skill.


    Lin Zhong was tall and burly with a strong physique. Jiang Mu was tall and sturdy, but he was slightly thin in front of Lin Zhong.


    Lin Zhong was powerful, and the arena was shaken three times when his body moves. However, Jiang Mu, who was more agile, was slightly clumsy.


    The external image of the two was very different, and each had its own advantages and disadvantages in their martial arts skills.


    Under the brawl between the two, they were evenly matched, and the two were still fighting fiercely on the stage after a stick of incense passed.


    Both of them were almost knocked out of the arena several times and also turned around narrowly.


    The hearts of everyone in the stands were suspended and calmed down again, continuing to watch the battle.


    It was indeed exciting.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan unconsciously swept to the Emperor of Hui¡¯s side. There was a beauty beside the Emperor of Hui. Qin Yan looked at her with a sense of familiarity and tried to recall, but there was no clue in her mind. She shouldn¡¯t have known this person.


    Aware of Qin Yan¡¯s inquiring gaze, Feng Yuyao also glanced in the direction of the Emperor of Hui and then turned her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s Concubine Ning, who has just entered the palace. She is currently in favor. Look, Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s face is black.¡± Feng Yuyao explained to Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t care.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Today Qin Ming had been waiting for Qin Nian to finish dressing up, but Qin Nian was too slow. Qin Ming stomped his feet anxiously, why was it so troublesome for a girl to go out? If it wasn¡¯t for his mother¡¯s repeated instructions to himself before he came to the paddock that he and his sister had to take care of each other, he wouldn¡¯t have waited for her a long time ago.


    When Qin Ming and Qin Nian arrived at the race ground, they saw that Jiang Mu fighting a strong man in the arena.


    Qin Ming looked at the skills of the two in the arena and opened his mouth. This¡­ could he still challenge Jiang Mu?

 CH 33.2

    Chapter 33          Fierce Horse (2/2)


    Qin Nian and Qin Ming entered the end of the stand, where there were already a group of young masters and young ladies. Seeing Qin Nian and Qin Ming, they all came over to greet them.


    Du Ling was sitting in the corner. She didn¡¯t keep her mouth shut on the decorated boat at the Qianshui Lake last time and pointed out Qin Nian. Although Qin Nian let the past go, she was still somewhat alienated by the young masters and sisters headed by Qin Nian.


    But Du Ling was still the second daughter of the Du Mansion of the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, and her status was there. Although the young ladies of the official family were not too friendly towards her, they still reluctantly hung around to play together.


    The seats in front of them were the two young ladies of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, as well as the second son of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, Wang Jingyu. This young man, who was in the dandy circle in the capital, was also surrounded by a group of young masters and young ladies with profound backgrounds.


    He Xiao, the eldest son of the Minister of the Ministry of War, was fanning a folding fan, and his seat was not far from the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister, Wang Jingyi. Although the two were unmarried couples, they were no communication from beginning to end.


    After another incense stick time, the winner was finally determined in the arena, and Jiang Mu won by a narrow margin.


    Lin Zhong, who was below the arena, cupped his fists at Jiang Mu and said, ¡°I¡¯ve learned.¡±


    Jiang Mu cupped his fists back at him.


    Emperor of Hui clapped his hand and said, ¡°Great, great.¡±


    Jiang Mu felt a trace of pride in his heart and looked at Qin Yan on the stage as if asking for credit.


    Qin Yan still sipped the wine with a faint expression and when she received Jiang Mu¡¯s persistent eyes, Qin Yan nodded helplessly.


    The soldier who presided over the competition beside the arena said: ¡°Is there anyone who wants to challenge Young Master Jiang?¡±


    No one answered.


    Those who had just challenged Lin Chong were defeated and fell flat on the ground, and Lin Zhong was defeated by Jiang Mu, so who would challenge Jiang Mu?


    Moreover, not many people dared to offend the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.


    At this time, a young man¡¯s voice suddenly rang: ¡°I will.¡±


    The voice came from the seat at the end of the stand, it was a young man in a green riding suit.


    Everyone looked at where the voice came from.


    He was the son of the Right Prime Minister Qin.


    In previous years, Qin Ming was not qualified to enter the paddock. This year, Song Mei was raised as an equal wife, thus he and Qin Nian were also promoted to legitimate sons and daughters. This was the first time they participated in autumn hunting in the western suburbs.


    Qin Nian grabbed Qin Ming¡¯s sleeve and said anxiously in a low voice, ¡°Are you crazy? Didn¡¯t you see the Young Master Jiang¡¯s thrilling fight against that strong man? Don¡¯t make trouble, go back to father¡­¡±


    Before Qin Nian could finish speaking, Qin Ming shook off Qin Nian¡¯s hand and said, ¡°As a man, what is there to be afraid of?¡±


    Qin Ming straightened his chest and looked in the direction of the Princess of Zhaoren Qin Yan.


    However, Qin Yan was drinking tea at the moment and didn¡¯t seem to care about the situation on the field at all.


    Qin Ming was not disappointed either. He got off the stand, walked straight to the arena, and climbed up.


    Standing opposite Jiang Mu, he said, ¡°Jiang Mu, your opponent today is me, Qin Ming.¡±


    Jiang Mu stood with his hands behind his back, looked at the fool opposite him with a cold face, and said nothing.


    Seeing Jiang Mu¡¯s arrogant face again, Qin Ming became angry again.


    He turned his neck around and moved his arms and legs. After warming up, he rushed towards Jiang Mu with a loud roar.


    Some people in the stand were already covering their faces, unable to bear to look directly.


    When Qin Ming was about to approach, Jiang Mu raised his leg and kicked Qin Ming out of the arena.


    ¡­


    There were boos on the field.


    Qin Nian in the stand immediately got up, quickly got off the stand, and ran towards Qin Ming.


    Imperial Concubine Shu and Second Prince also sent people to check on Qin Ming¡¯s situation.


    Jiang Mu didn¡¯t make a heavy move, and Qin Ming recuperated after a while. He rubbed his belly where he was kicked by Jiang Mu, but he was still very proud of himself.


    Although his posture of getting off the arena was a bit embarrassing, it was Qin Ming who stood up when no one dared to challenge Jiang Mu.


    Qin Ming looked at Qin Yan on the stage.


    Did Eldest Sister see my courage?


    As Qin Ming wished, Qin Yan did give him a faint look, and then moved away in an instant.


    Qin Ming thought to himself, ¡°Very good, Eldest Sister has seen me.¡±


    Emperor of Hui clapped his hands and said: ¡°The future generations are formidable and will be rewarded. The Qin family¡¯s boy is commendable for his courage and will be rewarded, too.¡±


    Jiang Mu returned to the stands.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The horse racing session started in the arena.


    The race field was a circular track. Riders would start from the front of the stands and race for a round. The first to end would win.


    The first race was the men¡¯s horse race.


    At this moment, sitting in front of the stands, Second Prince Feng Xian, Shizi Xie of Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Xie Changyuan, the eldest son of the Minister of Ministry of War, He Xiao, and a group of young masters and soldiers were sitting on their horses and preparing for the race.


    Wang Jingyu, the youngest son of the Left Prime Minister in the stands, didn¡¯t participate as he knew the superb riding skills of those on the field and didn¡¯t want to be a foil to others, which was embarrassing.


    On the other hand, Qin Ming, who was being massaged by the servants, couldn¡¯t say anything. He and his second sister Qin Nian had been practicing horse riding for the past two months, and they thought that they could show their skills during the hunting in the western suburbs. Unexpectedly, when he fell off the arena just now, his bottom and legs hurt, and he couldn¡¯t get on the horse today.


    ¡°Ouch, ouch, gentle please.¡± Qin Ming rubbed his bottom and said to the young manservant beside him.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When the drum sounded, dozens of tall horses rushed out. The people on the horses rode at a high speed, with the horses neighing and people shouting. The hooves sounded rapid, and the dust was flying, which was spectacular.


    Today, Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t plan to have any more scruples and didn¡¯t intend to give in to Second Prince Feng Xian like before. He lowered his upper body, pulled the reins violently, and led the way, reaching the finish line first with an obvious advantage.


    The moment he crossed the finish line, Xie Changyuan glanced at Qin Yan in the stands.


    However, Qin Yan lowered her head slightly and listened to what Feng Yuyao was saying.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s eyes dimmed for a moment.


    A Yan in the stands looked at Xie Changyuan¡¯s handsome posture, and her cheeks reddened. That was her Brother Changyuan, and also the Brother Changyuan who was about to be her husband.


    Second Prince Feng Xian arrived later, and he was a little displeased.


    In the past, he could see that Xie Changyuan had deliberately compromised, allowing him to always come out on top. But he was the noble prince, and he thought that it was Xie Changyuan who knew the current affairs.


    But today¡¯s Xie Changyuan¡­


    Second Prince Feng Xian looked at the stands, was it because of Qin Yan?


    ¡ª¡ª


    The women¡¯s horse racing was shortly after.


    Different from the exciting and spectacular men¡¯s horse racing just now. The girls didn¡¯t have a lot of drama on the horses.


    The two princesses didn¡¯t participate, and the Princess of Zhaoren and the young lady of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, Xie Qing also sat in the stands.


    The second young lady of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, Wang Jingyan, was wearing a bright red riding attire today. She was valiant and formidable looking on the horse and had a unique style.


    And Qin Nian, the second young lady of the Right Prime Minister Mansion, was shadowed by that. Qin Nian had just learned to ride a horse, and her performance could only be regarded as quite satisfactory. She was directly reduced to the foil of the young lady of the Wang family.


    A Yan also wanted to join the horse race but was stopped by Xie Changyuan. A Yan¡¯s riding skills could only be played for fun. How could she really compete in the arena?


    Feng Yuyao signaled to Qin Yan and Qin Yan followed Feng Yuyao¡¯s line of sight. Xie Changyuan held the reins on the sidelines and immediately sat down with A Yan, who was blushing. The two walked slowly on the sidelines.


    Qin Yan thought to herself, um, a perfect match.


    Today¡¯s second young lady of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, Wang Jingyan, performed exceptionally well on the horse. She got up and left the saddle, left one foot on the stirrup, then moved one foot away from the horse to touch the ground, and then leaped on the horseback again, making frequent thrilling movements and showing superb equestrian skills.


    Wang Jingyan had been preparing for a long time, but unfortunately, His Highness Taizi was not present today.


    Man, they didn¡¯t have special feelings. A woman had to change her appearance to give a man a sense of freshness to get a man¡¯s long-term love, otherwise, a man would go outside to find someone who could give them a sense of freshness.


    Wang Jingyan felt that An Yanxi was just a piece of blockhead, and she always acted like a virtuous lady of a noble family. She was so boring, that men would get tired of it.


    Unsurprisingly, the second young lady of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, Wang Jingyan, won first place.


    Everyone was rewarded by the Emperor.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this time, there was a sudden neighing of horses in the field, and several people worked together to lead a tall and strong maroon horse to the field.


    Everyone looked over in confusion.


    Emperor of Hui said: ¡°This is the Dawan horse which was supplied by the Mulan Horse Farm of Princess of Zhaoren. Yesterday, I saw the strong bones and muscles of this horse on the race ground, and I loved it very much, but this horse is unruly and difficult to tame. Today, if anyone can tame this fierce horse, I will reward heavily.¡±


    Everyone was eager to move, but they were terrified to see the tall horse that could not be restrained by the four strong and sturdy soldiers.


    A few young masters in the stands went up, and before they got close to the horse, they were kicked over by the horse¡¯s front hooves, or fell to the ground in fright, trying frantically to escape.


    Some of the soldiers who trained horses, also couldn¡¯t get close, and couldn¡¯t get on horseback at all.


    Second Prince Feng Xian cherished his life and was not interested in playing with this fierce horse with his noble body.


    He Xiao looked at Xie Changyuan: ¡°Shizi Xie, give it a try?¡±


    Xie Changyuan couldn¡¯t help looking in Qin Yan¡¯s direction. At this moment, Qin Yan changed her indifference towards the field, and she was looking at the fierce horses on the field.


    It seemed that Qin Yan was very interested in this horse. Yes, it used to be a horse on her horse farm.


    Xie Changyuan got up, but his right arm was grabbed by A Yan next to him.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, don¡¯t go.¡± A Yan looked at Xie Changyuan and said worriedly. The horse looked so difficult to tame, and she didn¡¯t want Brother Changyuan to be in danger.


    Xie Changyuan glanced at A Yan with a comforting look, stroked A Yan¡¯s hands holding his arms, stepped down, and walked straight to the fierce horse.


    ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Xie Changyuan said.


    Xie Changyuan immediately jumped on the horse, pulled the reins tightly, and began a fierce battle with the fierce horse.


    That horse had been waiting for an opportunity to throw Xie Changyuan down. Xie Chang Yuan avoided it several times, but he didn¡¯t make any progress.


    One person and one horse stood deadlocked on the field for a long time.


    But Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t intend to give up easily. Everyone in the stands was watching, including Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan was fond of horses. If he could subdue this fierce horse, Qin Yan would look at him with admiration, then¡­


    On the stand, Concubine Ning suddenly spoke to the Emperor of Hui, and her voice was not deliberately lowered, so the seats nearby could clearly hear.


    ¡°Your Majesty, since this fierce horse comes from the Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s horse farm, why not let the Princess of Zhaoren give it a try?¡±

 CH 34.1

    Chapter 34          Seductress (1/2)


    After Concubine Ning said this, the surroundings suddenly became unusually quiet.


    She noticed that the people in the seats next to her were looking at her meaningfully, but she didn¡¯t understand what was wrong.


    Concubine Ning turned to look at the Emperor of Hui but was shocked by the Emperor of Hui¡¯s cold and hostile eyes.


    Did she say something wrong?


    ¡°Hahaha, Your Majesty, I¡¯m just joking.¡± Concubine Ning raised her slender white hand, lightly covered her red lips, and smiled coquettishly.


    Concubine Ning wanted to turn around the monologue she sang herself, but she couldn¡¯t get rid of the coldness in Emperor of Hui¡¯s eyes.


    Concubine Ning pulled Emperor of Hui¡¯s left arm with both hands, shook it coquettishly, and said tenderly, ¡°Your Majesty, you know that I spoke harshly but without any bad intention. Your Majesty, Your Majesty¡­¡±


    Emperor of Hui looked at the smiling face of the woman beside him, a little dazed, but quickly regained his clarity. He gave Concubine Ning a warning look and turned his eyes back to the field.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Taming a horse was an extremely dangerous matter. This fierce horse was so violent that even Xie Changyuan, the Commander of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army, could not tame it, let alone Princes of Zhaoren, a woman.


    Concubine Ning was selected into the palace from Yuzhou, and she only entered the palace for more than a month. She didn¡¯t know the depth of the water in the capital.


    Since she was suddenly favored, she had always been like a surreal feeling on the clouds and gradually became confused. She felt that with her favored honor, she could win the wind and the rain.


    Qin Yan was just a princess. Concubine Ning felt that she was the favored concubine, so she could make fun of Qin Yan by making jokes, or really let Qin Yan tame the horse for her to watch as fun, which was also understandable.


    But how could she know that Qin Yan, a daughter of the Prime Minister Mansion, could leap to a princess whose title, rank, and provision could be equal to that of the imperial princess, and how could she be just an ordinary princess?


    It stemmed from Qin Yan¡¯s bloodline of both the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion and the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion with great military power, from Qin Yan holding the intelligence network of Gu City, an important town outside the Northwest Pass, from Qin Yan gratuitously handing over the Mulan Horse Farm to the imperial family, and also from the love of the Emperor for Qin Yan¡¯s mother, Shen Shiying.


    Although Imperial Concubine Shu disliked Qin Yan, Concubine Ning¡¯s audacity offended the Emperor, which greatly displeased Imperial Concubine Shu.


    Relying on His Majesty¡¯s favor, Concubine Ning repeatedly ignored Imperial Concubine Shu. Imperial Concubine Shu couldn¡¯t move her, but because of Qin Yan today¡­


    Because of Qin Yan, even she, who was ranked as one of the four imperial concubines, was confined.


    Let alone a low-level concubine, Concubine Ning, who didn¡¯t even weigh herself.


    Imperial Concubine Shu looked up and drank the wine cup in front of her comfortably as if letting out a resentment.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Emperor didn¡¯t respond to Concubine Ning¡¯s proposal, so everyone stopped watching the excitement and looked back at the field.


    Xie Changyuan on the field, dressed in a crimson embroidered tiger and leopard print riding outfit, was struggling intently with the fierce horse. Although the action was difficult, he didn¡¯t appear embarrassed. He was very handsome and had an imposing manner.


    Qin Yan frowned slightly and carefully observed the maroon horse on the field. The drink in front of her hadn¡¯t been touched for a long time.


    Shen Ying understood that this fierce horse held the reputation of the Mulan Horse Farm. If it went crazy and attacked any imperial family or an influential official today, it would definitely implicate the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.


    Shen Ying said to Qin Yan, ¡°Master, let me go.¡±


    At this time, the horse under Xie Changyuan suddenly raised its front hooves. Xie Changyuan was caught off guard and leaned back. Xie Changyuan was also somewhat exhausted at this time, so he took the opportunity and backflipped off the horse.


    The horse seemed to sense that the person on its body was off, shook its head, and jumped frantically on the field.


    ¡°Master, we can¡¯t let that horse hurt people today, I¡¯ll go see it.¡± Shen Ying spoke to Qin Yan again.


    Qin Yan nodded.


    Shen Ying hurried down the stand.


    Xie Changyuan calmed down his violent heartbeat, and he regretted that he was unable to subdue this stubborn horse in the end.


    A shadow rushed past Xie Changyuan. It was Shen Ying in a tight outfit.


    Shen Ying hurried to the side of the horse, jumped on the horse¡¯s back, and grabbed the flying mane of the horse.


    When the horse felt someone on it again, it raised its front hooves, jumped, and neighed frantically.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Shen Ying¡¯s weight was lighter than Xie Changyuan¡¯s and was thrown up several times on horseback, which looked more thrilling than Xie Changyuan¡¯s just now.


    Everyone in the stands watched a woman tame the horse, and the scene was so intense that they were all excited.


    On the other hand, Shen Ying, who was on the horse, was almost thrown off a few times and knew this wasn¡¯t the way to dawdle like this.


    During Shen Ying¡¯s years in the Northwest, whether it was a good horse in the Western Regions or a wild horse in the grassland, it was common for her to train horses, but it wasn¡¯t as unremarkable as today, and the horse had a tendency to become crazier and crazier.


    This horse seemed to be abnormally anxious.


    Moreover, the horses sent into the capital by Mulan Horse Farm were all tamed by the horse trainers of the horse farm, and they shouldn¡¯t have such crazy behavior.


    This horse seemed to be restless.


    Qin Yan had reached a conclusion in her heart, and Shen Ying on horseback also had the same idea.


    If the horse was tampered with, if it hadn¡¯t come from her master, and even if it wasn¡¯t, it would implicate her master.


    Shen Ying was a stubborn and unyielding person. She kept telling herself that she couldn¡¯t give up and must stop this crazy horse.


    Shen Ying grabbed the horse¡¯s mane with difficulty, and the situation on the field was once thrilling again.


    Shen Ying was gradually losing physical strength, and if this went on¡­


    Jiang Mu got up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    At this moment, Shen Ying was flung out of the horse by a sudden swerved of the horse, only her right foot was caught in the stirrup, and half of her body leaned back, almost close to the ground. The horse galloped wildly, and the scene was extremely thrilling.


    Everyone in the stands screamed in fright. Today¡¯s horse taming was exciting and thrilling, but if it really caused someone¡¯s life¡­


    Xie Changyuan on the sidelines wanted to help Shen Ying, but the horse was too crazy that he had no chance to get close.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan narrowed her eyes slightly, stood up, and jumped down from the stands.


    Everyone looked at the field anxiously, suddenly a white figure on the sidelines flew onto a black horse under the stands and galloped away.


    Qin Yan galloped her horse straight in the direction of the fierce horse. When she approached the crazy horse, Qin Yan said to the person who was barely hanging by the side of the horse: ¡°Shen Ying.¡±


    Shen Ying was struggling and fastening herself on the horseback with great difficulty to prevent herself from being thrown out.


    Seeing her master coming, Shen Ying understood that it was time for her to withdraw. Staying here wouldn¡¯t help her much, and it would only cause trouble for her master.


    Shen Ying release her grip, stepped on the horse to spring herself out, and landed smoothly after turning over a few times.


    After Shen Ying left safely, Qin Yan immediately jumped and got on the fierce horse.


    She didn¡¯t try to control the horse but leaned forward on the horseback with her upper body, her fair side face pressed against the back of the horse¡¯s back neck, and let the horse¡¯s rough mane prick her tender skin, causing it to nip a little bit.


    The fiery crazy horse galloped wildly on the field with Qin Yan in white clothes and black hair.


    The white jade hairpin holding Qin Yan¡¯s fine black hair slipped down during the jolting, and her fine black hair spread out like a waterfall in the wind, dancing wildly in the air.


    Everyone in the stands was stunned by this thrilling and beautiful scene. Qin Yan, the Princess of Zhaoren, came to the field.


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t make any fancy moves on the horse, but she flew onto the horse in a gallop between two horses and sat firmly on the back of the horse that sometimes galloped and sometimes jumped wildly, without a trace of panic. She was extremely skilled and had excellent riding skills.


    When Xie Changyuan on the sidelines saw Qin Yan jump onto the crazy horse, he was very worried. He stared at the field intently, and once Qin Yan was in danger, he would rush to help her as soon as possible.

 CH 34.2

    Chapter 34          Seductress (2/2)


    Apart from the few people who were really worried about Qin Yan, more spectators were watching the fun in the stands.


    Some people were waiting to see Qin Yan¡¯s jokes, such as Imperial Concubine Shu, Qin Nian, and A Yan.


    Their minds were surprisingly unanimous, it would be funny if Qin Yan accidentally died under the horse¡¯s hoof. A woman, fighting against the fierce animal, to whom was she showing off?


    But no matter how much imagination they had, the struggle on the field came to an end.


    Shortly after Qin Yan got on the fierce horse, she leaned over the horse¡¯s neck and murmured, ¡°You have been tampered with and you won¡¯t live long.¡±


    The horse seemed to be fed a potent drug and after it became crazier and crazier, it would refuse to drink and eat, and eventually bleed to death.


    Qin Yan closed her eyes slightly and sighed softly. Her left arm held the underside of the horse¡¯s neck to the right side of the horse¡¯s face, and her right hand stroked the horse¡¯s head along its mane. She moved to the left side of the horse¡¯s face and then the two hands twisted with all her strength.


    Qin Yan flew away from the horse that was galloping. After the horse fell a few feet forward, it slammed into the ground heavily. After it collapsed, it stopped moving.


    Everyone on the scene¡­ what happened?


    Apparently, that horse was just twisted by Qin Yan? And died on the spot?


    ¡­


    Qin Yan, who soared into the sky, slowly set on the ground. When the wind suddenly picked up, Qin Yan spread out fine black hair was dancing in the wind, and behind her lay a tall horse that had just been running and jumping wildly.


    ¡­


    Everyone in the stands was shocked, did they see it wrong? Qin Yan twisted that fierce horse to death with her bare hands?


    Qin Yan opened her eyes, walked slowly to the horse, squatted down, stretched out her slender fair hand, and closed the horse¡¯s eyes that were still open.


    Qin Yan said quietly: ¡°No matter who harms you or wants to harm me, I will make him pay the price. You can go in peace.¡±


    Shen Ying and Xie Changyuan rushed forward.


    Shen Ying said anxiously, ¡°Master, are you okay?¡±


    Qin Yan shook her head slightly reassuringly to Shen Ying.


    Xie Changyuan looked at Qin Yan, then at the dead horse on the ground, and said with a frown: ¡°You don¡¯t have to kill it¡­¡±


    Before Xie Changyuan could finish speaking, Qin Yan walked past him and straight to the stands.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Everyone in the stands looked at Qin Yan who was walking back slowly from a distance, and all shivered unconsciously.


    Qin Ming looked to the left and right and said proudly, ¡°That¡¯s my eldest sister. The one who twisted the crazy horse¡¯s neck with her bare hands is my eldest sister. My, Qin Ming¡¯s eldest sister.¡±


    And the group of young masters and young ladies around him, which was the young masters and young ladies of the official families who were on Qin Nian¡¯s pleasure boat in Qianshui Lake a few days ago on the Double Seven Festival, all looked pale and frightened.


    They looked at each other in dismay and were speechless for a long time.


    Someone spokes amid silence: ¡°At Qianshui Lake that day, was Princess of Zhaoren in a very good mood?¡±


    ¡°If she is unhappy and wants our lives, we won¡¯t have enough people for her to twist.¡±


    ¡°Did she just kill the horse with her bare hands?¡±


    ¡°I only heard that her maid Shen Ying is very skilled, but she is even more fierce.¡±


    ¡°But she always wears a cloak when she goes out, and she looks frail¡­¡±


    As soon as these words came out, everyone turned to look in the direction of Qin Yan, who had already stepped onto the stands.


    Sure enough, Shen Ying was tying Qin Yan¡¯s hair back into a bun and putting a cloak on her.


    It seemed that the wind was indeed blowing. Was Princess of Zhaoren a violent and cruel beauty, or a sickly beauty who would be blown away by the wind¡­


    They couldn¡¯t help but shiver again.


    Lin Zhong, the chief military instructor of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army who had just fought with Jiang Mu on the sidelines, covered his face and sighed after seeing the scene of Qin Yan fighting with the horse using her bare hands.


    He self-proclaimed the most powerful but he was not as good as a woman. The Princess of Zhaoren was really a hero among women, and he should work harder.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan sent someone to dispose of the dead horse¡¯s body and returned to the stands.


    A Yan pulled Xie Changyuan closely and said, ¡°Brother Changyuan, are you all right?¡±


    Xie Changyuan shook his head reassuringly.


    Xie Changyuan raised his head in the direction of Qin Yan and Qin Yan was walking towards the imperial throne. What was she going to do? Would she be held accountable by the Emperor when she killed the horse? Was she going to plead guilty? Did he want to plead for her?


    After Qin Yan got into the stands, Shen Ying used the hairpin that Shen Huai had prepared for Qin Yan to tidy up her hair.


    Qin Yan dropped the hairpin on the horseback back then, but Shen Ying couldn¡¯t find it for a long time. Maybe it was crushed by the horse¡¯s hooves and crushed into the soil. She didn¡¯t know it, so she gave it up, as it was just an ordinary hairpin.


    Qin Yan went to the front of the imperial throne and saluted, ¡°Your Majesty, I accidentally killed the horse. I hereby apologize to Your Majesty.¡±


    Without waiting for the Emperor of Hui to speak, Qin Yan said again: ¡°The horses delivered by Mulan Horse Farm are wild and difficult to tame. It is my negligence. After I have tamed these horses again, they will be returned to the Western Suburbs Horse Farm.¡±


    Emperor of Hui¡­


    Let her tame? If let her tame again, there would only be a pile of horse carcasses left.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s hard to tame the wildness, we don¡¯t let those horses participate in this paddock hunting, and then let the Imperial Horse Bureau tame them. Princess of Zhaoren didn¡¯t have to work too hard.¡± Emperor of Hui sighed and gestured at Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan said yes and went back to her seat by herself.


    The other party came prepared. Since one horse had been tampered with, it was inevitable that other horses would have problems. Qin Yan wanted to solve this hidden danger.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Emperor of Hui let everyone have fun themself and then left with Imperial Concubine Shu and Concubine Ning.


    Qin Yan frowned and glanced at Concubine Ning again, but she still didn¡¯t recognize this person, so why did she feel so familiar?


    After the Emperor of Hui and his party left, Shen Huai went to Qin Yan¡¯s side and said in a low voice: ¡°The one beside the Emperor looks like my young lady when she smiles.¡±


    Qin Yan raised her eyebrows.


    So, that was it?


    ¡ª¡ª


    After returning to her seat, Feng Yuyao tutted Qin Yan: ¡°Xiao Yanyan, I didn¡¯t expect you to look so frail, but you are actually so cruel. It would be pitiful for anyone to be your opponent.¡±


    Qin Yan ignored Feng Yuyao¡¯s teasing and took a sip of tea.


    The moment she put down the teacup, Qin Yan sensed a sharp gaze, and Qin Yan looked at the origin of the gaze immediately.


    That person was at the entrance of the field and heading a group, wearing a black brocade robe and a golden crown, was Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan glanced at Qin Yan with an unclear expression, then turned to leave.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan had just come from the palace after he finished handling official duties. He never thought that he would see a scene that shocked and amazed him.


    Just now, Qin Yan flew down the stand, galloped out on the horse, then jumped onto the fierce horse from the side, entangled with the horse, and then twisted the horse¡¯s neck with her bare hands. Feng Zhan had seen it all up to now.


    This person, Qin Yan had repeatedly brought him many surprises and amazements. She had so many mysteries, and she was breathtakingly beautiful. She was really a seductress-like woman.

 CH 35.1

    Chapter 35          Thorough (1/2)


    In the Taizi¡¯s tent in the hunting ground of the western suburb.


    Feng Zhan sat alone in front of the desk, rubbing a plain letter on the desk with his well-defined slender hand.


    Feng Zhan had an exceptionally good memory. He never needed to read the letters a second time, and he would have a deep impression after reading them once.


    Qin Yan¡¯s analysis of Gu City¡¯s intelligence would be sent to the Taizi Mansion in Xishan every few days. When he went to the paddock in the western suburbs this time, Feng Zhan brought the latest handwritten letter from Qin Yan, a handwritten letter that Feng Zhan had read countless times.


    ¡°The wind is calm.¡±


    At this moment, Feng Zhan¡¯s face was not obvious, but his heart was not calm at all.


    There were only four words on the paper and the strokes were powerful and smooth, especially the vigorous stroke was unforgettable.


    The words were like the person.


    People said that beauty lies in the character and not in appearance.


    And yet Qin Yan¡¯s beauty was in both her character and appearance.


    How could there be someone in this world like this, combining various contradictions with such a strong sense of impact?


    Today, when Feng Zhan went to the horse racing field and saw the fierce horse on the field, he realized that the horse had been tampered with and was abnormally restless.


    And after Qin Yan got on the horse, she should have noticed something was wrong with the horse, so she made a quick decision and killed it with her bare hands.


    According to Song Zhi¡¯s later report, Qin Yan didn¡¯t tell the Emperor that there was a problem with the horse but pointed out that all horses from Mulan Horse Farm needed to be re-tamed before they could be used.


    If the people behind the scenes dared to do something in the imperial hunting ground, they must have made adequate preparations.


    If the horse had a problem and was brought to the surface, it would be difficult to find out who was behind it.


    Even if the truth was finally found out, the time required wouldn¡¯t be a matter of one or two days.


    Moreover, these horses had been transported from the Mulan Horse Farm in the Northwest to the Western Suburbs Horse Farm a few months ago. It was hard to say whether the horse was tampered with at the Western Suburbs Horse Farm, during the transit, or at the Mulan Horse Farm.


    And if by any chance, it was found out that it was a member of the imperial family who was doing it and because nothing major happened, this matter would only be covered up.


    It was very likely that after all, Mulan Horse Farm couldn¡¯t escape the implication and Qin Yan would still be held accountable, even if she was just the scapegoat.


    Therefore, Qin Yan didn¡¯t say that there was a problem with the horse, only that the wildness was difficult to tame.


    And the Emperor might not have noticed the problem with the horse. Since there were no casualties, it just needed to stop the damage in time. If it was true that the imperial family was behind the scenes, the Emperor also needed to take this step to take the opportunity to expose the matter first.


    She suggested that these horses needed to be re-tamed again, meaning that these horses should not be allowed on the field in this hunt. Even if the horses had problems later, she also avoided the responsibility of her ulterior motives.


    Feng Zhan knew Qin Yan¡¯s methods of managing Gu City and running a horse farm. He had also seen Qin Yan¡¯s elegance in brewing tea, her vulgarity in horse tag, and her indifference to reputation in Qianshui Lake.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s previous impression of Qin Yan, due to various reasons, weakened Qin Yan as a stunning beauty.


    It turned out that she still had such skills and was so unyielding and decisive.


    Qin Yan was very resolute in killing the horse, and her explanation to the Emperor was also very clever. She was thorough and meticulous.


    She was also well-versed in the rules of the undercurrents game of the officialdom and imperial family.


    As for whether she would settle accounts later, Feng Zhan recalled Qin Yan¡¯s ruthlessness in killing the horse in the field¡­


    She should have a back move.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Your Highness, Shizi Xie request to see you.¡±


    Song Zhi entered the tent and interrupted Feng Zhan¡¯s contemplation.


    Feng Zhan frowned slightly, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Xie Changyuan strode forward, saluted before the desk, and said, ¡°Your Highness Taizi.¡±


    When Xie Changyuan got up, he caught a glimpse of a plain letter on top of the desk and the writing on it¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly deeper.


    Xie Changyuan pulled his thoughts back to the thing he had just seen that made him extremely unhappy and asked: ¡°Your Highness, why did Xie Zhao appear on the outskirts of the camp? His original duty was to guard Qianyang Ridge. I heard that this is Your Highness¡¯s arrangement.¡±


    Xie Changyuan looked directly at Taizi Feng Zhan. He waited to see what kind of reply the Taizi could have. Taizi should naturally have the same grudge against Xie Zhao as he did, and shouldn¡¯t have promoted Xie Zhao, that illegitimate son.


    Taizi Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes were slightly cold.


    Feng Zhan could hear Xie Changyuan¡¯s tone of questioning, and this could be accounted as offending the superior.


    However, Feng Zhan also understood his cousin¡¯s knot against Xie Zhao.


    ¡°This is what the one in the imperial tent means.¡± The Taizi said in a deep voice.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he was extremely shocked.


    The one in the imperial tent? Emperor? How could it be?


    The Emperor and his mother, Princess Anyang, had supported each other since childhood. It could be said that the Emperor was taken care of by his mother until he was finally chosen by Empress Dowager Xiao as her first son before ascending the throne.


    The Emperor had a very deep relationship with his mother and if he had a knot with Xie Zhao, then the Emperor wouldn¡¯t be without it.


    Seeing that Xie Changyuan looked doubtful, Feng Zhan cleared up the confusion: ¡°At noon, Chief Eunuch Li, who is in front of the Emperor, brought His Majesty¡¯s oral decree that the surrounding area for tomorrow¡¯s hunting includes Qianyang Ridge.¡±


    Xie Changyuan frowned slightly, puzzled by the Emperor¡¯s decision.


    In the previous year¡¯s autumn hunting, the delineated hunting range didn¡¯t include Qianyang Ridge.


    According to the Emperor¡¯s meaning, some ferocious beasts were appropriately placed in the hunting area to avoid risks. If there were people who want to hunt ferocious beasts alone, they could enter Qianyang Ridge on their own.


    The guards of Qianyang Ridge had a great responsibility, and couldn¡¯t let unspecified beasts go out of the ridge to hurt people.


    ¡°After Chief Eunuch Li finished speaking, he also said a few words.¡± Feng Zhan seemed to remember something pleasant, and the corners of his lips curled slightly.


    Xie Changyuan waited quietly for the next words.


    Feng Zhan continued: ¡°According to Chief Eunuch Li, the Emperor seems to be aroused by the exciting scene of Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s horse taming today. He said that if only a few ferocious beasts are released like before, it will be boring.¡±


    ¡°This Qin Yan.¡± After Feng Zhan finished speaking, he laughed out loud.


    Xie Changyuan was dumbfounded, because of this.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to send people to guard Qianyang Ridge. Gather everyone in the hunting grounds, rearranges the arrangement, sets up the formation tonight, and encircle it with five drums tomorrow. The hunting will start at sunrise.¡± Feng Zhan continued to make the arrangements.


    Xie Changyuan accepted the order.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Changyuan.¡± Feng Zhan spoke again.


    ¡°You arranged for Xie Zhao to guard Qianyang Ridge. This is Xie Zhao¡¯s first time entering the paddock in the western suburbs and he is extremely unfamiliar with the terrain. There are many people in the paddock. If something goes wrong, you know the consequences.¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember that you¡¯re the Commander-in-Chief who is in charge of the safety of this hunt? If something happens, can you get away with it?¡±


    ¡°Ask yourself honestly whether you have been blinded by personal resentment and have affected your judgment.¡±


    ¡°Changyuan, you and I are from the imperial family. There is one thing as the imperial family members that we must keep in mind. Not only the imperial family is home, but the home of people all over the world is also home. Do you understand?¡±

 CH 35.2

    Chapter 35          Thorough (2/2)


    After Xie Changyuan left Taizi¡¯s tent, the words of Taizi Feng Zhan kept lingering in his mind.


    Because of what happened to his mother at the time, he had been brooding about Xie Zhao all these years, and he was unwilling to let Xie Zhao appear in front of the imperial family this time.


    Indeed, Xie Zhao was guarding Qianyang Ridge, and if something happened, he would also implicate himself as the Commander-in-Chief. He had actually overlooked such a fundamental issue.


    Over the years, his personal grievances had become a shackle that imprison him and affected his rational judgment.


    These inferior means shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with him, but he had gradually become the kind of person he once hated.


    Xie Zhao¡¯s mistake was his existence.


    But even more hateful was Xie An.


    However, it was better if Xie An could openly tell the Emperor and Eldest Princess of Anyang that he once had a bedwarmer and a son, than hiding it secretly.


    What the imperial family wanted was Xie An, who had military power and ability, and wanted him to honor the princess, become a consort, and marry the imperial family.


    This purpose of the imperial family was not in conflict with whether he had a bedwarmer and the influence of his son before.


    However, Xie An was very ambitious. He didn¡¯t allow himself to become a marquis through ranks, and there was a slight chance of becoming a relative of the imperial family.


    This was the cause of the future disaster.


    Xie Changyuan wondered to himself whether he had been betrayed by the sudden death of his mother and the betrayal of his mother by Xie An, which caused a huge psychological gap and stimulated him to lose his rationality and affected his judgment.


    So much so that he was now a stranger to Qin Yan¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan walked slowly with a heavy heart. A woman suddenly approached him and blocked his way.


    Xie Changyuan raised his eyes in dissatisfaction and looked at the other party. It was her, Qin Yan¡¯s concubine-born sister, Qin Nian.


    He didn¡¯t have much interaction with her. On some occasions in the past few years, Qin Nian would come to greet him. Xie Changyuan knew the grievances between Qin Yan and Prime Minister Qin¡¯s concubine, as well as her concubine-born sister, so Xie Changyuan treated Qin Nian coldly.


    What kind of a bad idea did this person have today?


    Qin Nian left the horse race field and changed into a tulle dress, which was very elegant in the wind.


    She gave a half bowed to Xie Changyuan and said: ¡°Shizi Xie, I¡¯m here to apologize for the Qianshui Lake incident.¡±


    Xie Changyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, Qianshui Lake?


    ¡°Shizi Xie, on the Double Seven Festival at the Qianshui Lake, the pleasure ship I chartered accidentally collided with Second Prince¡¯s decorated boat due to improper operation of the boatman which caused Miss A Yan to fall into the water. I am deeply sorry. I wonder how Miss A Yan is recovering. Because of this, I was confined by my father, so I didn¡¯t go to your mansion to visit Miss A Yan in time. I plan to go to your mansion to apologize to Miss A Yan in person. I wonder if Shizi Xie can allow it?¡±


    Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t like this person, let alone had a disagreement with Qin Yan because of this woman, so he refused without even thinking about it.


    ¡°No need.¡± Xie Changyuan took a step to the side to leave but was blocked by Qin Nian again.


    Xie Changyuan was a little impatient.


    ¡°Shizi Xie, then I will send someone to send some supplements to your mansion another day, as an apology to Miss A Yan. You can¡¯t refuse anymore¡­¡± Qin Nian swore not to give up until she achieved her goal.


    ¡°I said, no need.¡± Xie Changyuan¡¯s tone was cold.


    ¡°Shizi Xie¡­¡± Qin Nian spoke again.


    Xie Changyuan ignored Qin Nian and left in two quick steps.


    Tonight, he had to arrange the paddock for hunting, and the Emperor had also ordered the opening of Qianyang Ridge. The danger was much higher than in previous years. He still had a lot of work to do, and he didn¡¯t have time to play Tai Chi with this woman.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Looking at Xie Changyuan¡¯s tall and straight back, Qin Nian¡¯s heart moved secretly. This was the figure she was thinking about, and she was bound to win.


    Qin Nian learned from his mother that in recent days that there was some movement between the Marquis of Yongding Xie An and her father. It seemed that the Marquis of Yongding Xie An was checking her father¡¯s attitude towards marriage between the two families.


    Xie An meant that Xie Changyuan and Qin Yan had been engaged for many years before, but now both of them deny the marriage contract.


    However, the Marquis of Yongding Mansion and the Prime Minister Qin Mansion could be regarded as having had a marriage contract before, and was it possible now to discuss whether to let the marriage contract fall on Xie Zhao, the concubine-born eldest son of Marquis of Yongding, and Qin Nian, the second young lady of Prime Minister Qin Mansion?


    Xie An understood that Xie Zhao had a bad relationship with the imperial family. For Xie Zhao¡¯s legitimate wife, he didn¡¯t even have to take the princess into consideration, and it was impossible for the Grand Scholar Mansion and the Left Prime Minister Mansion who were close to the imperial family. As for the second young lady in the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion, because her mother was raised as an equal wife, Qin Nian was now also the legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Mansion, and her status was also noble, which was the best choice for Xie Zhao¡¯s legitimate wife.


    ¡ª¡ª


    This idea coincided with Prime Minister Qin. Prime Minister Qin was a very cautious civil official. He also knew that Imperial Concubine Shu and Song Mei intend to match Qin Nian and Second Prince Feng Xian, but Prime Minister Qin didn¡¯t intend to let Qin Nian marry into the imperial family because he didn¡¯t want to participate in the battle for the throne.


    He was already the Prime Minister. No matter which prince sat on the throne in the future, this would not affect his career. However, only by staying away from the battle for the throne, he could preserve the hard-won honor and glory of Prime Minister Qin Mansion.


    In addition to the imperial family, the most popular in the capital was now Shen Ci of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. But there were still two unmarried princesses in the palace and with Shen Ci¡¯s identity, it was expected that he would be favored by the imperial family.


    Of the two marquises, the Marquis of Guannei had only one daughter. The other Marquis of Yongding Mansion had two sons, Xie Changyuan, the heir, and Xie Zhao, the concubine-born eldest son.


    Hearsay that Shizi Xie was bent on A Yan, who was given as a concubine for marriage.


    Since the Marquis of Yongding Xie An took the initiative to mention Xie Zhao, this seemed to be Qin Nian¡¯s best choice.


    Although Xie Zhao was only the illegitimate son of the Marquis Mansion, now he was the fourth-rank General of Mingwei who established his own mansion, and his future was limitless.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Marquis of Yongding Xie An discussed marriage with Prime Minister Qin, naturally would avoid their children, but Song Mei told Qin Nian after learning about it.


    Qin Nian had her own plan. The two agreed tacitly that they had a marriage contract before, even if Marquis Xie and her father wanted her to marry Xie Zhao.


    But time was still long and there were still uncertainties.


    Over the years, Qin Nian had long stopped counting on her father who abided by the rules, and her mother who lacked means.


    Some things had to be done by herself. Since the two families had a marriage contract, why couldn¡¯t it be her and Shizi Xie?


    The future was long¡­¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan, who returned to his tent, originally planned to take a quick rest. The hunting ground would need to set up the formation tonight and there might not be much time to sleep peacefully.


    Xie Changyuan lay down on the bed and closed his eyes to rest. His right hand stretched under the pillow and suddenly opened his eyes.


    The thing was gone!


    Xie Changyuan rolled over to get off the bed and carefully removed the pillow, but it was not there. He lifted the mattress again and gently shook it a few times for fear of breaking the thing, but there was nothing on the whole bed.


    ¡°Who entered my tent today?¡± Xie Changyuan said coldly facing outside.


    Hearing this, a guard came in and said, ¡°Commander, only Miss A Yan came here for a while.¡±


    A Yan?


    Xie Changyuan quickly went out to find A Yan, but as soon as he arrived outside the tent, he was stopped by Taizi¡¯s own soldiers.


    ¡°His Highness Taizi asked Commander Xie to go to the hunting ground to gather the whole team and start the setup of the formation.¡±


    Xie Changyuan accepted the order.


    Be busy with duties first.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Returning to the camp from the horse race field today, A Yan was bored and went to look for Xie Changyuan. When she arrived at the tent, she didn¡¯t see anyone. She was told that he went to see His Highness Taizi.


    A Yan turned around curiously in Xie Changyuan¡¯s tent and lay down on Xie Changyuan¡¯s bed with fascination.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan¡¯s bed, does it smell like Brother Changyuan?¡±


    A Yan turned sideways and pulled over the pillow to hug and rub against it.


    Her right hand suddenly hit a hard object.


    A Yan turned her head in confusion.


    Under the pillow turned out to be a white jade hairpin.


    A Yan was a little puzzled, wasn¡¯t this the hairpin in the sandalwood box that she saw in Brother Changyuan¡¯s study before? It was also a white jade hairpin, but she couldn¡¯t remember exactly what it looked like.


    A Yan thought that it turned out Brother Changyuan was going to give it to her during the hunting in the western suburbs.


    A Yan gently caressed and stroked the hairpin. It was so beautiful, and she really liked it very much.


    Brother Changyuan, that blockhead, was he embarrassed to say it out? Then when would it be delivered?


    Well, she still had to take the initiative.


    A Yan put the hairpin on her head, arranged it carefully, and went out with satisfaction.


    Oh, Brother Changyuan treats me so well.

 CH 36.1

    Chapter 36          Punishment (1/2)


    On the evening of the second day of the autumn hunting, Taizi Feng Zhan summoned twenty thousand soldiers skilled in horseback riding and archery to gather under the banner to explain military order.


    That night, this group of twenty thousand soldiers set off from the left and right wings at the same time, forming a huge encirclement, which was a huge movement.


    Taizi Feng Zhan was in the lookout camp, and Second Prince Feng Xian commanded the encirclement and led the formation.


    At the beginning of hai*, Second Prince Feng Xian returned to the command tent and reported to Taizi Feng Zhan.


    (hai* ¨C 9 pm ¨C 11 pm)


    ¡°Your Highness Taizi, the formation is complete.¡±


    Feng Zhan nodded and said, ¡°The five drums will enclose tomorrow morning.¡±


    Second Prince Feng Xian stayed behind to take care of things, while Taizi Feng Zhan returned to the camp to rest.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the western suburbs camp, Concubine Ning, dressed in a colorful dark flower brocade palace dress, was stopped by the guards outside the imperial tent.


    ¡°You are so courageous, even dare to stop our master.¡± The palace maid next to Concubine Ning scolded harshly.


    But the guard was unmoved and said seriously: ¡°Don¡¯t make any noise before the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± The palace maid stopped her voice instantly when she saw that Eunuch Li, the Chief Eunuch next to His Majesty, came out of the imperial tent.


    Li Fuquan waved back the guards who stood in front of Concubine Ning.


    He took a step forward and said to Concubine Ning, ¡°Little Master Ning, His Majesty is tired and resting now. Don¡¯t make any noise if you have nothing to do.¡±


    Concubine Ning frowned and said annoyedly, ¡°His Majesty has said that I¡¯ll be serving him left and right during these few days of autumn hunting in the western suburbs. Why did he suddenly arrange another tent for me today?¡±


    Li Fuquan put on a fake smile and said: ¡°Since it is the arrangement of the Emperor, Little Master Ning has to obey it. In the harem, it¡¯s a big taboo to figure out the Emperor¡¯s meaning without consent, and Little Master Ning should behave yourself.¡±


    After speaking, Li Fuquan turned around and returned to the imperial tent.


    Concubine Ning took a step forward but was stopped by the guards.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty¡­¡± Concubine Ning shouted a few times, but there was no movement in the imperial tent, and she was stopped by the guards.


    Concubine Ning angrily turned and left.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Concubine Ning was not stupid. Tonight, His Majesty had changed his affection for her from before. It was fine if he didn¡¯t call her to serve on the bed, but he won¡¯t even let her in the imperial tent. This was obviously not happy with her.


    The change only happened today.


    Concubine Ning thought about it, and the only reason for this situation could only be that at the horse race field this morning, asking the Princess of Zhaoren to tame the horse.


    At that time, as soon as she said the words, people around her looked strange.


    Later, the Princess of Zhaoren went down the field to tame the horse but killed the horse in the end.


    When she came back, she told His Majesty that she accidentally killed the horse.


    Oh, accidentally?


    Everyone on the field looked attentively at how calm Qin Yan was before killing the horse and the movements of her hands when she killed the horse were clearly visible.


    Even if the horse once belonged to the Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s horse farm, it was an imperial horse now and it was ordered by His Majesty to tame it today.


    What a breezy ¡°accident¡±.


    But His Majesty didn¡¯t blame her at all.


    She blamed herself for being careless. What was the origin of this Princess of Zhaoren?


    Originally, she had the exclusive favor of the Emperor, but she lost it like this. She was not willing and how could she be willing?


    The more Concubine Ning thought about it, the angrier she became. As she walked, in a fit of anger, she pulled the palace lantern in the hand of the accompanying palace maid and smashed it forward with force.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Bold, how dare you be disrespectful to Imperial Concubine Shu!¡± A few exclaimed.


    Concubine Ning looked forward and saw Imperial Concubine Shu accompanied by palace maids in front of them two meters away.


    How could I run into her? It¡¯s really bad luck.


    ¡°Greetings Imperial Concubine Shu.¡± Concubine Ning reluctantly bowed low and saluted.


    Imperial Concubine Shu was annoyed and let the palace maids tidy up her dress without saying anything.


    The mama next to Imperial Concubine Shu said in a bad tone: ¡°Little Master Ning, you are so bold that you dare to smash Imperial Concubine Shu. This is very disrespectful.¡±


    Just a few steps away from the brazier in the camp, Concubine Ning narrowed her eyes. It turned out that it was the palace lantern that she had just thrown out, and it rolled to the feet of Imperial Concubine Shu and seemed to have burned a corner of the hem of Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s palace dress.


    ¡°Imperial Concubine Shu, please forgive me.¡± Concubine Ning apologized dully.


    Imperial Concubine Shu raised her head and smiled sarcastically.


    This Concubine Ning was still holding the air of his favorite concubine.


    She didn¡¯t even know yet that before she returned to the palace, she already fell out of favor.


    She didn¡¯t know if such a young girl with little experience could stand the feeling of falling from the clouds.


    In the cold palace, many pitiful women used to be so beautiful but fell from the altar just overnight. They couldn¡¯t stand it and go mad.

 CH 36.2

    Chapter 36          Punishment (2/2)


    ¡°Looks like you came from the direction of the imperial tent. Why can¡¯t you get in?¡± Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s tone was slightly ironic.


    ¡°Oh, I just finished serving His Majesty, and I¡¯m very tired. His Majesty said that I should go back and have a good rest first. His Majesty is still busy with business.¡± Concubine Ning stroked the hair as if she was shy and pretending to be a fake.


    When Imperial Concubine Shu heard this, she laughed.


    Concubine Ning looked at Imperial Concubine Shu suspiciously.


    ¡°His Majesty is indeed sympathetic to you. Have a good rest. I still have to go to the imperial tent to serve His Majesty.¡±


    After Imperial Concubine Shu finished speaking, she walked past Concubine Ning and towards the imperial tent.


    Concubine Ning¡¯s eyes followed Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s figure and suddenly couldn¡¯t hold back her anger.


    Concubine Ning turned around, stared at Imperial Concubine Shu who had her back turned to her, and said loudly, ¡°Stop, what do you mean? What did you slander in front of His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°How audacious! How dare you be disrespectful to Imperial Concubine Shu again and again. Little Master Ning, don¡¯t forget your identity!¡± The mama next to Imperial Concubine Shu was so angry. She had never seen a concubine with such rudeness in the palace in all these years.


    Imperial Concubine Shu chuckled lightly, raised her hand to wave back to the mama, walked two steps towards Concubine Ning, and stood before Concubine Ning. She looked at Concubine Ning up and down disdainfully, and that gaze made Concubine Ning have goosebumps.


    Imperial Concubine Shu stretched out her right hand, her index finger lifted Concubine Ning¡¯s delicate chin, and a mocking smile appeared in her eyes.


    Concubine Ning turned her head and shook off Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s hand, gazing vigilantly at Imperial Concubine Shu.


    Imperial Concubine Shu smiled and said: ¡°Don¡¯t be serious. You have to smile more. You have to remember that your smile is your only capital in front of the Emperor.¡±


    After Imperial Concubine Shu finished speaking, she turned and left.


    Concubine Ning was silent for a moment, what did she mean?


    Concubine Ning hurried two steps to stop Imperial Concubine Shu.


    ¡°Bold.¡± The mama blocked Concubine Ning.


    ¡°Let her speak.¡± Imperial Concubine Shu looked pleased.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Concubine Ning asked.


    Imperial Concubine Shu looked at the angry little girl, really pitiful.


    ¡°You all step back.¡± Imperial Concubine Shu withdrew the palace maids.


    ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I¡¯ll reluctantly say a few words to you. Come here.¡±


    Concubine Ning moved forward suspiciously. She was a little afraid that she would hear something unpleasant. But what could be worse than the current situation when the newcomers in the palace were replaced by the old people?


    ¡°Have you ever found that His Majesty likes your smile?¡± Imperial Concubine Shu said.


    Concubine Ning thought for a moment and nodded hesitantly.


    Imperial Concubine Shu smiled, she was just guessing, but it turned out to be true.


    ¡°Do you think you are young and beautiful, lively and lovely? Don¡¯t be silly, girl. His Majesty has seen so many beauties and are you so naive to think that you are the special one to His Majesty? That¡¯s just because your smile is very like a person, a person His Majesty once wanted but never got.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Ning Concubine asked anxiously.


    Imperial Concubine Shu raised her feet to leave.


    Concubine Ning hurriedly reached out her hand and grabbed Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s sleeve, ¡°Tell me, who is she?¡±


    Imperial Concubine Shu glanced displeasedly at Concubine Ning who grabbed her hand, and Ning Concubine carefully let it go.


    ¡°Tell me, please tell me.¡± Concubine Ning said humbly.


    Imperial Concubine Shu took a deep breath, and then calmly said the name that had caused the devil inside her for many years.


    ¡°She is Shen Shiying.¡±


    Concubine Ning frowned slightly, who was she as she had never heard of this name?


    Seeing Concubine Ning¡¯s puzzled expression, Imperial Concubine Shu said again.


    ¡°Shen Shiying, the mother of Princess of Zhaoren, Qin Yan.¡±


    Concubine Ning opened her mouth in shock, it turned out to be like this, then at the horse race field today¡­


    Imperial Concubine Shu added another fire.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a substitute.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s remarks completely angered Concubine Ning.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not, I¡¯m just me. I¡¯m not a substitute. No, ah¡­¡±


    Concubine Ning grabbed her hair with both hands and shouted erratically.


    Imperial Concubine Shu subconsciously took a step back, that was it.


    But she didn¡¯t think Concubine Ning would lose her mind and go crazy. She pounced at Imperial Concubine Shu in front of her, and they both fell to the ground.


    Concubine Ning was burning with anger without rationality. She had forgotten that she was a low-rank concubine, and the other party was the highest-rank imperial concubine with a much higher family background than hers.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    Following Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s scream, the palace maids quickly stepped forward and pulled Concubine Ning away.


    Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s hair was ruffled by that scratching, and her face was scratched with blood marks by that crazy woman.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After getting up, Ning Concubine seemed to have finally regained some sense, but she just collapsed on the mud floor with a blank look.


    Could she blame Imperial Concubine Shu? Imperial Concubine Shu just told the truth, the cruel truth.


    She was just a substitute.


    Then who could she blame? Blame Shen Shiying? Blame Qin Yan? Blame His Majesty? Or blame herself?


    She blamed herself for being whimsical, thinking that with her young body with good looks, could reach the sky in one leap.


    She blamed herself for being unsavvy, thinking that she could run amok in the palace just by relying on the Emperor¡¯s favor¡­


    She blamed herself for being young and frivolous without self-knowledge¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Imperial Concubine Shu was helped up by the palace maids, her hands nervously stroking her stinging face, and screaming out as she looked at the blood on her fingertips.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if she ruin today¡¯s serving on the bed. The original purpose of Imperial Concubine Shu coming to the paddock in the western suburbs was not to serve His Majesty.


    But Concubine Ning went as far as to raise her hand to strike her.


    ¡°Seize Concubine Ning and beat her to death.¡± Imperial Concubine Shu said with a stern voice.


    Concubine Ning had already fallen out of favor. It was not a big deal for a highest-rank imperial concubine to kill a low-level concubine who fell out of favor.


    Imperial Concubine Shu felt a little regretful at this time. She told Concubine Ning the secret of the palace, intending to provoke Concubine Ning¡¯s resentment towards Shen Shiying and Qin Yan, and add another enemy to Qin Yan.


    But she hurt her face for this, the gains totally outweighed the losses.


    Concubine Ning limped to the ground, feeling sad in her heart.


    People said that good things appeared for a short time. So, was her road to the harem about to end from here on?


    ¡ª¡ª


    The palace maids held up Concubine Ning and prepared to pull her out for punishment.


    Suddenly, a male voice interrupted their movements.


    ¡°Who is making a noise!¡±


    It was Master Song next to His Highness Taizi.


    ¡°Master Song.¡± The palace maids saluted Song Zhi.


    ¡°Imperial Concubine Shu, what¡¯s going on?¡± Song Zhi saluted Imperial Concubine Shu.


    Imperial Concubine Shu covered her face with one hand, only looking coldly at ashen-faced Concubine Ning, without saying a word.


    The mama who supported Imperial Concubine Shu said: ¡°Master Song, Concubine Ning has committed the crime and dared to beat Imperial Concubine Shu, causing Concubine Shu to injure her face. She should be beaten to death.¡±


    His Highness Taizi¡¯s tent was not far away. His Highness was preparing to rest after returning from the hunting grounds. There were women making noise outside, and it was getting more and more intense.


    Feng Zhan hated the pandemonium of women in the harem and ordered Song Zhi to deal with it as soon as possible.


    Song Zhi didn¡¯t know what Concubine Ning said to His Majesty at the horse race field about letting the Princess of Zhaoren tame the horse today.


    He only knew that Imperial Concubine Shu had a prince and was one of the four imperial concubines.


    And Concubine Ning was the current favorite of the Emperor.


    Song Zhi frowned, which was a bit difficult to deal with.


    Everyone knew that Song Zhi was a personal confidant of His Highness Taizi. In front of Song Zhi, it was inappropriate to allow a ranked Imperial Concubine Shu to beat a concubine to death.


    After all, it was Imperial Concubine Xian, not Imperial Concubine Shu, who was in charge of the Phenix Seal on behalf of the harem.


    His Highness didn¡¯t like noises, so he must deal with them as soon as possible.


    Song Zhi deliberately said: ¡°Imperial Concubine Shu, after all, Concubine Ning is the concubine of the Emperor. In the end, this matter must report to the Emperor before making a decision.¡±


    ¡°But Concubine Ning did commit the crime and will be punished with twenty sticks. What does the imperial concubine think?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    With twenty sticks, a woman would lose half her life.


    The Taizi was so powerful, and Imperial Concubine Shu couldn¡¯t refute Taizi¡¯s face.


    ¡°Then I will trouble Master Song.¡± Imperial Concubine Shu gave Concubine Ning a cold look, and then the palace maids helped her back to her tent.


    Song Zhi glanced at Concubine Ning who was still stunned, asked the guards to take Concubine Ning to carry out the punishment immediately, and then left.


    Concubine Ning didn¡¯t say a word from beginning to end. She only vaguely felt that she seemed to have survived the catastrophe.


    This was exactly the harem, where life and death depend on the person above.


    This place was not too far from the imperial tent. With such a big movement, the imperial tent probably had already heard the news, but His Majesty¡¯s people had not come, so it was up to Imperial Concubine Shu to deal with herself.


    She was once so na?ve in vain¡­


    Did she just get back her life?


    His Highness Taizi?

 CH 37.1

    Chapter 37          Encirclement (1/2)


    On the third day of the autumn hunting, the encirclement for hunting was ready.


    Five drums sounded in the morning.


    Taizi Feng Zhan was in the lookout camp, and Second Prince Feng Xian commanded the encirclement.


    All the twenty thousand soldiers deployed last night dismounted and marched on foot, forming a circular formation and advancing towards the center of the encirclement.


    The soldiers sounded their horns, beat their war drums, and shouted loudly to drive the tigers, leopards, bears, deer, and other animals that scurry off from the cave and underbrush to a lowland without trees.


    Second Prince Feng Xian went to the encirclement as the commander of the whole team. The hunting soldiers wore their bows and their eagles, set up a battle formation, and were ready for the hunt. They were waiting for the arrival of the Emperor.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At the beginning of the dawn of the day, the Emperor of Hui came to the hunting ground with the protection of the honor guards and entered the encirclement surrounded by the attendants with the sound of drums and trumpets.


    The entourages shot and killed the wild animals that broke through on the edge of the hunting grounds.


    Taizi Feng Zhan, dressed in a hunting suit with black narrow sleeves embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon and a golden crown in a heroic appearance, sat on a horse and commanded the encirclement.


    Taizi Feng Zhan explained the orders to the soldiers, ¡°Anyone who disobeys the order, will be beheaded!¡±


    The soldiers shouted in unison: ¡°Long live Your Highness Taizi!¡±


    After everything was ready, the soldiers issued orders to beat the drums three times.


    General Mingwei Xie Zhao led a team of a hundred of twenty soldiers to drive animals into the hunting ground with the sound of drums and drove out the animals on horseback.


    Countless wild animals on the hunting grounds fled in panic.


    Emperor of Hui, dressed in silver soft armor, rode a horse and was escorted into the hunting grounds by Xie Changyuan, the Commander of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army, from the south.


    When the Emperor of Hui gave an order, the commander immediately shot a whistling arrow into the sky.


    Hearing the order, the animal driving team immediately drove out a group of wild animals and passed by Emperor Hui from the front right side.


    The Emperor of Hui took the bow and arrow handed over by Xie Changyuan that had been checked and used a bow to shoot arrows.


    The Emperor of Hui¡¯s arrows didn¡¯t fail, and animals that were killed by his shots were everywhere.


    The attendants waved their flags, and the drums beat loudly.


    The soldiers shouted loudly: ¡°Long live Your Majesty!¡±


    With a happy smile on his already wrinkled face, the Emperor of Hui left the imperial palace and went hunting in this vast paddock. It was indeed possible to have fun and work hard.


    General Mingwei Xie Zhao ordered the animal driving team to stop driving the wild animals out.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Taizi Feng Zhan and Second Prince Feng Xian entered the hunting ground and rode to shoot wild animals.


    When Second Prince Feng Xian galloped on the field, he frequently used a bow to shoot arrows and shot seven adult elks in a row.


    Taizi Feng Zhan sat on his horse and didn¡¯t pursue his prey.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, swept across the center of the hunting ground, then took the arrow from his quiver, put on his bow, and shot the arrow with full power into the field.


    Second Prince Feng Xian only felt a strong wind rushing past behind him. He turned around to look, and the arrow that just flew away passed through the head of a tiger in the field. The tiger fell to the ground with the arrow and died immediately.


    Feng Xian suddenly felt a cold sweat on his back, what if the arrow from the Taizi just now was aimed at him¡­


    ¡°Long live Your Highness Taizi.¡±


    The soldiers in the field shouted in unison. Everyone was excited to try when they saw that His Highness Taizi had hunted the first wild animal of the day.


    Taizi Feng Zhan drew his bow with a normal expression, and his posture was relaxed and natural.


    Immediately, the soldiers entered the hunting ground. They mounted and whipped their horses to gallop away. They bent their bows and arrows to hunt in the encirclement.


    The attendants galloped to the hunting ground and cut off the left ear of the prey that everyone hunted.


    The wild animals in the hunting ground ran wildly. The eagles flapped their wings to soar, and with their sharp claws rushed straight to the pheasants and rabbits that were running around. The scene was spectacular.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After Taizi Feng Zhan hunted a tiger, he rode his horse to the edge of the entrance of the hunting ground and watched the people around the hunting ground from the horse.


    Feng Zhan suddenly turned his head to look outside the field, his sharp eyes accurately captured a figure sitting on the horse on the side of the hunting ground, dressed in a moon-white riding suit.


    Qin Yan. She was also looking at him.


    The two sharp gazes collided, but they didn¡¯t move away immediately as before.


    Looking from afar, the two were observing each other.


    Qin Yan was on the edge of the hunting ground just now when she saw the scene of Taizi Feng Zhan shooting a tiger with a single arrow. This Taizi should have amazing arms strength and superb archery.


    At this moment, Feng Zhan was sitting on the horse, and his black hunting suit couldn¡¯t suppress his awe-inspiring majesticness.


    Qin Yan secretly praised that this Taizi was indeed capable of both literature and martial arts.


    He was indeed good-looking, unfortunately, unfortunately¡­


    Feng Zhan, who was on a horse, didn¡¯t know the regret that flashed in Qin Yan¡¯s mind. Qin Yan¡¯s riding skills were excellent, and her archery skills should be good. Would she show her skills today?


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this time, a figure in a red riding suit rode her horse to the side of Taizi Feng Zhan.


    She was the second daughter of the Left Prime Minister Manson, Wang Jingyan, and the cousin of Taizi Feng Zhan.


    ¡°Cousin Taizi, if I hunt down a wild animal in these few days, will I be rewarded?¡± Wang Jingyan joked to Feng Zhan with familiarity.


    Feng Zhan frowned. He had never been close to the Left Prime Minister Mansion, why was this so-called cousin opposite him so familiar with him?


    ¡°You should call me, Your Highness Taizi.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    Wang Jingyan was a little embarrassed, but she didn¡¯t have the cowardice of a little woman, and smiled generously: ¡°Your Highness Taizi if I can come back with a tiger and leopard, will I be rewarded?¡±


    After Wang Jingyan finished speaking, she galloped into the hunting ground without waiting for Feng Zhan to reply.


    Immediately after, the eldest son of the Minister of the Ministry of War, He Xiao, galloped his horse into the hunting ground to hunt. He Xiao was also skilled in using a bow on horseback and wanted to hunt happily today.


    Of course, He Xiao also had other goals¡­ He hoped that he could get what he wanted, which was his long-cherished wish¡­


    Thinking of this, He Xiao felt a strong mercilessness in his heart. His body tense, and he devoted himself to the killing of hunting.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The two sisters of the Left Prime Minister Mansion had completely different temperaments.


    Unlike the second daughter, Wang Jingyan, who wanted to shine everywhere, although the eldest daughter, Wang Jingyi, also changed into a riding suit, she just sat quietly on the horse, at the edge of the hunting ground, watching everyone chasing the prey with an unenthusiastic expression.


    Originally, there was prey that came out from the encirclement, but before they could run far, they were hunted by the animal driving team, as well as the young masters, young ladies, and soldiers who had not entered the field.


    However, unexpected things happened suddenly.


    A ferocious tiger was hit by several arrows, but missed the vital part and ran off the field. The scene was out of control for a time.


    And the direction in which this fierce tiger rushed to was toward Wang Jingyi, whose face went pale.


    The horse under Wang Jingyi¡¯s seat was frightened, raised its front hooves in panic, and wanted to run away. Wang Jingyi grabbed the reins tightly to prevent herself from being thrown off by the out-of-control horse.


    Wang Jingyi was born into a prestigious family, and her riding skills were naturally very good. Even in the chaotic moment, she could barely sit on the horseback, but the tiger had already rushed to the horse.


    Wang Jingyi bent over, turned her head, and shut her eyes tightly, trying her best to hide her vital parts behind the horse, waiting for the fierce tiger to attack.


    Suddenly, there was a roar of an animal and then followed by a slight vibration of a heavy object hitting on the ground.


    Wang Jingyi waited for the fierce tiger to kill her for a long time. She opened her eyes carefully and turned her head to look in the direction where the fierce tiger had just come.


    She saw a soldier in black armor pressing one knee on the dead fierce tiger. Obviously, the fight was over.


    A red tassel spear was inserted into the neck of the tiger, and the other end of the spear was held in the hands of the soldier on the tiger¡¯s body.


    The blood from the tiger¡¯s neck flowed out, and the soldier¡¯s slightly dark and handsome face was also splattered with blood.


    Before Wang Jingyi escaped from the tiger¡¯s mouth and was shocked by the scene in front of her. The horse under her seemed to be overly frightened. Suddenly, it raised its front hooves restlessly and then ran out of control in the direction away from the hunting ground.


    The people around were also frightened. Seeing that the horse suddenly went out of control and ran out with the eldest young lady of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, everyone still hadn¡¯t yet reacted.


    Xie Zhao narrowed his eyes as if weighing, but he only hesitated for a moment, then quickly jumped on his horse and hurriedly chased the out-of-control horse.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Because there were still some young masters and young ladies around the hunting grounds who also wanted to hunt wild animals, there were also some small wild animals that came out of the encirclement, and the small wild animals were not very dangerous. The animal driving team didn¡¯t chase them and let them run out.


    At this moment, there was an amusing and embarrassing scene outside the hunting ground.


    Qin Ming, the son of the Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng, was not good at archery but was eager to hunt animals. Holding a short knife, he confronted a small wild boar that rushed out of the hunting ground.


    The moment the short knife ran into the wild boar, the thick skin of the wild boar bounced him off to the mud.


    Qin Ming didn¡¯t give up but pounced on the wild boar and fought with the wild boar with his bare hands.


    The scene was¡­ amusing¡­


    Qin Ming seemed to have the same power as the wild boar. The two took a long time. The young masters and young ladies around were a little nervous at first, but after that, they all watched the show and whispered their comments to each other.

 CH 37.2

    Today Qin Yan was wearing a riding moon white suit with dark patterns embroidery. Beside her was Shen Ying, who was still in a black outfit, and Jiang Mu, who was also in a riding outfit.


    The three of them sat in silence immediately and didn¡¯t plan to go to the field.


    The laughter of the young masters and young ladies in Qin Ming¡¯s place was very loud.


    Qin Yan frowned and looked over following the noise.


    Jiang Mu followed Qin Yan¡¯s gaze and looked over.


    It was Qin Ming.


    That fool. . . Was that Qin Yan¡¯s brother?


    Qin Yan and Qin Ming acted very differently and they didn¡¯t look like siblings at all.


    Qin Ming, didn¡¯t he know it was embarrassing?


    Jiang Mu took the bow from the horse, held the arrow, and shot the arrow in one go.


    The arrow flew over and penetrated the head of the wild boar that was fighting with Qin Ming.


    The young masters and young ladies were all startled.


    Before Jiang Mu withdrew the bow he was holding, the young masters and young ladies turned their heads and saw that it was Young Master Jiang from the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, and they all stopped talking.


    Qin Ming was stunned for a moment. After a while, he calmed down from the shock of the sudden sharp arrow just now and then struggled to push away the dead wild boar away. There was still a little blood from the wild boar on his face, mud, and weeds all over his body, and walked in Qin Yan¡¯s direction unhappily.


    Qin Ming said to Jiang Mu: ¡°I want you to mind your own business. I want to fight it with my bare hands, just like Eldest Sister killed a horse with her bare hands yesterday.¡±


    Qin Ming looked at Qin Yan flatteringly.


    Qin Yan ignored him and looked away indifferently.


    Qin Ming was a little disappointed, but he was determined to make persistent efforts. One day, his eldest sister would be impressed with him.


    Qin Ming bowed to Qin Yan and said goodbye. He patted the dirt on his body and left to look for other prey.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao was not interested in hunting and was resting in the lookout camp.


    Feng Yuyao didn¡¯t enter the hunting ground. She rode around the hunting ground looking for opportunities to hunt, and her harvest was also quite good.


    Without Feng Yuyao¡¯s usual gossip, Qin Yan was very bored and swept everyone on the field at will, but her eyes were fixed on the head of a woman in a light-yellow riding uniform.


    Qin Yan narrowed her eyes slightly, as if in doubt.


    Shen Ying said: ¡°Master, did you see it too? I¡¯ve been observing for a long time, and I¡¯m sure that the hairpin is the one that Master dropped yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ll go¡­¡± Shen Ying hit the horse and wanted to go towards A Yan in the distance.


    But Qin Yan raised her hand to stop her.


    Qin Yan¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously.


    That one had repeatedly violated her taboos.


    ¡°No one is allowed to put their fingers on my things.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    Qin Yan took out the bow that hadn¡¯t been moved today, raised her left arm, and took out a sharp arrow with her right hand. She put it on the string, pulled the bow, and shot it.


    With a sound of ¡°whew¡±, the sharp wind arrow shot at the woman who was laughing out loud in the distance.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan only returned to the camp from the hunting ground at haishi* last night. Because it was too late, he didn¡¯t have time to find A Yan to get back the hairpin.


    (haishi* ¨C 9 pm ¨C 11 pm)


    And this morning, he escorted His Majesty to the hunting ground again, without taking A Yan into consideration. According to the original explanation to A Yan, A Yan should play around the camp on the day of the encirclement.


    And A Yan had never seen the heroic scene of the hunting field, so she was really curious.


    Then A Yan went to find Xie Qing and asked Xie Qing to take her to the hunting ground.


    Of course, A Yan also put on a hairpin that she liked very much, the hairpin that Brother Changyuan ¡°gave¡± to her.


    A Yan was more skilled in riding and could sit firmly on a shorter horse by herself. While chatting and laughing with Xie Qing, she watched Qin Ming and his party chase the little animal and laughed out loud.


    Suddenly a sharp arrow shot toward her.


    A Yan, who was facing Xie Qing, saw it all and exclaimed hoarsely. It was the Princess of Zhaoren!


    The arrow went straight into A Yan¡¯s head, and the force brought by the arrow knocked A Yan off the horse and fell to the ground.


    At this time, the people around realized that something was wrong, and something had happened.


    Xie Qing dismounted immediately.


    Xie Qing pulled A Yan, who fell over, and checked her condition.


    Fortunately, she was still alive.


    She saw A Yan¡¯s eyes were wide open, and she was still breathing.


    Xie Qing took a closer look at A Yan¡¯s body.


    The arrow just inserted into A Yan¡¯s bun and didn¡¯t hurt her.


    Xie Qing had lingering fears in her heart. She promised to take care of this A Yan, which was not much for her, and conveniently showed gratitude to Xie Changyuan. However, if A Yan had an accident under her care, the gains wouldn¡¯t be worth the loss.


    At this time, there were also some young masters and young ladies gathered around with superficial worries.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan had been guarding the Emperor of Hui today, but the corners of his eyes follow the white figure on the side of the hunting ground from time to time.


    Wasn¡¯t Qin Yan going to hunt today?


    Xie Changyuan also paid attention to A Yan sometimes, who had come to the hunting ground nevertheless.


    Suddenly, a group of people on A Yan¡¯s side gathered around, as if something had happened.


    Xie Changyuan narrowed his eyes.


    The Emperor of Hui was watching with great interest a few soldiers in the field working together to kill a tiger. It was a wise choice to open Qianyang Ridge today. It was indeed much more exciting than in previous years.


    Fortunately, neither the Taizi nor Qin Yan ended up participating in the hunt. Otherwise, with the skills of those two, it would only take an hour to hunt down the wild animals in the field. It would be more interesting if everyone fought hard to kill the wild animals.


    The Emperor of Hui saw that Xie Changyuan had been staring at the outside of the hunting ground, and said, ¡°Changyuan, go and see what¡¯s going on there.¡±


    It was inconvenient for Xie Changyuan to leave, but since His Majesty opened his mouth, Xie Changyuan accepted the order and went over.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On this side, A Yan, who was frightened by the sudden arrow just now, was sitting on the ground and letting Xie Qing check if she was injured.


    At this moment, she suddenly heard a familiar male voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, A Yan?¡±


    It was Brother Changyuan.


    As if she had found her pillar, A Yan immediately cried and threw herself into the arms of Xie Changyuan, who was squatting down.


    Xie Qing avoided them tactfully.


    At this moment, Shen Ying, who was dressed in black clothes, came to the two of them and said coldly: ¡°Both of you, make way.¡±


    Xie Changyuan turned his head and looked at Shen Ying coldly.


    However, A Yan shrank into Xie Changyuan¡¯s arms. She had just heard the talk of the people around her. The arrow that shot her came from Qin Yan, the Princess of Zhaoren. What was Shen Ying doing here¡­


    Seeing that the two of them were still embracing on the ground, Shen Ying snorted softly. She took a step to the side, crossed A Yan¡¯s side, and reached the place where A Yan had just fallen. She raised her right foot, stepped down, and then crushed it left and right.


    Shen Ying raised her foot again, glanced at it, and left after seeming satisfied.


    Everyone wondered, what was the maid of Princess of Zhaoren doing just now?


    A Yan turned her head and saw the hairpin that had just been shot down by the arrow had been crushed into dust by Qin Yan¡¯s maid. There was only some white dust left on the grass, and the hairpin was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, that¡¯s¡­¡± A Yan turned back and said anxiously to Xie Changyuan but was interrupted by Xie Changyuan¡¯s cold voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to go back to rest.¡± Xie Changyuan picked up A Yan and stood up.


    Xie Changyuan took A Yan on a tall horse. Then he also got on the horse and sat behind A Yan and galloped away.


    When passing by Qin Yan, Xie Changyuan caught a glimpse of Qin Yan¡¯s indifferent appearance, he didn¡¯t look at her, nor did he have the face to look at her.


    He picked up Qin Yan¡¯s hairpin at the horse race field yesterday but didn¡¯t return it to her on the spot. He planned to choose a more appropriate time to return it but didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this.


    Qin Yan, what would she think of me¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Taizi Feng Zhan, who was sitting on the horse, also unconsciously put his peripheral vision on the white figure on the side of the field. Feng Zhan naturally didn¡¯t miss the sharp and neat movement that Qin Yan just shot casually with an arrow.


    While admiring Qin Yan¡¯s superb archery skills, Feng Zhan also had a faint unhappiness in his heart.


    The person whom Qin Yan shot the arrow¡­


    Feng Zhan¡¯s brows narrowed slightly, and his icy gaze swept over the man and woman who were riding on the horse back to the camp.


    Did she mind?


    ¡ª¡ª


    This year¡¯s hunting was more exciting than previous years, and the Emperor of Hui enjoyed watching it.


    A group of young masters, headed by Wang Jingyu, the youngest son of the Left Prime Minister, sat around under a big toon tree on a high ground outside the hunting ground. Several people took out their valuables and a few bags of silver and put them in front of them.


    These young masters didn¡¯t go hunting, they were betting here on who would catch the most prey in the hunting ground today.


    A young master suddenly said: ¡°His Majesty looks good, doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s sick.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, the young masters thought that they were far away from the crowd, so they boldly discussed it.


    ¡°Perhaps he has some hidden disease, the kind that can¡¯t be seen.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty seems to be very healthy when hunting today. If there is a hidden illness, it¡¯s not like he can¡¯t manage politics and still want the Taizi to supervise the country.¡±


    Several people looked at each other and couldn¡¯t come up with any answers.


    At this moment, Wang Jingyu among them sneered and said: ¡°What do you know? It seems that when my cousin, the Taizi, returned to the court with two hundred thousand private soldiers, Empress Dowager Xiao who sat in the palace, and the court with the support of the Grand Scholar Mansion and its proteges all over, strongly pressing His Majesty to hand over the power of supervising the country.¡±


    ¡°Our Majesty, have no choice but to acquiesce to old age.¡±


    After Wang Jingyu finished speaking, he collected all the objects in front of him and put them in his arms.


    ¡°He Xiao won, and you all lost.¡±


    A few people took a closer look and saw that there was no more prey on the hunting ground. The soldiers shouted as they tossed He Xiao up again and again.¡­¡­


    It seemed that it was He Xiao, the eldest son of the Minister of the Ministry of War, but wasn¡¯t he an ignorant and inexperienced foreign officer in the Ministry of Finance?


    Wang Jingyu walked towards the hunting ground and said lazily: ¡°You can¡¯t just look at the surface, you guys, ah¡­¡±


    The young masters quickly followed.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this time in the hunting ground, the drummers beat the drums and the musicians sounded the horns, and the Emperor of Hui went back to the camp.


    Second Prince Feng Xian ordered the encirclement to be relieved.


    Taizi Feng Zhan announced that today¡¯s encirclement hunting was over, and everyone could team up to hunt in the hunting area tomorrow morning.


    Feng Zhan looked at Qin Yan, who was riding her horse slowly on the side of the field.


    How many surprises would there be in this woman?

 CH 38.1

    Chapter 38          Missing (1/2)


    In the middle of the night on the fourth day of the autumn hunting.


    The Emperor of Hui personally went out of the imperial camp and was escorted and led by Xie Changyuan, the Commander of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army, to whistle deer in the paddock forest area.


    The so-called whistle deer was a hunting method that used an artificial imitation of the sound of a deer to attract other deer and then shot them.


    The Emperor of Hui liked to whistle deer very much, so this event was indispensable every autumn.


    Today was after White Dew* and before the autumn equinox.


    (White Dew* ¨C the third solar term in autumn)


    At this time, it was the mating season of male and female deer, and it was the nature of deer to like to call. If the deer whistle was blown, the real deer would come quickly after hearing the call, and it never failed.


    But after dawn, the deer were too lazy to call. If the deer whistle was blown at this time, it would not be able to attract the real deer. Therefore, they must enter the forest before dawn to whistle deer.


    At dawn, Xie Changyuan dispatched several soldiers in advance, wearing deer heads and deer clothes, to imitate the deer¡¯s movements in the forest and walk slowly.


    After discovering the deer herd, the soldiers blew the deer whistle, making the deer calls, and the rest waited with bated breath.


    Soon after, the real deer answered the call and gathered here.


    When the deer herd approached, the Imperial Army blew their horns, and the Emperor of Hui, who was hiding in the dark, was at the pre-ambush site, leading the accompanying soldiers to draw the bow and shoot the deer.


    After the deer was killed, the blood would be drawn and drunk, which was said to prolong life.


    No matter how big or small the deer herd was, few of them eventually escape, and their condition should be appalling¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Because of the encirclement yesterday, most of the wild animals in the paddock were driven out of the cave and shot to death.


    Today, there were only a very small number of wild animals left in the forest, as well as some less dangerous animals like deer, roebuck, wild boar, hares, wild pheasants, and so on.


    Therefore, today, except for the Emperor of Hui and his entourage¡¯s whistle deer, everyone else who went to the western suburbs paddock went to the forest area to hunt alone or in teams.


    Compared with yesterday¡¯s huge encirclement hunt, this was wilder and more interesting.


    Since the early hours of the morning, in the western suburbs camp, young masters and young ladies form teams and took their servants out of the camp to the forest on horseback.


    Qin Ming, the son of the Right Prime Minister Mansion, urged Qin Nian to dress up early in the morning. Qin Ming vowed to hunt presentable prey today. He couldn¡¯t fall behind anymore, and he was eager to show off his skills.


    After Qin Nian left the tent, she was surprised to see that in addition to Qin Ming, other young masters and young ladies were waiting outside the tent.


    The fathers and brothers of these young masters and young ladies were all from the Right Prime Minster Qin Wenzheng¡¯s faction in the court, and everything in the paddock was centered on Qin Nian and Qin Ming. Therefore, even if Qin Ming wanted to go hunting early in the morning, they had to suppress their sleepiness and get up to play with the young master and young lady of the Right Prime Minister Mansion.


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    After everyone greeted each other, they surrounded the Qin siblings and set off toward the hunting ground.


    The second son of the Left Prime Minister, Wang Jingyu, only slept a little while and left the camp with the young masters who always played with him.


    Wang Jingyu was very familiar with the course of hunting in the western suburbs. Yesterday¡¯s encirclement was for His Majesty to watch and play. With so many soldiers guarding, there was no danger or excitement.


    But today was different. Because everyone was hunting everywhere, there were still many unknowns in the forest and there had been many incidences in previous years.


    Wang Jingyu had no intention of hunting, but he knew that there might be many good shows to watch today.


    Wang Jingyu slowly mounted onto the horse¡¯s back, and the group of pampered young masters rode their horses lazily, chatting and laughing, and walked towards the forest slowly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    This time, Qin Yan only showed up at the Autumn Hunting Ceremony in the western suburbs on behalf of the Duke of Zhenguo and Princess of Zhaoren Mansions.


    When she was in Gu City in the Northwest, she used to be busy all the time, and camping in the wild was not uncommon.


    However, since returning to the capital, because the climate of the capital was much more comfortable than that of Gu City, and living in the main mansion of Zhaoren County, which Mister Ji specially remodeled for her own habits, Qin Yan had been lazy and seemed to be no longer used to the accommodation and food in the Western Suburbs Camp.


    She didn¡¯t plan to go out hunting today. She only planned to go to the horse field for a few laps later, and then return home after the banquet tonight.


    Moreover, her business had been busy recently, and she has been in the camp in the western suburbs for more than two days. It was hard for Mister Ji to take the lead on his own, but Mister Ji had always been dependable, and there should be no mistakes.


    After Qin Yan cleaned up, she took the teacup that Shen Ying handed over, took a sip, and put it down. Then she got up slowly, and ready to go to the horse field.


    At this moment, the voice of the guard sounded from outside the tent: ¡°Princess, the secret guard is here to report.¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯s eyes narrowed suddenly.


    Secret guard?


    Shen Ying heard the words and hurried out.


    Shen Ying was alert.


    Usually, if there was no major event, the secret guard¡¯s information was first reported to Mister Ji, then screened by Mister Ji, and only then reported to the master about important things. There would never be a situation where the secret guard took the initiative to directly report to the master.


    What happened today?


    After a while, Shen Ying came back.


    Shen Ying¡¯s complexion was not very good. She stepped in front of Qin Yan and said: ¡°Master, the secret guard who protected Young Master Jiang is here to report that Young Master Jiang disappeared after entering the forest area this morning.¡±


    If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Qin Yan frowned slightly.


    Shen Ying told the news of the secret guard one by one: ¡°According to the secret guard, Young Master Jiang has not been in contact with anyone who looks suspicious recently.¡±


    ¡°There is only one, which is slightly different from usual.¡±


    ¡°Qin Ming, the young master of the Right Prime Minister Mansion who repeatedly entangled Jiang Shao and was beaten by Young Master Jiang.¡±


    ¡°This morning, Young Master Jiang rode out of the camp alone and headed straight to the forest area. Because the fog had not cleared away, nothing was visible from five steps away. After the secret guard followed him in, Young Master Jiang was nowhere to be seen.¡±


    ¡°Later, the secret guard was searching in the forest for two hours, and he also ran into the secret guard sent by His Highness Taizi to follow Young Master Jiang.¡±


    ¡°However, they found that there was more than one group of killers in the forest in addition to the people who sent to whistle deer.¡±


    ¡°His Highness Taizi¡¯s secret guard is fighting with them, dragging the time, and letting our secret guard come back to ask for help.¡±

 CH 38.2

    Chapter 38          Missing (2/2)


    At this time, Qin Yan had already sat back in the chair, picked up the teacup, and sipped it lightly.


    Qin Yan¡¯s eyes were cold, and she quickly sorted out the thoughts in her mind.


    Jiang Mu¡¯s skills were very good, and she had often taken him to the wild forest for training. If he was just wandering in the forest alone, and even if he encountered a ferocious beast, there wouldn¡¯t be any danger.


    However, Jiang Mu¡¯s actions over the years had rarely been unquestionable, and all his actions would be reported to Mister Ji. So, he would not enter the forest alone without leaving a word.


    Could it be that he had been dormant for so long and was preparing to escape this time?


    He had nothing but his skills now.


    Did the killer come to rescue him?


    Or came to kill him?


    How much preparation had they made, how many people were there, and were they out of the paddock?


    Qin Yan put down the teacup and said: ¡°Is the horse ready?¡±


    Just now Qin Yan was about to go out for a horse run, and she had already ordered Shen Ying to prepare the horse.


    Qin Yan continued to make arrangements: ¡°Send someone back to the Princess Mansion to inform Mister Ji of the situation in the paddock and tell him to send additional people to wait outside the paddock and be ready to provide reinforcements at any time.¡±


    ¡°Inform the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion that if my trip is not favorable, let them help Mister Ji lead people into the paddock.¡±


    ¡°Let all our people who entered the western suburbs hunting ground this time, including the secret guards, follow me into the forest to find Jiang Mu.¡±


    Qin Yan was always confident in her abilities but never took unnecessary risks.


    She acted cautiously and would make several preparations at the same time when arranging things.


    After that, Qin Yan strode out of the camp and got on her horse.


    ?Qin Yan did not set off immediately after getting on the horse but stood still and thought for a moment.


    Jiang Mu had a special identity, and if something happened to him, or if he disappeared, it would be troublesome.


    The Emperor of Hui was now whistling the deer in the forest, this matter¡­


    Qin Yan quickly made a decision in her heart. She pulled the reins and turned the horse¡¯s head, and ordered: ¡°Inform His Highness Taizi about this matter.¡±


    If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    After speaking, Qin Yan galloped out and headed for the forest.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Taizi Feng Zhan was in the tent reviewing the memorials in front of the desk, and the fragrance of tea wafted from the teacup beside him.


    This time, the imperial family went to the western suburbs to hunt, and there were still Left and Right Prime Ministers in the imperial court. The Grand Scholar and a group of ministers of civil and military affairs handled the court affairs as usual.


    But important memorials were sent to the camp in the camp in the western suburbs every day for Feng Zhan to look over.


    Feng Zhan put the memorial down and pinched his nose bridge.


    Feng Zhan picked up the teacup and sipped lightly.


    He wondered if Qin Yan would go hunting in the forest today.


    With such a temperament of hers¡­


    Feng Zhan frowned slightly and glanced at the memorials on the table. He had to speed up. The weather was good today, how about going out for a walk?


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren sent someone to report.¡± The voice of the attendant came from outside the tent.


    Hearing this, Song Zhi went out.


    Feng Zhan put down the teacup, but an indiscernible curve appeared on his lips.


    Qin Yan?


    Did she especially ask someone to invite him to go hunting?


    Feng Zhan leaned back slightly, leaning against the back of the chair, and his arms resting on the armrests on both sides. His posture was relaxed and warmed up.


    Should he refuse first on the busyness of official duties?


    Then, reluctantly agree?


    Otherwise, if he readily agreed, would she see him as frivolous?


    ¡­..


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Song Zhi came in and interrupted Feng Zhan¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Zhan looked at Song Zhi, waiting for Song Zhi to speak.


    Song Zhi saw that His Highness seemed to be a little different from the past.


    Was it his own delusion? Did His Highness look a little happy? But¡­¡­


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    Song Zhi quickly snapped out of it and said: ¡°Your Highness, Princess of Zhaoren sent someone to inform that Young Master Jiang went missing in the forest this morning. The secret guard we sent to follow Young Master Jiang encountered several groups of killers in the forest, and we don¡¯t know what the situation is now. Only the secret guard of the Princess of Zhaoren came back to ask for help. Just now, Princess of Zhaoren has brought people into the forest.¡±


    Hearing this, Feng Zhan narrowed his eyes dangerously, then stood up suddenly and strode out of the tent.


    ¡°Prepare the horse.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was cold.


    As soon as he left the camp, Feng Zhan made arrangements in a cold voice: ¡°Song Zhi, bring all the soldiers and secret guards of the Taizi Mansion from the paddock.¡±


    ¡°Send someone to inform Lu Chen and bring people to the paddock to help immediately.¡±


    ¡°Bring the imperial doctor of the Imperial Hospital go to the western suburbs paddock and be on standby at any time.¡±


    After Feng Zhan finished speaking, he galloped away on his horse.


    Within a few steps, he was stopped by a person who suddenly rushed in front of his horse.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan¡¯s horse neighed and raised its front hooves. Feng Zhan tightened the reins and looked at the person who came coldly after controlling his horse.


    It was Wang Jingyan, the second daughter of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, who dressed in a red riding outfit.


    The Second Miss Wang closed her eyes and stood in front of the horse with her arms open wide. It seemed that she had to stop the horse even if she was trampled by the horse.


    How audacious!


    Feng Zhan¡¯s expression was icy cold, with a warning in his eyes.


    Wang Jingyan opened one eye mischievously, patted her chest with her right hand, and said: ¡°Scared me to death, scared me to death.¡±


    Wang Jingyan smiled and looked at Taizi Feng Zhan who was sitting on the horse: ¡°Your Highness Taizi, are you going out for a hunt? Would you allow me to go with you? I¡­¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was as cold as ice.


    Feng Zhan held the reins with one hand, adjusted the horse¡¯s head, and galloped away with his legs between the horse¡¯s abdomen.


    Song Zhi and all his soldiers also rode away.


    Wang Jingyan raised her hand and waved away the smoke and dust from the galloping horses, wondering in her heart.


    What happened?

 CH 39.1

    Chapter 39          In Distress (1/2)


    At that time, the fog dissipated, and the sunlight penetrated through the dense forest, creating mottled light spots on the layers of dead leaves in the forest.


    Not long after Qin Yan and her group entered the forest, they met Qin Ming and Qin Nian and their group in a mountain area.


    At that time, Qin Ming and the others were shouting at a dark cave and throwing stones into the cave from time to time.


    Seeing Qin Yan on the horse, Qin Ming shouted in surprise, ¡°Eldest Sister, Eldest Sister, watch me catch the bear with my bare hands.¡±


    Qin Yan stopped the horse and asked Qin Ming, ¡°Have you seen Jiang Mu today?¡±


    Qin Ming¡¯s heart blossomed with joy because his eldest sister spoke to him. This was the first time that his eldest sister had spoken to him.


    His eldest sister¡¯s voice was so pleasant, his eldest sister¡­


    ¡°Young Master Qin, did you see Young Master Jiang today?¡± Shen Ying said anxiously when she saw that Qin Ming only smile foolishly and didn¡¯t answer.


    Qin Ming finally regained his senses.


    Jiang Mu?


    ¡°No.¡± Qin Ming shook his head and replied.


    Qin Ming asked the people around him again, ¡°Have anyone of you seen Young Master Jiang today?¡±


    Everyone shook their heads and looked puzzled.


    Qin Yan immediately turned her horse¡¯s head around and was ready to continue looking for Jiang Mu in the forest.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Suddenly, an animal roar came from the cave behind Qin Ming.


    Immediately afterward, a black bear roared and rushed out, and everyone outside the cave was so frightened that they tried to escape frantically from the cave entrance.


    There was blood on the black bear¡¯s mouth as it was having a meal in the cave just now. It roared and rushed towards the crowd.


    The black bear threw a green young man down and bit him on the leg.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡­..


    Screams echoed throughout the valley.


    Qin Yan stopped her horse and glanced back. She ignored them, ready to continue into the forest.


    ¡°Help!¡±


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, help!¡±


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, have your subordinates kill the bear!¡±


    ¡­..


    The people chased by the black bear repeatedly asked Qin Yan for help.


    ¡°Eldest Sister, you are really heartless. Can¡¯t you help out?¡± It was Qin Nian.


    Seeing that Qin Yan was unmoved and planned to leave, another voice came out.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, is it more important to save our group of people or to look for Young Master Jiang one person?¡±


    Qin Yan turned back displeased, but she didn¡¯t want to waste time with these idiots who were courting death.


    At this moment, the black bear pounced on a woman.


    Qin Ming picked up a short knife, shouted ¡°Ah¡±, and rushed towards the black bear.


    Qin Yan squinted, that fool.


    Qin Yan said coldly, ¡°Shen Ying.¡±


    Shen Ying took out the arrow from the quiver and shot the arrow in the direction of the black bear at will. The arrow pierced through the head of the black bear and was also inserted into the shoulder blade of the young lady below.


    Qin Yan¡¯s tone was cold: ¡°Who told you that the value of life is determined by quantity?¡±


    Qin Yan turned her horse¡¯s head, and the group galloped away.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Only then did Qin Ming and his group regain their sense that the bear was killed.


    They hurried over and pushed the bulky black bear away. Under the bear was Du Ling, who was so frightened that she lost her voice.


    Du Ling was scratched by the black bear on her leg, and Qin Yan¡¯s arrow pierced her shoulder.


    Just now, she was about to run up the steep slope on the other side, but suddenly someone pulled her hard behind her. She fell and pounced on by the black bear chasing after her.


    And when she fell, she seemed to see Qin Nian who went up the slope after she fell.


    Du Ling¡¯s tears slid down her face, the wound was very painful, and she felt extremely aggrieved. She didn¡¯t want to stay in the capital any longer. The people here wanted to eat people.


    After all, Du Ling was the first daughter of the Minister of the Ministry of Finance. Even if she was at odds with Qin Nian, it was not something these young masters and young ladies could bully and humiliate at will. The young masters and young ladies called their servants to quickly help Du Ling on her horse and return to the camp for medical treatment.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Ming and the others were standing next to a low shrub on a highland not far from the others. Seeing that the situation was under control, Wang Jingyu, the youngest son of the Left Prime Minister, clicked his tongue.


    Ever since Qin Ming and his group discovered an animal cave and started throwing stones and shouting at the dark entrance, Wang Jingyu felt that they were courting death.


    Looking at the size of the cave mouth, which was enough to accommodate a big guy, and with Qin Ming and the others¡¯ three-legged cat skills*, he was afraid that something big would happen.


    (three-legged cat skills* ¨C describe those who have a little knowledge of their abilities)


    After that, the black bear rushed out and injured several people in a row.


    Wang Jingyu and the others could only watch the show, as he could not save people.


    Oh, that group of people still had the nerve to ask the Princess of Zhaoren for help?


    He heard from his father how this group of people in Qianshui Lake on the Double Seven Festival pointed out with empty words that the Princess of Zhaoren pushed people into the water.


    After that day, the Left Prime Minister looked at his youngest son, Wang Jingyu, and felt extremely comforted.


    Wang Jingyu was also rewarded by his father and received half a year of silver that month.


    The Left Prime Minister sighed in his heart, although his youngest son, Wang Jingyu, was usually dandy and ignorant. However, he was born into a noble family, and his vision was still different from that of a small family. At least he had never caused such a disaster that could not be brought to the surface.


    Wang Jingyu glanced at Qin Ming and Qin Nian with disdain, what kind of masters there were, what kind of minions there would be, a bunch of idiots.


    Just now, whether the Princess of Zhaoren wanted to save their lives in passing was just a matter of her mood.


    These idiots never understood how to put themselves in an appropriate position to deal with influential people.


    They were just like jumping clowns who could only talk in the face of absolute power and strength.


    Heh, boring.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan and her group went into the deep forest. The more they went inside, the denser the trees and weeds became, and these places were very easy to set up an ambush.


    Suddenly, dozens of men in black jumped out from all around, all armed with knives, and slashed at Qin Yan and the others.


    Qin Yan and Shen Ying quickly broke through the siege, leaving the entourage behind.


    Not long after, Qin Yan and Shen Ying encountered two people who were fighting in front of them, and they were the same group of black-clothed assassins as Emperor Hui¡¯s attendants.


    Shen Ying said: ¡°Master go to find Young Master Jiang first. I can handle it here.¡±


    Qin Yan knew Shen Ying¡¯s strength and felt very reassured, but there were too many assassins in the forest today and Jiang Mu¡­


    Qin Yan left with her horse.


    The horse galloped to an open space, and Qin Yan with vigilance pulled the horse to an emergency stop.


    The weeds had just reached the horse¡¯s belly, and the place was already deep in the forest, but there was not a trace of birds and insects chirping.


    Something was wrong.


    Suddenly, dozens of sharp arrows were shot from all directions at the same time, and Qin Yan flew up.


    The horse that she rode just now fell to the ground and died.


    Qin Yan landed steadily.


    At the same time, dozens of black-clothed assassins sprang around.


    Qin Yan: Oh, it¡¯s time to catch up with the excitement today.

 CH 39.2

    Chapter 39          In Distress (2/2)


    Not long after Feng Zhan entered the forest, he encountered the Emperor of Hui, escorted by Xie Changyuan alone, and rushed out in a hurry.


    The Emperor of Hui was not injured but was a little frightened.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s face was bloody, and both were a little embarrassed.


    Seeing that Feng Zhan was leading people into the forest, the Emperor of Hui called out to Feng Zhan and said: ¡°Taizi doesn¡¯t have to go in and risk himself, just let the guards in.¡±


    Feng Zhan said coldly, ¡°Jiang Mu disappeared in the forest, and Qin Yan has entered the forest.¡±


    After speaking, Feng Zhan galloped away on his horse.


    Emperor of Hui: Jiang Mu?


    Xie Changyuan: Qin Yan?


    Xie Changyuan immediately wanted to enter the forest to find Qin Yan, but the foot that had not yet stepped out was firmly pinned to the ground by the responsibility he kept in mind.


    His current identity was the Commander of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army, not Qin Yan¡¯s fianc¨¦, and now his primary task was to escort His Majesty back to the camp safely.


    Xie Changyuan gritted his teeth, lowered his eyes, and took the Emperor of Hui away.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan and his party rode their horses in the forest and encountered several groups of assassins along the way. They all quickly resolved them and continued on their way.


    In one place, dozens of assassins ambushed them. After Feng Zhan ordered his entourage to break away, he rode out with Song Zhi.


    In another place, he met Shen Ying who was still fighting with more than a dozen masked men in black.


    Song Zhi immediately dismounted and joined the battle.


    Feng Zhan looked around but did not see Qin Yan, his heart sank slightly.


    ¡°Where is your master?¡± Feng Zhan asked Shen Ying.


    Shen Ying was relieved to see that it was His Highness Taizi that had arrived. There was more than one group of killers in the forest, and the number was much larger than she had expected.


    Now there was help here.


    After Shen Ying finished solving a killer, she quickly pointed out a direction.


    ¡°Master went to find Young Master Jiang alone.¡± Shen Ying said.


    Feng Zhan nodded and rode out.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t see a single figure along the way, and his heart sank.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In a flash, Feng Zhan galloped to an open space but was shocked by the bloody scene in front of him.


    In the middle of the open space stood a tall and slender figure in a white brocade dress.


    It was Qin Yan.


    In front of her, a man in black was slowly collapsing.


    This should be the end of the last, black-clothed killer, and on the ground around her, there were already thirty or forty black-clothed corpses lying on the ground.


    Qin Yan heard the sound of horses¡¯ hooves not far behind and turned her head swiftly, her eyes were cold as if she had not come out of the killing intent just now.


    Seeing that the visitor was an old acquaintance, Qin Yan relaxed slightly.


    Only when Qin Yan turned around did Feng Zhan see the knife still dripping with blood in her hand.


    Qin Yan let go of her slender white hand and let the blood-stained knife she just snatched from the assassin slip to the ground.


    Before the two could speak, a few sharp arrows flew from behind Feng Zhan.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan leaned over the horse, stretched out his left hand, and ran to Qin Yan¡¯s side.


    Qin Yan understood what he meant, and also stretched out her left hand, grabbing Feng Zhan¡¯s palm, which was already in front of her, and wanted to jump on the horse behind Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan held Qin Yan¡¯s slender white smooth hand, using his strength, and pulled Qin Yan up. He placed her in his arms before him, and the two galloped away.


    Dozens of assassins followed closely behind.


    Immediately, a rain of arrows shot from behind.


    Feng Zhan was fully prepared.


    Before this hunt, Feng Zhan sent his own guards to the paddock to redraw the map of the paddock and reported the changed terrain back to the Taizi Mansion in advance.


    Therefore, although the trees and vegetation were slightly different, Feng Zhan had already imprinted the terrain of the western suburbs enclosure in his mind and was very familiar with it.


    Feng Zhan stared straight ahead, observing the surrounding situation from the corner of his eyes, constantly adjusting the direction, avoiding the rain of arrows behind him, and galloping wildly.


    Feng Zhan held the reins in both hands, leaning forward, and protecting Qin Yan who was sitting on the horse with her back to him with his arms and his broad back.


    The warm breath blew down on Qin Yan¡¯s slender side neck, and Qin Yan felt a little tickle.


    Suddenly there was a muffled hum in the wind.


    Qin Yan frowned, turned her head, and asked Feng Zhan: ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t say a word. At this moment, Qin Yan¡¯s red lips were very close to his face. Feng Zhan stared straight ahead, trying his best to calm his accelerating heartbeat.


    However, Qin Yan still smelled a faint smell of blood. Feng Zhan¡¯s right arm holding the reins was a little more relaxed than before. Qin Yan concluded that Feng Zhan¡¯s right back shoulder was hit by an arrow.


    This was indeed the case.


    Feng Zhan knew that he couldn¡¯t go on like this as he was too passive. Although they got rid of some of the pursuers, the remaining killers were still unwilling to let go.


    ¡°You control the horse.¡± Feng Zhan said.


    Qin Yan understood that Feng Zhan asked her to control the horse to prepare himself to turn around to deal with the assassin.


    However, Feng Zhan was injured, and the accuracy of the arrow might be affected.


    Moreover, Feng Zhan was sitting behind the horse, and the horse was galloping at a high speed. If he turned around and shot the arrows, he would still have to exert energy to sit firmly on the horse.


    Qin Yan decided that it was better for her to do it.


    ¡°Loosen the reins.¡± Qin Yan said.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t know what Qin Yan was going to do, but he trusted her.


    Feng Zhan loosened the reins.


    In an instant, Qin Yan leaned back in the opposite direction of the horse¡¯s head, then raised her right leg, turned around in place, and changed her position to sit facing Feng Zhan on the galloping horse.


    Feng Zhan immediately understood what Qin Yan was going to do.


    Feng Zhan took up the reins with both hands again at once, and also took advantage of the situation to surround Qin Yan in front of him.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Before Qin Yan got on the horse, she caught a glimpse of a bow and a quiver full of arrows on the horse.


    ¡°Hold me.¡±


    After speaking, Qin Yan bent to the right, got out from under Feng Zhan¡¯s left arm, and hung her upper body out of the horse.


    Immediately, Qin Yan took the bow and arrow from the horse and shot the arrow at the chasing killer, all in one go.


    At this time, Feng Zhan was holding the rein with his right hand, his left forearm supported Qin Yan¡¯s soft waist, and clasped his left palm at the waist of Qin Yan¡¯s lower back.


    Feng Zhan kept his horse turning sharply in the forest, and some killers gradually distanced further, but there were still some men in black who were chasing after him. They also frequently shot arrows at Feng Zhan and Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan kept drawing and shooting arrows non-stop rapidly, three arrows at a time, and after a while, more than a dozen killers who were chasing behind him were killed.


    After Qin Yan dealt with the assassin behind them, she felt relieved.


    While the horse was galloping in the forest, Qin Yan stretched out her hand and brushed away the loose strands of hair. At this moment, she realized that there was something wrong with their posture.


    Both Feng Zhan and Qin Yan both glanced sideways at each other embarrassedly and then quickly moved away.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s face darkened with embarrassment, only his ears were blushed.


    Qin Yan¡¯s tender white cheeks also blushed with shame.


    Neither of them said a word.


    Qin Yan was about to turn around, but Feng Zhan suddenly held back her waist and pressed it back on his strong thighs.


    Qin Yan was angry, was this Taizi trying to be a hooligan?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan was about to open her mouth to stop him, but several sharp arrows shot out from the jungle in front of the horse.


    Feng Zhan clasped Qin Yan tightly with one hand, yanked the reins with his right hand, adjusted the direction of the horse, and galloped toward the other side.


    Was this endless?


    Many assassins were chasing after them from the back and Qin Yan continued to draw the bow and shoot arrows.


    Suddenly Feng Zhan yanked the reins, and the horses under the seat raised their front hooves high and neighed while stopping.


    Qin Yan frowned slightly and turned around doubtfully.


    Too bad.


    There was a cliff ahead.


    Feng Zhan made a quick decision, loosened the reins, picked up Qin Yan who was about to dismount to fight with the killers head-on, and clasped her waist tightly to prevent her from breaking free.


    Then flew away from the horse and jumped off the cliff.

 CH 40.1

    Chapter 40          Cave (1/2)


    As soon as Feng Zhan jumped off the cliff with Qin Yan in his arms, Qin Yan immediately tried hard to push Feng Zhan away.


    However, Feng Zhan¡¯s arms tightly wrapped Qin Yan¡¯s slender waist, as if he was determined to take Qin Yan down the cliff.


    Although Qin Yan had excellent skills, Feng Zhan was also surprisingly strong, and there was a huge disparity in strength between men and women. Qin Yan tried her best to break free, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Until the two began to fall, Qin Yan¡¯s heart sank, and falling off the cliff was a foregone conclusion.


    ¡°If you want to die, do you have to take me with you?¡± Qin Yan looked unhappy, and her tone was harsh.


    Looking at the beauty in his arms, Feng Zhan suddenly smiled showing his rare emotional expression.


    Feng Zhan then explained: ¡°The killer¡¯s arrows are poisoned. Let them be cleaned up by the reinforcements. We don¡¯t need to take risks with them.¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Yan looked at Feng Zhan suspiciously.


    Poisoned? Then, how about the arrow wound on Feng Zhan¡¯s back?


    But was jumping off a cliff a clever move?


    ¡ª¡ª


    This cliff was very high, and the two of them were still falling through the sea of ??fog under the cliff.


    A few sharp arrows came from above, and they simply missed their target.


    It seemed the killers wouldn¡¯t give up.


    ¡°There is a deep pool below.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was deep and mellow.


    Qin Yan:?


    Deep pool?


    Deep pool!


    Another deep pool!


    ¡°Inhale.¡± Feng Zhan said in a deep voice.


    The two fell into the pool after Qin Yan took a breath.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Even though Qin Yan had now accustomed to the water, she had to also mentally prepared to fall into the water. This was because of Qin Yan¡¯s experience of falling into the water in Taiye Pond when she was a child, and almost died when she fell into the cold pool in Meishan three years ago.


    Water was one of Qin Yan¡¯s few weaknesses now.


    The moment Qin Yan entered the icy pool, she was instinctively nervous.


    She closed her eyes, and her body tensed up, trying to minimize the adverse effects of her deep-water fear in her.


    Falling from such a high cliff, if they didn¡¯t touch the bottom of this deep pool, should also sink deeper.


    Qin Yan had taken a deep breath just before entering the water, and she figured that it should be enough time to get out of the water.


    Qin Yan kept her eyes closed and was perceiving the speed of sinking into the water.


    When the speed gradually slows down, it would be time to use energy to swim to the surface.


    At that moment, Qin Yan was almost at the bottom of the pool. The quietness in the deep water gave her a feeling of nearing death, and the claustrophobic feeling of being difficult to see, made Qin Yan seem to have returned to the cold pool in Meishan.


    She tried her best to calm down. That time, she could get a glimmer of hope by herself, and this time, not to mention there was another person on the opposite side now.


    When the speed of sinking had almost slowed down, Qin Yan¡¯s degree of holding her breath had reached the limit. She began to exhale slowly and began to prepare to go back to the surface.


    But just as she started to go upward, the person in front of her grabbed her waist and pressed her down, blocking her movement.


    Qin Yan suddenly opened her eyes.


    Feng Zhan? What was he doing?


    At this point, did he still want to harm her?


    But if he wanted my life, there were plenty of chances just now.


    Qin Yan was puzzled by Feng Zhan¡¯s behavior.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan had sent his guards to investigate the terrain of the paddock in the western suburbs before the autumn hunting.


    Because of its shape like a crescent moon, this deep pool had a beautiful name on the map, which was Moon Lake.


    According to the report of his guard, there was an undercurrent with a length of about a hundred feet in the west of the bottom of the pool, which could lead to the mountain on the other side of Moon Lake.


    At this time, if the killers on the cliff had not been resolved by reinforcements, they would surely come down to search.


    Returning to the surface of the lake was no safer than leaving through the undercurrent of the lake.


    Before Feng Zhan fell into the water, he glanced at the sun and determined the due west direction.


    At this moment, they almost reached the bottom.


    Feng Zhan pointed forward to Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan understood his gesture, and it seemed that Feng Zhan knew another way out of the water.


    Indeed, leaving from the bottom of the water was far safer than the surface of the water.


    However, Qin Yan was still a little concerned about her own swimming ability, and afraid that it was not enough to sneak out. Qin Yan hesitated.


    Feng Zhan saw that Qin Yan was still stunned in the same place and didn¡¯t follow up. He wrapped his left arm around Qin Yan¡¯s waist, paddled with his right arm, kicked his legs behind him, and swam with Qin Yan to the undercurrent.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this point, Qin Yan stopped delaying and started to swim in the direction pointed out by Feng Zhan.


    But after a while, Qin Yan began to feel a little out of breath, her chest began to feel a little suffocated, and her movements slowed down.


    Feng Zhan, who was beside her, turned his head, and he immediately understood that Qin Yan was out of air.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t hesitate at all. He took back his right arm that was paddling and supported Qin Yan¡¯s waist with his big palm.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s handsome face with clear angular and striking facial features approached Qin Yan¡¯s delicate face and kissed her.


    Qin Yan frowned slightly, and in just a moment, she understood that the other person was trying to give her air.


    Qin Yan was not polite and took the initiative to suck.


    However, not knowing whether it was Feng Zhan¡¯s intention, or Qin Yan lost her strength, she actually sucked Feng Zhan¡¯s¡­


    In an instant, the two stared at each other in surprise.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s black eyes were deep, and then he kissed her as forcefully as he had self-taught.


    And Qin Yan was not to be outdone. The two of them were kissing passionately and wildly like lovers.


    ¡ª¡ª


    For a while, Feng Zhan and Qin Yan both forgot that they were still under the undercurrent at the bottom of the deep pool.


    Originally it was to exchange air, but the purpose had changed.


    Finally, both of them were short of breath and began to suffer from a lack of oxygen.


    Both of them started to have dizziness, and blurry eyesight, and gradually lost their physical strength.


    If this continued, these two powerful masters would die ironically at the bottom of the pool on such an inopportune occasion.


    But fortunately, the undercurrent was also flowing slowly, pushing them to the underside exit. In fact, they were not far from the pool just now.


    Both of them were very intense, neither of them was willing to be outdone and neither of them refused to withdraw first.


    Seeing the light above their heads, both of them tried their best to kick the water with their legs. Soon, they broke out of the water.


    The moment when they came out of the water came, Feng Zhan and Qin Yan separated at the same time, both of them gasped and looked at each other for a moment with unclear meaning.


    Then, Qin Yan pushed hard and left Feng Zhan¡¯s embrace.


    Qin Yan turned her head and scanned the surroundings.


    This was a cave that was not deep, and not far away was the cave entrance. They could see the distant mountains outside the cave.


    Based on the height of the distant mountain peaks, it was estimated that this cave entrance was on another cliff.


    There was no hunter in the cave. Qin Yan¡¯s tense body relaxed a little, swam to the shore, and stepped out of the water.


    Qin Yan was almost exhausted in the water just now. Qin Yan felt relieved and sat down on the spot not far from the pool. Then she laid down, put her right arm behind her head, and began to rest and regain her strength.


    ¡ª¡ª


    And Feng Zhan just swam into the shallow water by the pool but didn¡¯t come out of the water. The waist-deep water concealed the embarrassment underwater, and at the same time calmed his fierce heartbeat.


    Qin Yan¡¯s stature was taller than that of ordinary women. Due to her martial arts skills, she had a very good body figure, tight and well-proportion.


    Feng Zhan watched Qin Yan slowly step out of the water, and her white brocade robe tightly attached to her sexy body after getting wet, which made Feng Zhan¡¯s mood a little unstable.


    And this reckless woman actually lay down on her back in front of him, and the proud curvature that fluctuated violently due to her big breath made Feng Zhan¡¯s blood flow downward again.


    Feng Zhan immediately looked away, and if he continued like this, he wouldn¡¯t have to get out of the water today.


    Feng Zhan submerged himself in the water again, ready to let the icy lake water douse his heat.


    Not long after, Feng Zhan came out of the water.


    This time, it was Qin Yan¡¯s turn to feast her eyes.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan usually wore a black brocade robe that hide his figure, but at this moment, he stepped out of the water after getting wet, the brocade robe attached to his tall body, showing a strong figure.


    When they were underwater just now, Qin Yan knew that the other person¡¯s figure was very good when the two were close to each other, and now it seemed even more seductive.


    Feng Zhan stepped out of the water slowly with his two long strong legs. There were still droplets of water falling from his head on his cold, three-dimensional face. He had broad shoulders and narrow hips. His muscles were muscular but not exaggerated, and she could vaguely see the abdominal muscles under his clothes¡­


    Qin Yan propped up her head with one hand, swept Feng Zhan¡¯s body up and down, with undisguised admiration in her eyes, and finally, her eyes stayed on¡­


    Oh, did he just go put out the fire?


    ¡ª¡ª


    From the encounter between Feng Zhan and Qin Yan on horseback in the forest to the intimate kiss underwater just now, there seemed to be less embarrassment between the two, and became closer.


    ¡°Is that Your Highness Taizi¡¯s first kiss? The technique is not good!¡± Qin Yan rested her head back on her arm again, lay down, and said teasingly.


    Feng Zhan looked askance at Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan still wanted to ignite the fire, this woman was really recklessly.


    Was her technique good? She only knew how to behave wildly.


    In the end, this was not the first kiss between them. After all, when they were young in Taiye Pond¡­


    Thinking of this, Feng Zhan glared at Qin Yan with some resentment.


    Qin Yan had never mentioned that he had saved her.


    This little heartless girl.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Qin Yan got up and looked around the cave separately from Feng Zhan. There was nothing unusual, and they went to the cave to explore together.


    Outside the cave entrance was a cliff, and they were safe for the time being.


    Looking at the sun, the entrance of the cave was facing the west, and by looking at the degree of the sun to the west, it was now the shenshi*. There were also monkeys grunting in the distance, and the sun was about to set.


    (shenshi* ¨C 3 pm ¨C 5 pm)


    ¡°We¡¯d better stay here for a while and go out after the killers outside are cleaned up.¡± Feng Zhan looked at Qin Yan and spoke.


    Qin Yan looked back at Feng Zhan and acquiesced to this proposal.


    Qin Yan took out a small wooden pipe from her chest, then pulled out a small roll of waterproof paper, unfolded it, and it was some white powder.


    Qin Yan walked to the entrance of the cave and sprinkled the powder.


    When Feng Zhan saw Qin Yan¡¯s actions, it should be some kind of powder that pass the message to her subordinates.

 CH 40.2

    Chapter 40          Cave (2/2)


    Feng Zhan glanced at Qin Yan¡¯s graceful figure in wet clothes and frowned slightly.


    He returned to the cave, snapped off a few thicker branches, and propped it up in the middle of the cave entrance.


    At this moment, the soft sunlight set from the west shone into the cave entrance and just shone on the temporary wooden rack made by the branches.


    Feng Zhan thought about it for a while and said a little uncomfortably: ¡°The sun is just right now. You can dry your clothes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll turn my back first. You can take off your clothes and hang them on the wooden rack.¡±


    Qin Yan was initially still observing the situation outside the cave. Hearing the words, she turned around and looked over.


    The moment Qin Yan turned around, Feng Zhan was shocked by the beautiful scenery in front of him.


    At this moment, the soft sunset shone from behind Qin Yan, and the beauty in front of him stood against the light, which made her originally exquisite facial features appeared more three-dimensional, a bit of mystery and sacredness, such an indescribable beauty.


    Feng Zhan had always known that beauty was limited to skin and flesh, but Qin Yan repeatedly shocked him with her beauty.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s heart throbbed violently and this seductress, Qin Yan, would kill him sooner or later.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan had suffered from chills since she fell into the water in Meishan and had relied on Mister Ji to prepare medicinal baths to ward off the cold all year round.


    Hearing Feng Zhan¡¯s suggestion, Qin Yan didn¡¯t hesitate as she never joked about her health.


    Seeing that Feng Zhan really turned his back, Qin Yan began to take off her clothes.


    Feng Zhan had excellent hearing, and when he heard the rustling sound of Qin Yan starting to undress, it seemed like a fire was burning in his heart.


    Feng Zhan frowned, closed his eyes, and recited the Great Compassion Mantra silently to calm his dryness.


    What was wrong with him? Since he was born, twenty-two years ago, he had never lost self-control like today.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°All right.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s voice was cold.


    Feng Zhan turned around and saw Qin Yan¡¯s moon-white brocade dress hanging on the wooden rack, then she should still be wearing wet innerwear.


    Anyway, let her be. As a girl, she had no sense of vigilance.


    Feng Zhan then untied his waist belt, took off the soaked black brocade robe, and placed it gently beside Qin Yan¡¯s moon-white dress.


    Feng Zhan looked at the two pieces of clothing on the wooden rack, one black and the other white, next to each other, and Feng Zhan suddenly felt a surge in his heart.


    He took a deep breath and turned around.


    If it goes on like this, he would be killed by this woman.


    Feng Zhan sat down cross-legged on the ground and unbuttoned his white innerwear, but it only fell to his waist, revealing his strong upper body.


    Afterward, Feng Zhan tilted his head and looked at his right back shoulder, but he couldn¡¯t see it completely.


    After being shot by the arrow on the horse, Feng Zhan moved his right hand back and broke the shaft.


    The arrow wound was different from ordinary flesh wounds, and the severe pain had a tendency to gradually shift to the internal organs.


    However, because Feng Zhan had been soaking in anti-poison baths all year round, although he was not invulnerable to all poisons, even if it was extremely poisonous in the world, it could be delayed for a while and reduce the effects of toxicity on the body.


    Feng Zhan took out a porcelain bottle from his waist, opened the sealed cork, and tried to treat the wound himself.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡­¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan heard Feng Zhan¡¯s sudden draw of breath, and then remembered that Feng Zhan had been shot by an arrow in his back, and before entering the water, Feng Zhan had said that the arrow was highly poisonous.


    ¡°Are you treating the arrow wound?¡± Qin Yan who sat on the other side of the wooden rack with her back to Feng Zhan, turned her head to ask Feng Zhan at this moment.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t say a word and was still trying to treat it himself.


    Qin Yan got up, passed the wooden rack, and walked to Feng Zhan¡¯s side. She frowned and looked at the arrow wound on Feng Zhan¡¯s right back shoulder.


    The wound had a tendency to turn black, which was indeed poisonous.


    Feng Zhan looked up and saw Qin Yan, who was only wearing innerwear and Qin Yan¡¯s clothes were still wet at this moment, clinging to her graceful body. Compared to when Qin Yan was still wearing a dress, the curvature of her body was more obvious.


    Feng Zhan turned around immediately. He felt his blood rushing down again, and he couldn¡¯t lose self-control anymore.


    Qin Yan ignored Feng Zhan¡¯s abnormality, walked directly behind Feng Zhan, and sat down with her legs crossed.


    Qin Yan stretched out her slender right hand, picked up the dagger on the ground on Feng Zhan¡¯s side, raised the knife, and made an incision at Feng Zhan¡¯s arrow wound neatly and quickly.


    Feng Zhan grunted but did not make another sound.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan used a dagger to cut out the rotten flesh from the wound around the arrow, and then took out the broken arrow that was still on Feng Zhan¡¯s back.


    Feng Zhan handed the porcelain bottle in his hand to Qin Yan.


    After Qin Yan took it, she lightly sniffed the opening of the bottle.


    The taste was somewhat familiar.


    Qin Yan applied the powder to Feng Zhan¡¯s wound while asking, ¡°This medicine comes from Medicine King Valley?¡±


    Feng Zhan was not surprised at all that Qin Yan was knowledgeable.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t hide it either: ¡°One of the subordinates in my army is a disciple of the former Medicine King of the Medicine King Valley.¡±


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t speak again.


    A few years ago, the former Medicine King of the Medicine King Valley passed away, and everyone in the valley fought and killed each other for the succession of the next Medicine King.


    Now the valley was divided, without cooperation. There was no Medicine King in the Medicine King Valley.


    But if it wasn¡¯t for that, she wouldn¡¯t meet Ji Nanfeng, who was being hunted down at that time.


    Feng Zhan tore off a sleeve of his innerwear and handed it to Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan took it and tore the middle of the sleeves to form a long strip. She held the cloth strip in her right hand and stretched it over Feng Zhan¡¯s right shoulder, and then reached down to Feng Zhan¡¯s left armpit.


    This action made Qin Yan¡¯s body pressed to Feng Zhan¡¯s back. Feng Zhan felt that there were two soft buns pressing against his back, as well as Qin Yan¡¯s breath was blowing on his red ears.


    But in just a moment, Qin Yan took the cloth strip with her left hand, pulled it over his right shoulder to cover the oozing blood and medicinal powder from the wound, and then made a dead knot to get it done.


    Just now, Qin Yan¡¯s tender fingers touched or ran across Feng Zhan¡¯s back from time to time, causing Feng Zhan¡¯s heart to feel a little tickle.


    Qin Yan got up.


    At this moment, the sun was gradually setting in the west, and a cool breeze blew into the cave.


    Feng Zhan suddenly stretched out his hand and pulled the unprepared Qin Yan into his arms.


    Qin Yan looked up at Feng Zhan unhappily and tried to get up.


    However, Feng Zhan put a hand around Qin Yan¡¯s right shoulder, and the other hand clasped her soft waist in front of Qin Yan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was a little hoarse.


    ¡°The dress is not dry yet. Let me hold you, so you can keep warm.¡±


    Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes gradually darkened, with stubbornness and unyieldingness in his eyes.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan couldn¡¯t refute this reason.


    Qin Yan was afraid of the cold, which was also her weakness. Since she fell into the pond until now, she had only been holding on.


    Qin Yan softened and let Feng Zhan embrace her in front of him.


    Feng Zhan held Qin Yan¡¯s side head against his shoulder with his big palm.


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t resist. She urgently needed a rest at the moment, and it seemed she was indeed warmer.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Between Feng Zhan and Qin Yan, there was never even a single serious conversation, let alone a personal friendship. Even if their mansions were only separated by a wall, they were like strangers.


    And the current position of the two was a little subtle.


    Qin Yan was working for the emperor on the surface, which belong to the faction of the Emperor of Hui.


    On the other hand, since Taizi Feng Zhan returned to the court from the army, his relationship with the Emperor of Hui was not too harmonious and there seemed to be some tug-of-war of power between father and son.


    Therefore, Feng Zhan and Qin Yan had different positions before and even some hostility.


    Both were vigilant and estranged from each other.


    ¡ª¡ª


    But today, they had been pursued by killers together and both of them handed over their backs to each other with confidence. The embarrassment of riding on horseback, the intimate kiss after entering the water, and now they were snuggling up to each other like lovers.


    Before, and even now, they had never opened their hearts to each other.


    There were only some physical contacts.


    In such a short time, the barrier between the two was torn apart.


    Just like a surreal illusion.


    But both Feng Zhan and Qin Yan were more mature than their peers, and they knew what they wanted and what they didn¡¯t want.


    Perhaps this kind of not opening their hearts to each other could make them feel more at ease.


    With their respective experiences, how could they easily open their hearts to each other and accept another person into their hearts easily?


    Feng Zhan lowered his eyes and looked at Qin Yan. If she could always be so obedient¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this moment, the sun was setting, and the afterglow filled the sky.


    Taizi Feng Zhan, who was known for his resoluteness and decisiveness in the court, let go of his ruthlessness, and with tenderness in his eyes, he embraced another stunning beauty who only temporarily let down her guards. The two admired the evening sunset outside the cave and the mountains were getting darker.


    This scenery might be unforgettable for them for the rest of their lives.


    The author says:


    The passionate love of adults is not a long process of weighing the pros and cons after careful consideration. As long as they are allowed to ignite that fire, they will naturally hit it off immediately.

 CH 41.1

    Chapter 41          Pleased (1/2)


    Before the last ray of sunlight was gone, an eagle suddenly whistled in the sky and followed by a black eagle swooping past the cave.


    Feng Zhan opened his eyes sharply.


    The eagle that had just flown from outside the cave turned back and flew over the cave entrance again.


    Feng Zhan and Qin Yan got up to check.


    The eagle was hovering at a high altitude above the entrance of the cave as if giving directions.


    ¡°The reinforcements have arrived.¡± Feng Zhan said while looking at Qin Yan.


    At this time, a few colorful butterflies flew down from the cliff above the entrance of the cave and stopped outside the cave.


    Qin Yan stretched out her delicate hand, and colorful butterflies fluttered around her fingertips.


    After a while, a few colorful butterflies flew back to the top of the cliff again.


    ¡°Your eagle?¡±


    ¡°Your butterfly?¡±


    Qin Yan and Feng Zhan spoke at the same time.


    Neither of them spoke again, and there was no doubt that the answer was in the other¡¯s question.


    After that, the two of them turned around and entered the cave, took their dry robes respectively from the wooden rack, and put them on.


    Those who didn¡¯t understand the situation would think that something indescribable happened in the cave when they saw this scene.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After the two of them got dressed, the voices of Song Zhi and Shen Ying came from the cliff above the entrance of the cave.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Song Zhi and Shen Ying originally led people to find Taizi and Qin Yan separately. However, His Highness Taizi¡¯s eagle hovered over a cliff, and the colorful butterflies given by Mister Ji were also fluttering on that cliff.


    So they all gathered here.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t respond to Song Zhi¡¯s call but turned around and his eyes fixed on Qin Yan.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes were deep as if he had something to say.


    Qin Yan, who had already begun to walk out of the cave, keenly caught Feng Zhan¡¯s scorching gaze. Qin Yan raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan felt a little depressed when he saw that Qin Yan was still as indifferent and heartless as before today.


    Without saying a word, Feng Zhan walked to the entrance of the cave first.


    At this time, several ropes hung above the cliff.


    It was Song Zhi and Shen Ying who were going to bring people down the cliff.


    Feng Zhan said in a deep voice toward the top: ¡°No need.¡±


    Hearing the voice of His Highness Taizi, Song Zhi felt relieved and raised his hand to wave back the personal and secret guards of the Taizi Mansion.


    But Shen Ying, who didn¡¯t get a response from her master, was a little anxious. Did something happen to her master?


    ¡°Your Highness Taizi, is my master, Princess of Zhaoren, under the cliff? Is she injured?¡± Shen Ying asked anxiously.


    Hearing this, Qin Yan laughed and was about to speak, but the solemn-faced Taizi next to her answered first.


    ¡°Your master is here, and she is very good.¡±


    When Feng Zhan said this, he looked at Qin Yan with a gloomy expression.


    Qin Yan narrowed her eyes slightly. What did she do just now to provoke this cold-faced Taizi?


    Hearing her master was safe, Shen Ying was relieved, and she also waved back to the secret guards of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion and waited for her master to climb up the cliff.


    However, Song Zhi heard something else.


    It seemed that there was some resentment in His Highness¡¯s words just now?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan and Qin Yan both grabbed a rope and started climbing up the cliff at the same time.


    Seeing His Highness Taizi and Princess of Zhaoren, Song Zhi and Shen Ying on the cliff, and their subordinates all kneel down on one knee:


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Feng Zhan glanced at them and said coldly: ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    Song Zhi replied: ¡°Your Highness, all the assassins in the paddock forest have been cleared. They were all dead, and no survivors were caught.¡±


    ¡°Originally, His Majesty planned to hold a banquet in the paddock in the western suburbs tonight to entertain everyone who participated in the Autumn Hunting Ceremony, and to reward those who did meritorious deeds. However, due to the sudden encounter with assassins, the banquet has been canceled. His Majesty has been escorted by the Northern Yamen Imperial Army back to the and the rest of the people who participated in the autumn hunting have also returned to the city one after another.¡±


    Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously.


    In the imperial paddock, who could be behind the scenes that could dispatch a such large number of sacrificial men with highly poisonous weapons?


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Master, are you injured?¡± Shen Ying asked her master worriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Qin Yan said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Otherwise, Mister Ji will kill me.¡± Shen Ying remembered that when Mister Ji arrived in the paddock, the way he looked at her was like looking at a dead person, and Shen Ying still had lingering fears.


    Shen Ying breathed a sigh of relief and continued: ¡°The Duke, Shizi, and Young Master each took the soldiers of the Duke Mansion to find Master in the forest. Just now, I asked the secret guard to send them a message, telling them that we have found Master, and regrouped outside the forest.¡±


    ¡°After Mister Ji handed the secret guards to me, he returned to the entrance of the paddock to wait for Master.¡±


    ¡°Our people found Young Master Jiang who was unconscious in a cave in the forest. Mister Ji has sent secret guards to take Young Master Jiang back to the Princess Mansion, and someone will watch over him.¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly.


    Didn¡¯t Jiang Mu leave?


    With so many killers in the forest, how could he still be unconscious by himself without being killed?


    So, the killer¡¯s purpose was not to kill him.


    Instead, they used him as bait to lead her into the forest.


    Was the target her?


    Or was there her among the targets?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Shen Ying and Song Zhi each prepared horses for their masters respectively.


    This place was not suitable to stay for long.


    Feng Zhan and Qin Yan each mounted their horses, and the group rode their horses out of the forest in the night.


    As soon as Qin Yan arrived outside the forest, her grandfather, uncle, and cousin of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion who were waiting there immediately came over.


    Seeing that Qin Yan was fine, the three generations of the Duke Mansion breathed a sigh of relief.


    But everyone¡¯s faces were still a little solemn.


    If the killers could infiltrate the imperial paddock, the power of those people behind the scenes couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    This wasn¡¯t a trivial matter as they didn¡¯t know who the target of the killers was.


    But it was precisely this that everyone was at risk.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan rode to the entrance of the paddock in the western suburbs and saw Ji Nanfeng who was waiting there with people.


    Qin Yan dismounted from her horse and strode towards her carriage behind Ji Nanfeng.


    Ji Nanfeng took two steps forward and put the cloak in his hand on Qin Yan.


    There was a strict distinction between men and women, and Ji Nanfeng always abided by the boundaries and never crosses the line.


    Ji Nanfeng had always asked Shen Ying to do the cloak thing.


    Today, not knowing whether he was too worried about Qin Yan, or when he received a message from Shen Ying¡¯s secret guard, that his master was found together with His Highness Taizi, Ji Nanfeng felt a little nervous and lost his sense.


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with it as she had always regarded Mister Ji as a family member.


    In early autumn, the mountains were indeed a little cold at night.


    Qin Yan tightened her cloak and prepared to get in the carriage to return to the mansion.


    The group of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion also got on their horses and prepared to leave.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan¡¯s carriage was in front of Qin Yan. He had just walked to the carriage, but when he looked back, he saw a scene that made him extremely unhappy.


    That person, whom he had met at the housewarming banquet of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, the housekeeper of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, Mister Ji.


    According to Song Zhi¡¯s report, Mister Ji was also the boss of Yu Qingfeng, the largest private bank in Great Xia.


    His behavior wasn¡¯t at all like a subordinate¡¯s.


    In the public, Qin Yan actually allowed him to do such a transgressive behavior.


    What was his relationship with Qin Yan?


    Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes were full of chills. He withdrew his movement of getting into the carriage and walked in the direction of Qin Yan.

 CH 41.2

    Chapter 41          Pleased (2/2)


    At this moment, there was a burst of galloping from the front, one person on a horse rushed from the vast night.


    The person who came was Xie Changyuan. He disregarded the etiquette and didn¡¯t dismount in front of the Taizi¡¯s carriage but rode straight to Qin Yan¡¯s carriage and jumped down.


    Xie Changyuan walked quickly to Qin Yan who was about to get into the carriage.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Xie Changyuan was a little breathless. After saying a sentence, he took a deep breath and calmed his heartbeat.


    At this time, Xie Changyuan was still wearing the hunting attire of this morning¡¯s whistle deer, which was not very neat.


    He followed His Majesty in the forest to whistle deer today, and after being attacked, he escorted His Majesty out of the forest.


    He met Taizi Feng Zhan and his party outside the forest and learned that Qin Yan had entered the forest to find Jiang Mu.


    Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t even have the room to contend whether to enter the forest to find Qin Yan, because he knew his responsibilities well, and his first priority was to escort His Majesty back to the palace safely.


    The Emperor didn¡¯t return to the camp to freshen up but asked Xie Changyuan to lead the Northern Yamen Imperial Army to directly send him back to the palace.


    Before leaving the camp in the western suburbs, Xie Changyuan ordered the rest of his subordinates to protect the imperial concubine, princesses, and others who had participated in the autumn hunting and bring them back to the city.


    After returning to the palace, news came from his subordinates that His Highness Taizi and Princess of Zhaoren disappeared in the forest, and there were a large number of killers in the forest.


    Xie Changyuan asked Emperor Hui for permission that he wanted to return to the camp in the western suburbs and join the team looking for the Taizi and the Princess of Zhaoren.


    With the permission of the Emperor, Xie Changyuan rushed from the palace to the western suburbs without stopping.


    ¡ª¡ª


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Xie Changyuan¡¯s breaking the marriage contract at the city gate before, if he hadn¡¯t protected his concubine at Qianshui Lake without hesitation and spoken so harshly to Qin Yan, and if Xie Changyuan hadn¡¯t been in the paddock lovey-dovey with his concubine, Qin Yan would definitely feel how much her ex-fianc¨¦ cared about her.


    Oh, but Qin Yan was not blind.


    Shen Ying stood in front of her master, staring at Xie Changyuan with an unkind look.


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t say a word, just glanced at Xie Changyuan indifferently, and then prepared to continue getting into the carriage.


    Xie Changyuan took a step forward and prepared to say something more.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Qin Yan.¡±


    It was Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Qin Yan stopped getting in the carriage, turned her head, and looked at the Taizi who was approaching step by step.


    ¡°I have something to say to the Princess of Zhaoren alone. You all can step back.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was heavy.


    Qin Yan frowned, but still raised her hand and waved her subordinates away.


    Taizi Feng Zhan looked at Xie Changyuan, who was still stubbornly standing there, with cold eyes.


    ¡°Is Commander Xie going to disobey orders?¡±


    Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was cold.


    Xie Changyuan felt a little flustered at this moment as he was extremely reluctant to see Qin Yan alone with Taizi.


    Today, Taizi and Qin Yan disappeared at the same time, and now they also appeared at the same time.


    Xie Changyuan felt that something had happened between Taizi and Qin Yan, and what had happened, was going to be out of his expectations.


    Xie Changyuan closed his eyes, but he also had to keep in mind that he was only a subject, and there were differences between monarchs and ministers.


    In the end, Xie Changyuan stepped away from Qin Yan¡¯s carriage and stood fifteen meters away, looking at Qin Yan and Feng Zhan with a frown.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan was very tired at the moment and just wanted to go back to the mansion to rest as soon as possible.


    She didn¡¯t speak, and she wasn¡¯t curious about what Taizi was going to say to her.


    Feng Zhan stopped two steps before Qin Yan and looked at the woman on the opposite side who was still indifferent.


    Feng Zhan knew very well at this moment that his subconscious attention to Qin Yan during this period should be because he was pleased with Qin Yan.


    Today, the two of them had such a tacit understanding and had so much physical contact.


    Qin Yan also stirred up so many feelings in him and even shocked him.


    Feng Zhan was a man who acted vigorously and resolutely. Now that he knew his intention toward Qin Yan, he must immediately delineate Qin Yan into his own scope, and would not allow any uncertainties to occur.


    ¡°Today, you have been alone with me in the mountains for a long time. I am afraid it will damage your reputation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to confer you as the Taizifei*.¡±


    (Taizifei* ¨C crown princess)


    Feng Zhan paused at every word and his tone was sincere. Qin Yan didn¡¯t suspect that Feng Zhan was joking.


    But reputation?


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Qin Yan laughed.


    Feng Zhan frowned.


    Feng Zhan considered what words to use, not only to avoid being too straightforward but also to give Qin Yan a step.


    Given that Qin Yan also kissed himself underwater today, Feng Zhan believed that Qin Yan should have a favorable impression of the other person just like him.


    As long as Qin Yan had a little idea of ??himself, she would take a step forward following the steps.


    However, Qin Yan¡¯s reaction¡­


    Could it be that this logic didn¡¯t work?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Since Taizi talked to Qin Yan alone, the people of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion had been keeping their eyes on that side closely.


    Even if the other party was the powerful heir to the throne, they would not let Qin Yan suffer.


    What did His Highness Taizi say that made Yanyan laugh out loud?


    However, Shen Ying was a little puzzled by her master¡¯s reaction. Her master seldom showed her emotions to outsiders. What did His Highness Taizi say to make her master feel so funny?


    Ji Nanfeng frowned slightly, and he had a hunch that Qin Yan seemed to treat Taizi a little differently.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s heart tightened. Qin Yan¡¯s lively mood in front of Taizi was completely different from her indifference in front of him.


    He would rather Qin Yan resent him, blame him, or even hate him. It was better than being so indifferent to him now.


    Qin Yan had never even asked him once since she returned to the capital about breaking the marriage contract, about A Yan, or about them¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Your Highness Taizi, do you think I care about reputation?¡± Qin Yan said with a smile.


    Feng Zhan was silent for a moment, then spoke again. ¡°Then, Princess of Zhaoren has to be responsible for my reputation.¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Yan was surprised for a moment at first, and then quickly understood.


    Whether it was Taizi¡¯s first statement just now or this second one.


    The meaning of his words¡­


    This Taizi probably interested her.


    But he still holding on to his little tsundere, right?


    Qin Yan looked at Feng Zhan with a half-smile.


    Feng Zhan was a little depressed with Qin Yan¡¯s attitude.


    Since Feng Zhan was born, he had been appointed Taizi as the eldest son of the Empress, and now he was even more powerful. Only others had always been cautious in front of him, and it had never been like this today. He even had to rack his brains to express his feelings to a girl.


    Feng Zhan sighed softly and spoke as if he was compromising.


    ¡°Qin Yan, I¡¯m very pleased with you. Are you willing to try with me?¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Yan smiled.


    Qin Yan had admired Feng Zhan before today. Whether it was the rumored Taizi¡¯s means of power or his skills, the most important thing was that Feng Zhan was too good-looking.


    Qin Yan was a person who attached great importance to good looks, and today she knew that Feng Zhan had an excellent figure.


    Although his kissing skills were not good, it was more likely that he was still an inexperienced person.


    But the good thing was that he was clean.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s tone was relaxed.


    Feng Zhan was too careful before. With Qin Yan¡¯s temperament, he was afraid that she couldn¡¯t be goaded, nor would she be afraid of power.


    He could only coax her step by step, but he didn¡¯t expect that when he directly expressed his intentions, she agreed so readily.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan had been staring at the conversation between Taizi and Qin Yan. What were they talking about? Why did Qin Yan smile at Taizi?


    Xie Changyuan still had a lot to say to Qin Yan. He wanted to explain to Qin Yan the matter of breaking the marriage contract, the matter of A Yan, the misunderstanding at the Qianshui Lake, the matter of the hairpin, and many, many more¡­


    Xie Changyuan had a bad feeling in his heart. If he didn¡¯t explain it clearly to Qin Yan today, and if he couldn¡¯t open the knot with Qin Yan, then it would be impossible for him to be with Qin Yan again.


    Thinking of this, Xie Changyuan began to stride toward Qin Yan. When Xie Changyuan was 6 meters away from them, he heard Taizi speak again.


    ¡°Song Zhi.¡±


    Song Zhi passed Xie Changyuan to Taizi¡¯s side and saluted: ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Feng Zhan was telling Song Zhi to do something, but his narrow eyes kept looking at Qin Yan in front of him.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s volume was not deliberately lowered, so Song Zhi, Qin Yan, and Xie Changyuan could hear these shameless words clearly.


    ¡°Break the shaft of my carriage, and my carriage can¡¯t return to the city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too tired today and don¡¯t have the energy to ride a horse, so I can only ask Princess of Zhaoren to allow me to ride on the Princess Mansion¡¯s carriage together.¡±


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, can I get on the carriage with you?¡±


    ¡­..


    Was this a clear declaration of sovereignty?


    The author says:


    The first sign of true love is timidity in boys and boldness in girls.

 CH 42.1

    Chapter 42          Carriage (1/2)


    Song Zhi ¡­


    His Highness said this, at least he had to hide it from the other master¡­


    Qin Yan raised her eyebrows, but before Qin Yan could speak, another male voice spoke first.


    ¡°Qin Yan is an unmarried woman, and what Your Highness Taizi said is probably not appropriate.¡±


    Xie Changyuan quickly walked two steps forward.


    At this moment, Xie Changyuan was glad that he rushed here today. He had guessed it right, Taizi must have an interest in Qin Yan.


    ¡°Song Zhi.¡± Feng Zhan said in a deep voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡±


    Song Zhi responded and left, casting an awkward glance at Qin Yan before leaving.


    Song Zhi slandered in his heart, but the Princess of Zhaoren didn¡¯t get angry which was really cultured.


    Feng Zhan toned down his voice and said to Qin Yan: ¡°You go up first.¡±


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t want to draw a distinction between Feng Zhan at this time. Since she agreed to try with him, she wouldn¡¯t mind the trivial matter of sharing a carriage.


    At this time, the night had already been filled with fog, and the mountain was getting colder. Qin Yan stretched out her hands to tighten the cloak and turned around to get into the carriage.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan watched Qin Yan enter the carriage, then turned around and looked at Xie Changyuan coldly.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s gaze also followed Qin Yan¡¯s figure.


    Qin Yan had always been like this, won¡¯t even look at him.


    He could still understand that Qin Yan was still angry with him, was she waiting for him to coax her by showing her temper?


    But Xie Changyuan couldn¡¯t even convince himself for this reason.


    Qin Yan really didn¡¯t seem to care about him at all. Thinking of this, Xie Changyuan¡¯s heart became colder and colder.


    Xie Changyuan looked at the Taizi opposite him. Feng Zhan was slightly taller than Xie Changyuan, and Taizi¡¯s imposing aura made Xie Changyuan feel a sense of oppression for no reason.


    At this moment, Xie Changyuan no longer cared that he was just a subject, and he didn¡¯t want to be crushed by another man in front of the woman he liked.


    However, Feng Zhan¡¯s words hit Xie Changyuan¡¯s newly established line of defense in the shortest possible time.


    ¡°Back then, when you already had a fianc¨¦e, you brought a woman without name or distinction into the mansion and lived there for three years. Have you thought it was appropriate?¡±


    Xie Changyuan was slightly surprised, he didn¡¯t expect the Taizi to question his personal affairs.


    For three years, he hadn¡¯t explained his past with A Yan to anyone, and the people in the mansion only know that A Yan saved him, but everyone thinks that A Yan was his beloved woman.


    He never explained it before, let alone explain it to Qin Yan.


    Xie Changyuan glanced at the carriage in front of him.


    Qin Yan should also be able to hear the conversation between him and the Taizi at this moment, so he took this opportunity to explain this matter clearly.


    ¡°A Yan saved me, and I owe her a life.¡±


    Xie Changyuan spoke as he looked at the carriage beside him.


    Feng Zhan said coldly: ¡°Is that you can¡¯t afford a decent residence and give it to your savior with the property left to you by Imperial Aunt Anyang?¡±


    ¡°In the past few years in the capital, the rumors about you and the canary* you raised have been widely known. Have you ever considered the position of your fianc¨¦e at that time? Where do you put the face of the Right Prime Minister Mansion and the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion?¡±


    (canary* ¨C a metaphor used to refer to women who are attached to men and lead a good material life but are bound and lose their freedom because of this.)


    Mentioning the word fianc¨¦e, Feng Zhan looked unhappy.


    No matter in the past, present, or future, Feng Zhan didn¡¯t want Qin Yan to have anything to do with other men.


    ¡°¡­¡± Xie Changyuan was dumbfounded.


    In Meishan back then, A Yan said that both her parents had died, and she had no one to rely on, and she said that she would follow Xie Changyuan back to the capital.


    When he arrived in the capital, Xie Changyuan also told Ah Yan that he would buy her a house.


    But A Yan refused.


    A Yan said that she was a woman who only knew Xie Changyuan in the capital. She was lonely and wanted to follow Xie Changyuan home.


    And why didn¡¯t Xie Changyuan stick to his original idea?


    It seemed that he had a grudge against Qin Yan at that time because of Xie Zhao¡¯s incident.


    Therefore, Ah Yan was not rejected in the end.


    But¡­¡­


    ¡°As a responsible man, since you have done it, then admit it.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s words were undeniably strong that couldn¡¯t be refuted.


    After speaking, Feng Zhan turned around and got into Qin Yan¡¯s carriage.


    Leaving Xie Changyuan standing on the spot.


    Xie Changyuan was so powerless to even explain, even if it was because of a misunderstanding, it had already caused an irreversible fact.


    Qin Yan probably had no room for a grain of sand in her eyes, so how could she not mind Ah Yan¡¯s existence?


    As for Xie Changyuan himself, what identity did he have now to prevent the Taizi from pursuing Qin Yan?


    However, the Taizi wouldn¡¯t have only one woman after all. If Qin Yan couldn¡¯t tolerate A Yan, she won¡¯t tolerate Taizi marrying someone else as his concubine.


    Xie Changyuan clenched his fists, his eyes were red, looking at the carriage going away.


    Then it depended on how far they could go.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When the people of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion saw the Taizi getting into Qin Yan¡¯s carriage, they were a little puzzled.


    Shen Ci¡¯s face darkened instantly, the Taizi was a playboy¡­


    Shen Ci kicked his horse and wanted to go forward, but was stopped by the Duke of Zhenguo Shen Changshan.


    Shen Changshan looked at Qin Yan¡¯s carriage ahead and said in a deep voice: ¡°Yanyan has always had her own ideas and doesn¡¯t like too much interference.¡±


    ¡°All we can do is stand behind her as her backing.¡±


    ¡°Wait and see what happens.¡±


    Shen Ci looked at the carriage of the Princess Mansion in front of him, feeling quite unhappy and a little uneasy.


    If Yanyan¡¯s future husband¡¯s family was any noble family in the capital, the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion would have the power and ability to contend with them. If Yanyan¡¯s marriage didn¡¯t go well in the future, the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion could easily come forward to settle the trouble for Yanyan, or even handle the divorce for her.


    However, if Yanyan married into the imperial family¡­


    Shen Ci shook his head, only hoping that it was just a passing interest for Yanyan, and didn¡¯t take it seriously.

 CH 42.2

    Chapter 42          Carriage (2/2)


    After Feng Zhan got into the carriage, he was shocked by the scene in front of him for a moment.


    On the carriage, Qin Yan had already taken off her cloak and was half lying down on the thick and cozy pure white blanket that covered the entire carriage.


    At this moment, this beauty was leaning on a soft pillow, resting with her eyes closed, and her shiny black hair spread out under her body. She was lounging with a graceful body and appeared flirtatiously charming.


    Hearing the movement of Feng Zhan getting into the carriage, Qin Yan didn¡¯t get up but was still lounging to rest.


    And Qin Yan¡¯s informality with the Taizi also greatly pleased Feng Zhan, which was a good start.


    Feng Zhan calmed down his disorderly breathing, leaned against Qin Yan, stretched out his long arms, passed through Qin Yan¡¯s back shoulder, and took Qin Yan into his arms.


    Qin Yan frowned slightly but did not refuse.


    She rubbed against Feng Zhan¡¯s hard chest, adjusted to a comfortable position, and continued to rest with her eyes closed.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s chin moved slightly on the side of Qin Yan¡¯s head, and then he also began to close his eyes to release his fatigue.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The carriage was moving forward, and Qin Yan was about to sleep by the rocking, but she was always alert, how could she really fall asleep in the arms of someone she didn¡¯t know very well outside?


    She was in the carriage just now, and the conversation between the two outside was heard.


    Oh, it turned out to be a benefactor.


    ¡°Xie Changyuan promised to marry her to repay the kindness?¡±


    Qin Yan suddenly spoke lazily.


    Feng Zhan heard the woman in his arms suddenly speak but mentioned another man¡¯s name.


    With deep eyes, Feng Zhan suddenly pinched Qin Yan¡¯s chin with one hand, lowered his head, and kissed Qin Yan intensely.


    Qin Yan half closed her eyes and raised her head to respond with pleasure.


    Qin Yan suddenly became playful. She turned over and switched positions with Feng Zhan. Reaching out to lift Feng Zhan¡¯s chin, she leaned over and pressed her red lips towards the thin lips of the handsome man in front of her.


    Feng Zhan pinched the soft meat on Qin Yan¡¯s side waist and let the woman on him toss about.


    Song Zhi, who was sitting on a black horse next to the carriage of the Princess Mansion, kept watching his surroundings vigilantly.


    Was there any strange sound inside the carriage just now¡­


    Although the sound was hard to detect, Song Zhi had an excellent hearing ability, so he was sure that he heard correctly.


    After careful discerning, Song Zhi secretly praised that His Highness had never had a woman before, and he did not expect to play like this for the first time.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Western Suburb Camp was not too far from the Princess Mansion in Xishan, so it was a smooth journey.


    The carriage stopped outside the main entrance of the Princess Mansion, but the people in the carriage didn¡¯t have any slight movement of getting off the carriage for a long time.


    Duke of Zhenguo Shen Changshan frowned and rode over.


    ¡°Your Highness Taizi, it¡¯s time for Yanyan to go home?¡±


    No one in the carriage responded.


    Shen Changshan was about to speak again, but the Taizi lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage. His clothes were neat, and his face was as usual as if nothing could be seen.


    After that, Qin Yan got out of the carriage.


    Qin Yan¡¯s red lips were slightly swollen, still a little watery.


    Everyone had different expressions, something must have happened between the Taizi and Qin Yan when they were in the carriage just now.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Shen Changshan glanced at the Taizi unhappily.


    Shen Changshan turned to Shen Shiyan and said: ¡°Shiyan, you bring people back to the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion first, Fang Su should still be waiting for news.¡±


    Then he turned to Qin Yan again: ¡°I don¡¯t know who the killers were today. Shen Ci and I will stay in the Princess Mansion tonight.¡±


    Shen Changshan got off his horse and saluted the Taizi: ¡°Your Highness Taizi, it¡¯s getting late, Your Highness should return home earlier.¡±


    Song Zhi¡­


    Old Man Shen, how did this seem to mean preventing the wolf cub from taking away their little lamb?


    Feng Zhan¡¯s complexion was a little dark.


    But never underestimate the shamelessness of this Highness after enlightenment.


    Feng Zhan looked at Qin Yan: ¡°I¡¯ll go back by the carriage, and the carriage will be returned on another day.¡±


    Shen Changshan¡­


    Shen Ci¡­


    Song Zhi¡­


    It was only a few steps away from the entrance of the Taizi Mansion, did he need to borrow a carriage?


    Song Zhi immediately understood that only if he borrowed something, he could return it. His Highness¡¯s enlightenment was really good at flirting.


    Qin Yan was speechless at Feng Zhan¡¯s words: ¡°Your Highness, please help yourself.¡±


    The Taizi got into the carriage, and the group left.


    Shen Ci¡¯s face was ugly, and the Taizi and Yanyan were too outrageous.


    Shen Changshan glanced at Qin Yan helplessly, but he still didn¡¯t speak.


    Forget it, how could young people control themselves?


    ¡ª¡ª


    After returning to the mansion, Qin Yan first went to the medicinal bath pool prepared by Ji Nanfeng.


    In the Warm Pavilion, curls of wormwood incense wafted from the incense burner in one corner. Qin Yan slowly took off her clothes and stepped into the pool.


    The water in the pool was dense with mist, Qin Yan closed her eyes slightly, and leaned her back against the wall of the pool, relaxing the tension of the whole day.


    The water temperature of today¡¯s medicated bath was higher than usual. Qin Yan¡¯s fair skin quickly turned bright red, and the pores around her body stretch out exhaustion and fatigue. The pool water penetrated the bone marrow through the skin and dispelled the cold air brought back in the western suburb pool today.


    The water in the pool was flowing gently, and Qin Yan¡¯s mind flashed all kinds of scenes from the hunting grounds in the western suburbs today.


    Half an hour later, Qin Yan let out a sigh of satisfaction, got up, and stepped out of the hot pool.


    Qin Yan asked Shen Ying who was outside the room: ¡°How is Jiang Mu?¡±


    ¡°Master Jiang has woken up, he said he wants to see Master.¡± Shen Ying replied.


    Qin Yan originally planned to rest, but since today¡¯s matter has not straightened out, everyone couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully.


    Qin Yan spoke wearily.


    ¡°Invite Grandpa Duke and Young Master to the study.¡±


    ¡°Let Mister Ji bring Jiang Mu over.¡±


    Qin Yan stroked the left shoulder bitten by Feng Zhan and added another sentence.


    ¡°Please trouble Mister Ji to bring the medicine for removing scars.¡±


    ¡°Is Master injured?¡± Shen Ying asked worriedly.


    ¡°Small things.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s tone was a little helpless.


    She was very satisfied with Feng Zhan in every aspect, apart from his status as the Taizi, and he was a qualified partner.

 CH 43.1

    Chapter 43          Insomnia (1/2)


    In the study room of Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.


    Duke of Zhenguo sat at the main seat, and Qin Yan and Shen Ci sat on both sides.


    Jiang Mu, who didn¡¯t look too well, stood beside Ji Nanfeng.


    Qin Yan glanced at Jiang Mu indifferently, and said to Ji Nanfeng: ¡°Mister Ji, tell us about our losses today.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng replied: ¡°Out of all the secret guards of the mansion, seven died, eleven were seriously injured, and twenty-two has minor injuries.¡±


    Qin Yan looked at Jiang Mu, who was a little ashamed, and said with a cold tone, ¡°Jiang Mu, among the secret guards who were killed and injured today, some brothers have accompanied you in fighting, and some brothers have protected you secretly that you may not even remember their names.¡±


    ¡°But it happened to them because of you.¡±


    ¡°What do you have to say?¡±


    Mister Ji has already told Jiang Mu that today he disappeared into the forest and the secret guards were ambushed. Afterward, Qin Yan entered the forest and was attacked before returning to the mansion.


    Jiang Mu looked ashamed, took a deep breath, and said in a muffled voice: ¡°When I was in the mansion a few days ago, a passing young manservant dressed as a handyman slipped me a note when I passed by the front courtyard.¡±


    ¡°The note was written in Xirong language, saying that on the fourth day of the whistle deer of the Autumn Ceremony, the monarch of Xirong invited me to meet alone in the paddock forest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my enemy, and I hate him. Even if it¡¯s a trap, I will definitely go there.¡±


    ¡°When I entered the forest in the morning, there was a heavy fog. Not long after I went in, I saw a person wearing a Xirong costume and I followed quickly. Later, I met more than a dozen killers who set up an ambush and knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I was already found by the secret guards.¡±


    After Jiang Mu finished speaking, he lowered his head and dared not look at Qin Yan.


    The other party obviously took advantage of his desire for revenge and used him as bait. But he was also blinded by hatred and didn¡¯t discuss it with Qin Yan in advance and make sufficient preparations, which caused Qin Yan to be in danger.


    Perhaps, when encountering matters related to his own deep hatred, he would not let others intervene, let alone Qin Yan.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a trap, you still want to go?¡± Qin Yan said with a chuckle.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not a trap for you, it¡¯s for me.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Jiang Mu was dumbfounded.


    Ji Nanfeng told what he found out one by one: ¡°When Young Master Jiang woke up, I had already asked about Young Master Jiang¡¯s situation.¡±


    ¡°The only stranger who has appeared in the mansion in the past few days is the nephew of the Old Wang who delivered the food. He said that Old Wang is sick, and he will deliver the food.¡±


    ¡°But he shouldn¡¯t be walking around the front courtyard.¡±


    ¡°I sent secret guards to find them both, and they both died at home.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone in the study looked a little grave.


    This was killing people to silence them.


    Qin Yan said to the Duke of Zhenguo who was sitting at the main seat: ¡°There is more than one group of killers in the forest this time, with slightly different outfits and different weapons.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t the same person hired different killers, then there was more than one person behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°But no matter what, at least one of them is targeting me.¡±


    ¡°With such a large number of sacrificial men in the imperial paddock, the other party is so arrogant, and their power should not be underestimated.¡±


    ¡°I guessed Imperial Concubine Shu at first, but there are not many people who can know the identity of Jiang Mu from Xirong. Imperial Concubine Shu may not have this capacity.¡±


    ¡°There may be someone else, someone else in the center of power.¡±


    Shen Changshan¡¯s voice was like a loud bell, but he still has the temper of a soldier when he spoke: ¡°Strengthen the guard in the mansion, different situations call for different action. Over the years, we have encountered more dangerous and difficult situations, so there is nothing to be afraid of. If the enemy invades, we will kill one when one comes, and we will do sacrificial to the swords when a group comes.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Taizi Mansion.


    Song Zhi reported the news from the palace to the Taizi: ¡°His Majesty ordered a thorough investigation into the case of the paddock assassin throughout the night, and those who were invited by the Northern Yamen Imperial Army to interrogate included all the people who participated in the autumn hunting.¡±


    ¡°According to the attendants who survived that day and followed His Majesty into the forest to whistle deer, they encountered several groups of killers that day. But some killers seemed to turn a blind eye to them, and only some of them attacked them.¡±


    ¡°The Northern Yamen Imperial Army¡¯s conclusion is that there is more than one group of killers today. There may be more than one person behind the scenes.¡±


    Feng Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly, and lightly tapped the table with his fingers.


    After entering the forest today, several groups of killers chased after him.


    When Feng Zhan met Qin Yan, he also happened to meet Qin Yan who had just finished killing a group of sacrificial men who besieged her.


    Then, there must be killers whose target was Qin Yan.


    There must also be killers whose target was himself.


    And those who could go beyond the defensive line of the imperial paddock and arranged so many assassins¡­


    Maybe they were all related to the imperial family.


    Interesting.


    ¡°Your Highness, do you want Tang Wan to enter the capital to treat the poison of the arrow wound?¡± Song Zhi was a little worried about Taizi¡¯s injury.


    ¡°No need.¡± Feng Zhan rejected it without the slightest hesitation.


    Today he learned that Qin Yan was familiar with Medicine King Valley, and she might also have Medicine King Valley¡¯s subordinates under her.


    It seemed that he had to trouble Princess of Zhaoren to deal with his arrow wound¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Shou¡¯an Palace of the inner court in the imperial city.


    ¡°Empress Dowager, I slipped.¡± Xia Ying, the chief eunuch of Shou¡¯an Palace, knelt on the ground and said in a small voice.


    Empress Dowager Xiao sat upright on a large carved sandalwood chair padded with embroidered cushions, looked down at Xia Ying who was kneeling on the ground, with a string of Canaanite wooden bracelets coiled in one hand and did not speak.


    The hall was still and silent.


    After a while, Empress Dowager Xiao sighed softly and said: ¡°Get up.¡±


    Xia Ying got up, bowed, and walked to Empress Dowager Xiao¡¯s side, hesitant to speak.


    ¡°Just ask if you have any questions. You have to clearly understand what I think so that you can serve me better.¡± Empress Dowager Xiao spoke slowly.


    Xia Ying bent her waist, looked down at the ground, and expressed his doubts: ¡°After Empress Dowager drugged the horses from the Mulan Horse Farm that day and found that Princess of Zhaoren was very resourceful and intelligent, Empress Dowager said that Princess Zhaoren was most like the Empress Dowager when you were young, why so?¡±


    ¡°Why do I still send killers to kill her?¡± Empress Dowager Xiao suddenly said.


    Empress Dowager Xiao glanced sideways at Xia Ying, then turned her gaze back to the front.


    In the hall, on the wall directly in front of the big chair where Empress Dowager Xiao sat, there was a portrait of the former emperor sitting on the throne.


    ¡°There is no need for another me to appear in this palace.¡±

 CH 43.2

    Chapter 43          Insomnia (2/2)


    Tonight, His Majesty ordered a thorough investigation into the case of the assassin in the paddock in the western suburbs throughout the night, and all those involved in the hunt, including Second Prince Feng Xian, were invited by the Northern Yamen Imperial Army for questioning.


    After Second Prince Feng Xian returned to the palace, he went straight to Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s Chengqian Palace.


    In the main hall of Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s bedroom, Imperial Concubine Shu dismissed the palace maids, and only the mother and child sitting in the hall.


    Imperial Concubine Shu¡¯s posture was relaxed, but Feng Xian¡¯s face was tense.


    Seeing that his imperial mother was only drinking tea leisurely, Feng Xian couldn¡¯t hold his anger any longer: ¡°Imperial Mother, Qin Yan was attacked in the paddock today. Was it done by you?¡±


    ¡°Imperial Mother¡­¡± Feng Xian¡¯s words were interrupted by Imperial Concubine Shu.


    Imperial Concubine Shu put down her teacup, looked at her son, and spoke slowly: ¡°What achievements have you made in fighting with Taizi in the imperial court these years?¡±


    ¡°You are still just a prince who has not built his own palace. In His Majesty¡¯s eyes, you are treated the same as Third Prince Feng Yi who is traveling outside the palace.¡±


    ¡°Feng Zhan has been conferred as the Taizi since he was born, but you and Feng Yi have not been awarded the title for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Our Majesty is biased.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Qin Yan is so lucky, so are the Taizi and the Emperor.¡±


    After Imperial Concubine Shu finished speaking, she sighed, picked up her teacup, and drank tea again.


    ¡­..


    Feng Xian was dumbfounded.


    It was fine if his imperial mother targeted Qin Yan and Taizi, but she also targeted his imperial father¡­


    People say that the heart of a woman was the most poisonous, and he didn¡¯t wish his imperial mother, who looked dignified and virtuous, to be so cruel.


    Even Feng Xian himself didn¡¯t think about killing the monarch.


    Imperial Concubine Shu looked at her son and sighed again.


    ¡°In the past, I just watched you fight with the Taizi, and didn¡¯t intervene.¡±


    ¡°Now, I also understand that only power can make me do what I want happily.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s birthday will be celebrated at the Longevity Festival in a few days. Imperial Concubine Jing¡¯s son, who has declared his love for scenery, will probably return to the palace too.¡±


    ¡°If you want to compete for the throne, you can¡¯t only have the Taizi in your eyes.¡±


    Feng Xian was overjoyed, with his imperial mother as a helper, he had one more chance of winning than before.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Jieyueshan room in the Wanning Temple of the northern suburbs of the capital.


    Two men in plain robes with wide sleeves sat cross-legged across a chessboard on the bamboo mat on the couch by the window.


    The room was quiet, only the sound of the wind and the sound of the chess piece could be heard.


    A young male voice said: ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Imperial Uncle also sent a killer today?¡±


    ¡°If I had known the Imperial Uncle¡¯s plan in advance, it would be better for us to join hands in today¡¯s action than for everyone to come back empty-handed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit skeptical about the sincerity of Imperial Uncle¡¯s cooperation.¡±


    The person who hadn¡¯t spoken all this time held a black piece between his fingers, put it down, and collected another piece.


    Then he shifted his gaze to Feng Yi, the third prince who was opposite him.


    ¡°You want to seize the throne, and I want to kill the monarch. There is no conflict between you and my purpose.¡±


    This person¡¯s voice was gentle, but his words were cold and heartless.


    Feng Yi said again: ¡°Will Imperial Uncle return to the palace for my imperial father¡¯s birthday?¡±


    The man opposite laughed when he heard this.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid that one from Shou¡¯an Palace won¡¯t allow me to appear in front of her.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Taizi¡¯s bedroom at the Taizi Mansion in Xishan at night.


    Feng Zhan lay flat on the bed and suddenly opened his eyes from his dream. His forehead was covered with fine sweat.


    Feng Zhan felt the cold wetness between his legs. He frowned, quickly lifted off the thin quilt on his body, and got down on the bed.


    ¡°Someone, prepare for a bath.¡± Feng Zhan said in a deep voice.


    The Taizi Mansion was under martial law tonight, and Song Zhi was on duty outside the Taizi¡¯s bedroom.


    Song Zhi heard what he said and immediately ordered his attendants to arrange for His Highness to take a bath.


    But Song Zhi had some suspicions in his heart, why did His Highness suddenly want to take a bath in the middle of the night?


    After about a stick of incense, Feng Zhan stepped out of the bathtub, put on his thin clothes, and strode out of the bedroom.


    ¡°Have someone go in and clean up.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    ¡°Your Highness, are you going to the side hall?¡±


    Feng Zhan looked south without saying a word.


    The attendant cleaned up the bedding on the bed, his face a little embarrassed.


    Song Zhi understood immediately, His Highness, this was¡­


    Feng Zhan went straight to the south towards Mossy Waterside Pavilion.


    Song Zhi muttered in his heart that it was not appropriate for His Highness to live in the waterside pavilion tonight in the cold autumn.


    However, it was no wonder as it was the closest to the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Mossy Waterside Pavilion, Feng Zhan lay on the soft bed with his clothes on, unable to fall asleep for a long time.


    What lingered in his mind was Qin Yan¡¯s soft red lips, graceful figure, and the itching of her fingertips touching his back¡­


    That seductress not only wanted to stir up his fire during the day.


    Even at night, she would enter his dream to torture him.


    The beautiful woman in his dream just now had charming eyes, only a light veil covering her body, riding on his waist¡­


    It was hard for him to sleep tonight.

 CH 44.1

    Chapter 44          Withhold (1/2)


    The Ningshou Palace in the northeast corner of the imperial palace of the Imperial City used to be a palace for the Empress Dowager and the highest imperial concubines to retire. There were originally only a few dilapidated halls in the palace.


    Since the Taizi returned to the capital to supervise the country, the Emperor had no intention of governing the country and ordered the Ministry of Works to spend three years rebuilding the Ningshou Palace into a residence for the emperor to spend his old age after he abdicated in the future.


    In the imperial study at the north end of the garden of the Ningshou Palace.


    There were only three men in the hall, and ambergris was burning in the beast incense burner in the corner. The room was quiet, and the atmosphere was somewhat depressing.


    Emperor Hui was sipping tea behind the imperial table, Taizi Feng Zhan sat on the big chair in front of the imperial table, and Xie Changyuan, the Commander of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army, stood in the hall.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Changyuan, how¡¯s the trial going for the assassination case of autumn hunting?¡± Emperor Hui put down the teacup in his hand and looked at Xie Changyuan.


    Xie Changyuan held his fists in both hands, knelt on one knee, lowered his eyes slightly, and said: ¡°Judging from the clothes, weapons, and behavior of the killer in the forest yesterday, there should be four groups of killers. However, it¡¯s not confirmed whether they come from different behind-the-scenes masterminds.¡±


    ¡°There were no survivors, and those who were captured killed themselves on the spot by crushing the poison pills that have already been held in their mouths.¡±


    ¡°There were no marks on the bodies of all the killers, and the weapons were also ordinary weapons without special marks.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, no useful information was obtained from the killers.¡±


    ¡°Everyone who participated in the autumn hunt has been questioned and found nothing abnormal.¡±


    ¡°However, only seventeen soldiers of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army who participated in the paddock defense died suddenly in the camp last night before being interrogated.¡±


    ¡°I suspect that these seventeen people were bribed by the assassins and were silenced last night.¡±


    Xie Changyuan bowed to the ground, kowtowed, and said: ¡°As the Commander of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army and also the Commander-In-Chief of the Autumn Hunting, I have gravely neglected my duties. I ask Your Majesty to punish me.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Emperor Hui picked up the delicate yellow-dark dragon teacup on the imperial table again and drank it slowly.


    Taizi Feng Zhan remained calm, only resting his well-defined hands on the big chair, knocking on the armrest again and again.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The three people in the hall all knew very well that the masterminds behind the assassination in the paddock might have ties to the imperial family.


    The paddock in the western suburbs was so large that it was difficult to defend it, but ordinary people won¡¯t have the courage to break into the paddock without authorization.


    The power of the people behind the scene could infiltrate the Northern Yamen Imperial Army defending the inner court, bypass the defense line of the paddock, and dispatch several waves of killers. Their power couldn¡¯t be underestimated with such a large number of assassins in the imperial paddock.


    The targets of this assassination were His Majesty, Taizi, and Qin Yan.


    The purpose of assassinating His Majesty and Taizi must be related to the throne.


    As for the killer targeting Qin Yan, it was not known whether it was related to His Majesty¡¯s matchmaking of Qin Yan and the Taizi in recent days.


    If the assassination was successful, there were only a few behind-the-scene people who would benefit from it.


    But if it was those few people, how could the limited forces of Xie Changyuan, a commander of the imperial army, really be able to guard against them?


    And at the moment he needed people, Emperor Hui didn¡¯t have many people he could trust, thus he couldn¡¯t punish Xie Changyuan severely.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Emperor Hui looked at Taizi Feng Zhan and said: ¡°Changyuan fail to prevent it this time, but he had done a good job of saving me. His merits and demerits will be offset. He¡¯ll be fine one year of salary, a small punishment so that he¡¯ll not make a big mistake later. What does Taizi think?¡±


    Xie Changyuan was originally on Emperor Hui¡¯s side, so how to punish him was a matter for Emperor Hui, and it was not easy for Taizi to interfere.


    However, Feng Zhan always managed his own army with strict discipline, and clear rewards and punishments.


    How could such a big mistake be overlooked so easily?


    Feng Zhan looked at Xie Changyuan who was still kneeling on the ground and said in a cold tone: ¡°Commander Xie, you should good memory. Go back to the Northern Yamen Camp and receive twenty army sticks.¡±


    Now that Taizi was in charge of the country, Taizi also had the authority to deal with the dereliction of duty of Xie Changyuan. Although Emperor Hui intended to side with his nephew whom he valued, it was not easy to refute Taizi¡¯s decision and he let it be.


    ¡°I accept the punishment. Thank you, Your Majesty, and Your Highness Taizi.¡± Xie Changyuan knelt down.


    Xie Changyuan, who kowtowed on the ground, thought to himself, Taizi probably doing this to avenge his personal revenge for stopping Qin Yan in the paddock in the western suburbs yesterday. Ah, but Taizi was so powerful, and he could only bear it. After all, he did make a mistake this time.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Taizi Feng Zhan continued: ¡°The whole city is under martial law. A curfew will be implemented from now on and foreigners who enter the capital within six months will be strictly checked. New and old staff in the palace will be re-screened. If there are any doubts, they will be thoroughly investigated.¡±


    But it was extremely difficult to actually put it into operation, and the time required would not be short.


    How could the infiltration of personnel be detected so easily? Otherwise, there would not be so many controversies and unjust cases in the world.


    Xie Changyuan straightened up, cupped his fists, and said: ¡°There will be many people on Your Majesty¡¯s birthday, the Longevity Festival, and it is difficult to guard against it. I am worried that some people will look for opportunities to make trouble. I think it is better to simplify the Longevity Festival or cancel it?¡±


    Emperor Hui suddenly laughed out loud: ¡°Whoever wants my life, must have the ability to take it.¡±


    ¡°Not only will my Longevity Festival not be canceled, but I will also have a big banquet for guests. It just so happens that the celebration banquet for hunting in the western suburbs has also been put on hold due to the assassination, so let¡¯s reward the meritorious officials together on the Longevity Festival and reward them for their meritorious deeds.¡±


    ¡°What does Taizi think?¡± Emperor Hui asked Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Both Feng Zhan and Emperor Hui had a list of suspects in their minds. Feng Zhan understood that what Emperor Hui meant was to let the people on the list hide and make movements in secret, instead of pulling them all out for a clear look.


    At this point, Feng Zhan also had the same idea.


    Feng Zhan said in a deep voice: ¡°In the name of the Taizi Mansion, invite Youzhou Wang, Yizhou Wang, Marquis of Guannei, Count of Pingnan, and their families to the capital to celebrate His Majesty¡¯s longevity.¡±


    ¡°Is Taizi missing one more person, Ning Wang of Wangning Temple?¡± Emperor Hui added.


    Hearing this, Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and he didn¡¯t say a word.


    Xie Changyuan was shocked.


    Ning Wang had been imprisoned in Wanning Temple since the late emperor¡¯s funeral, and it had been more than twenty years now.


    He was only allowed to go out of the temple only once a year to pay homage to the late emperor and Ning Wang¡¯s Imperial Mother, Imperial Concubine Li.


    Did His Majesty want to let Ning Wang out at this critical time?


    ¡°Is Taizi worried about the Empress Dowager?¡± Emperor Hui asked again when he saw the Taizi¡¯s brows were slightly furrowed without saying a word.


    ¡°Just say it¡¯s what I wanted.¡±


    ¡°Then arrange for the princes and princesses, together with the ministers of Minister of Rites, to go to Dajue Temple to invite the Empress back to the palace.


    ¡°Without the Empress to oversee the harem, even if Imperial Concubine Xian receives the families of princes, it will be unseemly.¡±


    Feng Zhan thought to himself, the reason why his imperial mother left the palace was for the sake of purity.


    Moreover, there was no conclusion about that matter back then, and there would be more disputes when his imperial mother returned to the palace at this time.


    In order to lure the snake out of the hole, Emperor Hui wouldn¡¯t take into account his imperial mother¡¯s position.


    ¡°It still depends on what Imperial Mother wants.¡± Feng Zhan said.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After leaving the imperial study, Feng Zhan got into the carriage and went to the south study to discuss politics with the Hanlin scholars as planned.


    When Xie Changyuan came out later, he saw the Taizi getting on the carriage in front of him.


    But this carriage¡­


    Xie Changyuan recognized the carriage, which was all black and without any emblem on the carriage, and it used four similar-looking Dawan horses to pull the carriage.


    After Qin Yan was appointed the title princess, the number of horses in the carriage increased from two to four, while the carriage of Taizi Feng Zhan had six horses. The carriage used by the Taizi didn¡¯t comply with the regulations at all.


    Needless to say, this carriage came from the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion, and it was the carriage that Qin Yan used to travel.


    Xie Changyuan watched Taizi¡¯s carriage leave and stood there for a long time.


    Taizi and Qin Yan¡­

 CH 44.2

    Chapter 44          Withhold (2/2)


    An Yanxi was walking on the familiar palace road, with some unconcealable sadness in her brows.


    Because of the last Double Seven Festival at the Qianshui Lake, she had offended His Highness Taizi. Since hunting was not An Yanxi¡¯s strong point, An Yanxi didn¡¯t go hunting in the western suburbs.


    Yesterday, His Highness Taizi was assassinated in the paddock. She also heard that His Majesty and Qin Yan were also assassinated at the same time.


    However, His Highness Taizi and Qin Yan went missing in the forest at the same time. The news from this morning was that His Highness Taizi and Qin Yan were found at the same time last evening.


    An Yanxi felt very restless when she got this news.


    Today, she went to the palace to visit Princess of Changle Feng Yunchao who was frightened in the paddock. She wanted to find out from Feng Yunchao whether anything happened between the Taizi and Qin Yan during hunting in the western suburbs.


    ¡ª¡ª


    An Yanxi was overjoyed when a carriage approached from far ahead.


    There were not many people who were permitted to ride carriages in the palace, only His Majesty and the Taizi could ride a carriage in the palace.


    Around the carriage were the guards of the Taizi Mansion. Was this His Highness Taizi?


    An Yanxi moved to the side, straighten out her attire slightly, and waited for the carriage to pass by to greet His Highness Taizi.


    When the carriage came close, An Yanxi frowned suspiciously.


    This was not His Highness Taizi¡¯s carriage.


    She remembered very well that this was the carriage of the Princess of Zhaoren, Qin Yan.


    And there was no Song Zhi beside the carriage who was always by His Highness Taizi¡¯s side on weekdays.


    Then, it must be Qin Yan in the carriage.


    Was this the authority given to Qin Yan by His Highness Taizi? Was Qin Yan also permitted to ride a carriage in and out of the palace gate in violation of regulations?


    Qin Yan was too arrogant.


    This was too inappropriate.


    ¡ª¡ª


    An Yanxi looked unhappy, she took two steps forward and stood in front of the carriage.


    The carriage stopped.


    Today, Song Zhi went out to do errands and didn¡¯t follow His Highness Taizi.


    The guards of the Taizi Mansion recognized that the lady who stopped in front of the carriage was the eldest lady of the Grand Scholar Mansion and the younger sister of Lord An. She often went in and out of the Taizi Mansion, so they didn¡¯t stop her.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, with your identity, riding a carriage in the palace violates the regulations. You are so ignorant, have you considered that you will bring unnecessary trouble to His Highness Taizi?¡±


    An Yanxi stood in front of the carriage and spoke out some dignified and appropriate words.


    Seeing that there was no sound in the carriage, An Yanxi took another step closer.


    But she was stopped by the guards of the Taizi Mansion.


    ¡°Princess¡­¡± An Yanxi¡¯s words were interrupted by the guards in front of her who stopped her.


    ¡°His Highness has official business. Miss An, please step aside.¡±


    An Yanxi was shocked.


    His Highness?


    Was His Highness Taizi in the carriage?


    But this was obviously Qin Yan¡¯s carriage, how could it be¡­


    Just as the carriage was about to move on, An Yanxi took two quick steps forward and reached out to hold the shaft of the carriage.


    ¡°Your Highness Taizi¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± It was Taizi Feng Zhan¡¯s voice.


    An Yanxi¡­


    Inside the carriage was really His Highness.


    The carriage stopped, but the curtain wasn¡¯t lifted.


    Feng Zhan spoke with a cold tone.


    ¡°Have I not warned you before, it¡¯s best not to misbehave. If you can¡¯t remember, I will remind your father and brother to help you remember.¡±


    The carriage left.


    An Yanxi was embarrassed and anxious, His Highness and Qin Yan¡­


    This was no good, she had to do something¡­


    Empress, yes, Empress¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the evening, Xie Changyuan came out of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army Camp. When he got on his horse and was about to return home, he met He Xiao who was waiting there.


    When He Xiao met Shizi Xie in front of him who looked a little sad, he stopped joking.


    ¡°How about a few drinks? Just a few, it won¡¯t delay your business.¡±


    Xie Changyuan and He Xiao found a restaurant casually and went upstairs to the elegant room facing the window.


    The wine this time was also in season, and the osmanthus wine was not too strong.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the Ministry of War.¡± He Xiao said after drinking a mouthful of the warm wine.


    Xie Changyuan raised his eyebrows and looked at He Xiao in front of him, who was in good spirits. This buddy of his didn¡¯t have the same depression as he had a few days ago, and now he seemed to have a little more fighting spirit.


    ¡°During the autumn hunting at the paddock, I guessed that you must have figured it out after seeing you show off your skills.¡± Xie Changyuan picked up the wine jug and took a mouthful.


    He Xiao also lifted the wine jug in front of him, bumped into the one in Xie Changyuan¡¯s hand, took a sip, and sighed: ¡°My old man has recently started to plan for my marriage. Oh, if I don¡¯t fight, it will be like this for the rest of my life, but I don¡¯t accept my fate.¡±


    ¡°I planned to take the top prize on the day of the Autumn Hunting Ceremony and ask His Majesty for a reward. Unexpectedly, the assassin happened, and the celebration dinner was canceled.¡±


    He Xiao took another deep breath.


    Seeing that his buddy in front of him was able to regain his strength, Xie Changyuan was happy for him. He smiled and said: ¡°I have news for you, His Majesty is planning to hold a grand Longevity Festival. At that time, he will make up for the rewards for the Autumn Hunting¡¯s meritorious officials.¡±


    When He Xiao heard the words, he was mixed with joy and worry.


    ¡°His Majesty was assassinated just now. After such a big event, he still wants to hold a big banquet?¡±


    Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t answer, His Majesty and the Taizi wanted to lure the snake out of the hole, and even if he was a good buddy, he couldn¡¯t speak mindlessly.


    ¡°I heard that after the Taizi and Princess of Zhaoren were assassinated in the forest, they went missing all afternoon and then reappeared at the same time. A lonely man and woman in the deep mountains and forests¡­¡±


    He Xiao smirked.


    Xie Changyuan took a big gulp of wine and didn¡¯t answer.


    Yes, judging by Taizi¡¯s expression, something must have happened to those two yesterday¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Taizi¡¯s carriage arrived at the gate of the Taizi Mansion in Xishan at xushi*, Song Zhi, who had finished his work, was waiting there.


    (xushi* - ¨C 7 pm ¨C 9 pm)


    Song Zhi saw that His Highness was riding in the same carriage as Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s yesterday, and was a little puzzled. Didn¡¯t His Highness enter the palace today? Did he just use this carriage?


    Song Zhi followed His Highness Taizi into the study.


    After Feng Zhan sat down at the desk, he took the teacup handed over by Song Zhi and took a sip.


    ¡°Have you met the person?¡± Feng Zhan asked, picked up the memorial and information on the desk with his hand, and began to read quickly.


    Song Zhi said: ¡°I¡¯ve met Master Yishan outside the city, and Master handed over a dwarf maple tree to me, saying that it was a gift for His Highness.¡±


    ¡°But Master said that he still has important things to do, and he will not enter the capital today, but Master said that he will definitely come back before His Majesty¡¯s Longevity Festival.¡±


    ¡°In the passing, I simply asked Master if he has a disciple named Ah Yan.¡±


    ¡°Master just frowned when he heard the words. He didn¡¯t admit it or deny it. He left a sentence saying that he has something to do, and he will talk about it when he comes back, and then left.¡±


    Feng Zhan received a letter from Master Yishan a few days ago, asking Feng Zhan to send someone to meet him outside the East City today.


    However, Yishan¡¯s whereabouts had always been uncertain, and Song Zhi only received one tree, which was also like the old man¡¯s usual style.


    Feng Zhan wasn¡¯t interested in Ah Yan¡¯s affairs. At this moment, he was thinking about the upcoming Longevity Festival. People from all walks of life would gather in the capital. This was to lure snakes out of their holes, but the ensuing security pressure was also very great.


    Feng Zhan thought for a moment and said to Song Zhi: ¡°Notify Lu Chen that all the soldiers who have passed the test during hunting in autumn hunting will be transferred to the Longwu Army.¡±


    ¡°Tell him that there is no need to worry about Xie Zhao¡¯s identity. If there is no problem with Xie Zhao¡¯s character, he can arrange him as he pleases and strictly official business as usual.¡±


    Song Zhi took the order.


    Before leaving, Song Zhi asked the Taizi hesitantly.


    ¡°Your Highness, do you need me to return Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s carriage?¡±


    Feng Zhan, who originally glanced down at the memorial in his hand, looked up upon hearing this. He raised his head to look at Song Zhi who had specially come back to raise this matter.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold: ¡°You have nothing to do?¡±


    Song Zhi!!!


    It seemed that he was meddlesome, and there seemed to be a knife in His Highness¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I made a slip of the tongue! I¡®ll withdraw!¡±


    Song Zhi quickly exited the study.


    Was Your Highness going to withhold Princess of Zhaoren¡¯s carriage?


    How shameless!

 CH 45.1

    Chapter 45          Can¡¯t Do (1/2)


    The uncle of the Qin family, Fourth Master Qin, had suffered unspeakable misery for the past few months.


    He had managed Prime Minister Qin¡¯s properties for many years, and because of Prime Minister Qin¡¯s influence, he managed the business in the Capital City smoothly and continued to expand.


    Since Wen Trading Establishment entered the capital, they had made it clear that they would use any means to fight against them.


    Fourth Master Qin was not an expert in business, but he couldn¡¯t just watch the shops surrounded and going out of business by his opponents.


    After discussing with Prime Minister Qin¡¯s wife, Song Mei, Song Mei took out the jewelry, calligraphy, and paintings in the warehouse, either sold them off or pawned them off to raise another sum of money and handed it over to Fourth Master Qin to turn around the business.


    Fourth Master Qin bought goods at a high price or offered benefits to attract customers, but with little success.


    Seeing that the business of Wen Trading Establishment on the opposite side was booming and full of customers, while the shops on his side were deserted and the business was bleak, Fourth Master Qin was very anxious and didn¡¯t know how to explain to Prime Minister Qin.


    ¡ª¡ª


    These days, Fourth Master Qin went to the shops every morning and when he saw that it was still the same, so he simply went to a gambling house in the West Market to play a few rounds.


    Fourth Master Qin was not fond of gambling in the past, but he never thought that under disappointment, the excitement of gambling would allow him to temporarily forget the troubles in the business field.


    Fourth Master Qin gambled more and more. Even if he lost everything in the casino every day, he would bring the money to the casino the next day.


    Until one day, Fourth Master Qin¡¯s residence no longer had spare money to gamble, and even the store had no liquid funds for him to embezzle.


    However, Fourth Master Qin was already addicted to the pleasure of gambling. Even if he lost at the end of every day, as long as he won a game or two, he could get short-term excitement and forget his disappointment in the business field.


    The owner of the gambling shop recommended the pawnshop of Yu Qingfeng Bank to Fourth Master Qin.


    It was said that as long as one pawned a valuable item to Yu Qingfeng, one could borrow money from Yu Qingfeng with extremely low interest. As long as the principal and interest were repaid on time, Yu Qingfeng would never break his promise and would immediately return the pawned item.


    Everyone in the business world knew Yu Qingfeng, but Fourth Master Qin had never been short of money in business before, so he had never dealt with Yu Qingfeng before.


    Unexpectedly, he looked for Yu Qingfeng because of gambling.


    Fourth Master Qin pawned a jade pendant to Yu Qingfeng. After borrowing the money, he went back to the casino and gambled a few times.


    Fourth Master Qin didn¡¯t know if using the borrowed money to gamble made him more daring. He began to change his luck and started to win money from the gambling house every day.


    Because Fourth Master Qin attributed this luck to Yu Qingfeng, he still mortgaged something every day, borrowed money, and then went to the gambling house.


    This allowed Fourth Master Qin to win for a long time. Although it was only a small amount of money, Fourth Master Qin finally gained a sense of accomplishment at the gambling table.


    Fourth Master Qin became a frequent visitor of Yu Qingfeng and the gambling house, and gradually forgot the difficulty of running the shops.


    However, the business of the shops was getting worse and worse, and the shop assistants couldn¡¯t find Fourth Master Qin who was in charge every day. Finally, one day, these assistants went to Prime Minister Qin Mansion to find the madam of the Prime Minister Mansion, Song Mei.


    ¡ª¡ª


    On this day, Fourth Master Qin was beaming with smiles again from the gambling house, went to Yu Qingfeng Bank to pay back the money, took back the pawned jade pendant, and returned to his Qin Mansion in the West City.


    But he met Song Mei, Madam Qin who hardly ever came here.


    A few years ago, Fourth Master Qin went to the Prime Minister Mansion to discuss business matters with Song Mei. So, how could Song Mei come to his residence?


    Fourth Master Qin did not have a family, and there was no mistress in the mansion, only a few concubines and servants, which consist of old maids, and handymen.


    In the main hall of the main room, only Fourth Master Qin and Song Mei sat opposite each other in the hall.


    After serving the tea, the servant withdrew and closed the door.


    The atmosphere was heavy for a moment, and Song Mei said: ¡°Business is already like this, why didn¡¯t Fourth Uncle come to the Prime Minister Mansion to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I give Fourth Uncle so much jewelry, calligraphy, and paintings from the warehouse last time? Didn¡¯t Fourth Uncle say that if the other party spends money, we should spend money too and it will definitely work?¡±


    ¡°Fourth Uncle doesn¡¯t care about the shop these days, where did you go? Is this to break the jar that is already broken*?¡±


    (break the jar that is already broken* ¨C a metaphor that after having shortcomings, let it go without correction or intentionally develops in a worse direction.)


    Song Mei looked at Fourth Master Qin who was just sipping tea and didn¡¯t speak and got angry in her heart. She suddenly stood up and said angrily to Fourth Master Qin: ¡°These shops will be owned by Ming¡¯er from now on. Don¡¯t forget that you have a son¡­¡±


    Fourth Master Qin got up immediately, strode over and covered Song Mei¡¯s chattering mouth with his hand, and turned his head to look around vigilantly.


    There were only the two of them in the hall, and the door was closed tightly, but they had sailed carefully for ten thousand years, and this secret should not be known to anyone.


    Fourth Master Qin lowered his head and looked at Song Mei who was in front of him with tears in her eyes. He put down his hand covering Song Mei, put her around his arms, and gently ran his right hand along Song Mei¡¯s back.


    ¡°How could I not remember my son, my Ming¡¯er?¡±


    ¡°But these words can only be known between you and me, and you must not blurt out like just now.¡±


    Song Mei seemed to have repressed for a long time and finally cried out.


    ¡°Fourth Uncle¡­¡±


    Fourth Master Qin felt a kind of taboo pleasure when he was called Fourth Uncle by Song Mei. The woman in front of him was the nominal wife of Qin Wenzheng, the Right Prime Minister of the court, and at the same time his nephew¡¯s wife of his own family. At that moment, a weeping beauty leaned weakly in his arms.


    Fourth Master Qin¡¯s eyes darkened, and he suddenly reached out his hand to raise Song Mei¡¯s head and lowered his head to kiss her.

 CH 45.2

    Chapter 45          Can¡¯t Do (2/2)


    In the main hall of the Qin Residence, the main door was closed tightly, and outside the door were Fourth Master Qin¡¯s servant and Mother Li beside Song Mei who was guarding the door.


    They seem to have heard the creaking sound of tables and chairs in the hall, but after listening carefully, they didn¡¯t seem to have heard it, maybe they heard it wrong.


    Half an hour later, Song Mei was sitting on a table in the main hall of the Qin Residence with a flushed face and disheveled clothes. In front of her stood Fourth Master Qin, whose chest was still heaving. At this time, the clouds had stopped raining*.


    (the clouds had stopped raining* ¨C means the end of sexual affairs between a man and a woman)


    Fourth Master Qin stretched out his hand to touch the loose hair on Song Mei¡¯s forehead.


    Song Mei turned her head shyly.


    ¡°Seeing you like this, why, Wenzheng still can¡¯t do it?¡± Fourth Master Qin teased as he looked at the weak woman in front of him.


    Song Mei pretended to be angry: ¡°Really Fourth Uncle, since you knew it, still want to say it. That year when he went hunting in the western suburbs with the Emperor, he fell off his horse and was trampled on his lower body by the horse. He recuperated for such a long time, and nothing could be done.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t come to look for Fourth Uncle, can you bear it?¡± Fourth Master Qin raised Song Mei¡¯s chin and leaned closer.


    Song Mei turned her face away, clenched her fist, and lightly punched Fourth Master Qin who was still pressed against her.


    ¡°What kind of person does Fourth Uncle think I am? If it weren¡¯t for Wenzheng¡¯s eagerness to have a son, and he himself¡­ how could I have made such a scheme.¡±


    Fourth Master Qin suppressed a smile: ¡°Isn¡¯t Mei¡¯er who is anxious to give birth to a son for me?¡±


    Song Mei didn¡¯t respond. It was an accident that she was pregnant with Qin Nian with Wenzheng, but unexpectedly she was born as a daughter. Song Mei knew that there was a contradiction between Wenzheng and Shen Shiying, which was Shen Shiying¡¯s first child was a daughter, and Wenzheng was anxious to carry on the family line, and he needed a son.


    Coincidentally in the year that Qin Nian was born, Wenzheng went hunting in the western suburbs with the Emperor. He got injured after falling off his horse and after that¡­


    Fourth Master Qin suddenly made a sound, interrupting Song Mei¡¯s memories.


    ¡°Mei¡¯er, listen to me. I have thought about it clearly in the past few days. If the Wen Trading Establishment is really backed by the Left Prime Minister, we have no chance of winning if we confront them head-on.¡±


    ¡°A few days ago, I overheard Wenzheng let slip a sentence that the Emperor ordered to stabilize the price of food.¡±


    ¡°With just this sentence, you should also understand what it means. This year may be a disaster year.¡±


    ¡°Now there is an opportunity for huge profits in front of us. We can go to the south of the Yangtze River to collect grain in advance, and then sell it at a high price.¡±


    Song Mei was frightened when she heard Fourth Master Qin¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy, the Emperor said to stabilize the price of food, just to prevent hoarding and profiting. If you do this¡­¡±


    Fourth Master Qin persisted in this idea, but he didn¡¯t actually know that at this moment, he was just a little ignorant because of his winnings in the gambling house these few days.


    ¡°The bold ones are supported to death, and the timid ones are starved to death*. It¡¯s hard to do business in the capital nowadays, think about our Ming¡¯er.¡±


    (The bold ones are supported to death, and the timid ones are starved to death* ¨C a proverb means that those who dare to take risks can reap benefits; those who are fearful and cautious who dare not deviate half a step often get no benefit at all.)


    Song Mei was suddenly not used to the shortage of money these days. She was used to being extravagant in the past, and generous in rewarding servants, but now she had to be careful everywhere. There was a saying that it was easy to go from being frugal to extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. The shortage of money days was really sad.


    Song Mei murmured: ¡°Yes, Niannian¡¯s dowry is also in it.¡±


    Song Mei suddenly raised her head and looked at Fourth Master Qin: ¡°But where do we get the money to collect food now?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t sell our shops and villages¡­¡±


    Fourth Master Qin comforted Song Mei¡¯s worries by interrupting her: ¡°We can pawn the shop to the bank first, and after we sell the grain and repay the money we borrowed from the bank, the shops will return back to us.¡±


    ¡°Can the bank be trusted?¡± Song Mei still hesitated.


    Fourth Master Qin seemed confident, ¡°There will be no problem. Yu Qingfeng has a very good reputation throughout Great Xia, and many officials in the capital put money in it.¡±


    Song Mei knew there was no other way now, and Prime Minister Qin Mansion¡¯s family properties were few. Niannian was discussing marriage and needed a dowry, and Ming¡¯er would also marry the main wife of a high-ranking family in the future, so the dowry should not be shabby.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    The two of them still didn¡¯t know what kind of situation they were about to face¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Second Prince Feng Xian, Princess Changle Feng Yunchao, Princess Jingyi Feng Yuyao, and Grand Scholar and the Minister of Rites, An Shifeng, went to the Dajue Temple in the west of the capital with the order of the Emperor to invite the Empress to return to the palace to preside over the affairs of the harem.


    An Yanxi, the eldest daughter of the Grand Scholar, as the companion of Princess Changle Feng Yunchao, and also a good friend, went with the imperial guards of honor to welcome the Empress.


    Because of the assassination case in the paddock the day before yesterday, there were also quite a few imperial guards accompanying them for protection.


    Dajue Temple, as an imperial temple, was located on the top of Yuquan Mountain in the west of the capital.


    The imperial guards of honor were stopped at the gate of Dajue Temple, but the Empress avoided the visitors.


    The group of people waited outside the gate of the temple. Fortunately, the autumn weather was clear and refreshing, which was suitable for climbing, and it was not too much trouble.


    After two hours of stalemate, the gate of the temple opened again, and a young monk came out.


    ¡°The Empress asks Princess Changle to enter the temple.¡±


    Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    His Majesty has issued a death order and must welcome the Empress back to the palace. As long as the Empress was not an iron plate, there was hope for her to be emotionally moved.


    The Grand Scholar, An Shifeng, bowed slightly, presented the imperial decree with both hands, and handed it to Princess Changle Feng Yunchao.


    ¡°Princess Changle, please persuade the Empress to return to the palace to preside over the affairs of the harem.¡±


    When Feng Yunchao accepted the imperial edict, she was a little wavering.


    On the one hand, she didn¡¯t want her imperial mother to return to the palace to face those dirty things, but on the other hand, she couldn¡¯t stand Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s domineering in the palace because of her imperial mother¡¯s departure all these years.


    The meaning of Brother Taizi was to let their imperial mother decide for herself.


    Then it depends on her imperial mother¡¯s own desire.


    As the companion of Feng Yunchao, An Yanxi got to enter the temple with Feng Yunchao.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The temple gate was closed after Yunchao entered the temple.


    Two more hours later, after lunch, the temple gate reopened and An Yanxi came out.


    ¡°The Empress asked Princess Changle to stay overnight in the temple to talk, and will not return to the palace today.¡±


    Second Prince Feng Xian was already tired of waiting, but since his imperial father told him that he had to do it, he still had to give the Empress enough respect.


    This Empress was putting on airs.


    The Second Prince said: ¡°Since we can¡¯t enter the temple gate, then go down the mountain and stay in the Yuquan Mountain Palace tonight. We¡¯ll go up the mountain tomorrow to meet the Empress.¡±


    The Grand Scholar, An Shifeng, agreed as they couldn¡¯t stay on like this. The night was cold in the mountains, and they couldn¡¯t wait for the Empress here overnight.


    Except for An Yanxi who returned to the temple, the rest of the people went down the mountain to the Yuquan Mountain Palace.


    But at the foot of Yuquan Mountain, Feng Yuyao¡¯s carriage did not enter the palace but continued to go north.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At the Princess od Zhaoren Mansion in Xishan, Qin Yan was discussing business matters with Ji Nanfeng in the study, and Shen Huai came in.


    ¡°Master, Princess Jingyi is here. I have invited the princess to the reception hall.¡±


    Qin Yan raised her eyes, ¡°Thanks, Uncle Huai. You go to receive her first, and I¡¯ll come later.¡±


    Uncle Huai accepted the order and withdrew.


    After explaining the matter to Ji Nanfeng, Qin Yan got up and went to the reception hall.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the reception hall on the south side of the lotus pond in the Princess od Zhaoren Mansion, there were no rare flowers, but many chrysanthemums in different stances that bloom in season.


    Feng Yuyao admired the flowers while sipping tea, and she agreed with her decision to come here, wasn¡¯t this more enjoyable than staying in the palace?


    When Qin Yan came in, she took over the tea from Shen Huai and admired the flowers in the hall together with Feng Yuyao.


    ¡°How did you remember to come over today?¡± Qin Yan asked Feng Yuyao.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of my imperial father, who suddenly said that he wants to invite the Empress of Dajue Temple back to the palace. It seems that the Empress will preside the affairs of the harem for my imperial father¡¯s Longevity Festival and have us go to Yuquan Mountain to invite the Empress.¡±


    ¡°Have you been shut down?¡± Qin Yan said after seeing Feng Yuyao was not too happy.


    ¡°I had expected it before we went there. The Empress left the palace so stubbornly back then, how could she agree to go back so easily.¡± Feng Yuyao picked a flower and sniffed it lightly on the tip of her nose.


    Feng Yuyao suddenly remembered something that was not pleasant, ¡°By the way, Imperial Concubine Xian will hold a banquet in advance in the palace before the Longevity Festival. Have you heard the news, Yanyan?¡±


    Qin Yan looked at Feng Yuyao picking a flower at a time, and her heart was aching. These flowers were the ones that Mister Ji used to make medicine, and Mister Ji would be heartbreaking when he came back. ¡°Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s invitation was delivered to the mansion this morning.¡±


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t stop Feng Yuyao, and Feng Yuyao continued to pick the flowers.


    Feng Yuyao said lazily: ¡°Imperial Concubine Xian is the last chance to grab hold of the Empress before the Empress comes back. She should enjoy the comfort of presiding over the harem.¡±


    ¡°If the Empress returns to the palace now, the structure in the palace will be broken, and there will be excitement to see again.¡±


    Qin Yan was not interested in gossip in the palace, but she did have some things she wanted to ask Feng Yuyao.


    Without waiting to speak, Shen Huai came in and said: ¡°His Highness Second Prince is here to visit.¡±


    Feng Yuyao turned her head, frowned, and muttered, ¡°This stalker.¡±

 CH 46.1

    Chapter 46          Unscrupulous Person (1/2)


    When Second Prince Feng Xian was brought into the reception hall, he immediately caught Qin Yan drinking tea leaning on the soft couch by the window.


    Facing the lotus pond in the flower hall was an open north-facing window. The half-rolled Hunan curtain above it was gently swayed by the breeze. When the wind entered the hall, the stunning beauty¡¯s hair on the soft couch was gently fluttering and such a view made Feng Xian stand in awe.


    ¡°Is Second Imperial Brother coming here at this hour to eat?¡± Feng Yuyao said teasingly.


    It was shenshi* now, and it was not close to dinner time. However, Feng Yuyao really didn¡¯t like Feng Xian¡¯s behavior of pestering Yanyan.


    (shenshi*- ¨C 3 pm ¨C 5 pm)


    Feng Yuyao decided that the Count of Pingnan Mansion was the most suitable family for Yanyan, which was second to none.


    Cousin Junyan was the only son of Uncle Count of Pingnan, and her aunt had passed away long ago. There were no uncles, brothers, and sisters-in-law in the mansion, and no mother-in-law was suppressing on top. If Yanyan married into the Gu family, probably she would have had a more comfortable life.


    And Second Imperial Brother¡­ She would not be able to pass Imperial Concubine Shu.


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t get up to salute but just ordered Shen Huai to help with seating and serving tea.


    Second Prince Feng Xian also got used to Qin Yan¡¯s casualness, took his seat by himself, and took a sip of the green glazed teacup at hand.


    ¡°Good tea, what is it?¡± Feng Xian admired without concealing his expression.


    Standing on the other side, Shen Huai said: ¡°Your Highness Second Prince, this is Junshan silver needle, which is slightly cold in nature and can relieve autumn dryness.¡±


    Since Feng Xian was at the housewarming banquet of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion last time, he knew that there were many rules for eating and drinking in this mansion.


    Qin Yan was a casual beauty, but also a delicate and exquisite beauty.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Xian looked at Qin Yan.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, are you interested in playing two rounds of horse tag today?¡±


    Feng Xian knew exactly what she liked.


    Qin Yan raised her eyes when she heard the words, with interest showing in her eyes.


    Today¡¯s official business had been discussed with Mister Ji, and this cash cow delivered to the door would not be slaughtered in vain.


    ¡°Uncle Huai, order someone to place the card table in the reception hall.¡± Qin Yan instructed Shen Huai.


    Feng Yuyao also became interested. She didn¡¯t have a good time last time, but she could also be considered to have learned some tricks, and this time she must revenge.


    But Yanyan, Second Imperial Brother, and herself were only three people. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Feng Yuyao looked at Qin Yan: ¡°Yanyan, we are still short of one person. How about letting Shen Ying play?¡±


    Qin Yan smiled, ¡°What¡¯s the point of winning money from own people?¡±


    ¡°Shen Ying, go to the next door and invite His Highness Taizi over to play a couple of rounds.¡±


    Shen Ying took the order and left.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Yuyao was stunned by Qin Yan¡¯s words.


    Second Prince Feng Xian sprayed all the tea he had just drank on the ground.


    Both of them looked at Qin Yan with disbelief.


    At this time, Shen Huai was instructing his servants to set up the card table.


    ¡°Why, are you not satisfied with the partner I found for you?¡± Qin Yan sipped his tea.


    Feng Yuyao looked surprised: ¡°Yanyan, you don¡¯t know how serious my imperial brother Taizi is. I don¡¯t even dare to talk to him normally. If it weren¡¯t for Imperial Brother Taizi who is only a few years older than us, I would think that Taizi is our elder. How dare you ask him to play horse tag?¡±


    Feng Yuyao couldn¡¯t help trembling in fear.


    Feng Xian remembered that the Taizi had said in public that being addicted to horse tag would delay official business.


    Besides, Taizi couldn¡¯t be called upon by Qin Yan at any time.


    Qin Yan drank tea by herself.


    Feng Yuyao sat on the card table alone, getting familiar with the cards.


    Feng Xian took advantage of this interval to think of another matter.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, the fan you mentioned last time?¡±


    Only then did Qin Yan remember that she had indeed promised the Second Prince to give him a fan.


    ¡°Uncle Huai, go to the warehouse to get some jade fans.¡± Qin Yan instructed Shen Huai. Qin Yan¡¯s memory was particularly good, she seemed to have seen Second Prince Feng Xian use a jade fan.


    Not long after, Shen Huai brought a black tray and put it on the table next to the Second Prince. There were four jade fans on the tray.


    Feng Xian raised his hand to open each fan and looked at it carefully as if he couldn¡¯t part with it.


    Although Feng Xian asked Qin Yan for fans to bring the two closers together, these fans were really not inferior to the expert¡¯s creations.


    Qin Yan was not only a peerless beauty, but also had an outstanding family background, astonishing financial resources, and was talented. However, she was still a talented woman who didn¡¯t show off her beauty, it was not an exaggeration to say that she was a stunner.


    Which man didn¡¯t want such a woman?


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren, these fans are very good, I can¡¯t bear to give up any of them, can you allow me to keep them all in my pocket¡­¡± Feng Xian said tentatively, also wanting to praise Qin Yan, but was interrupted by Feng Yuyao. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡°No way.¡± Feng Yuyao looked unhappy.


    Feng Yuyao herself only had one of Yanyan¡¯s fans, which was robbed by force, so why did the Second Imperial Brother want them all?


    Qin Yan didn¡¯t comment on the conversation between the two.


    Feng Xian continued to pick the fan.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Taizi Mansion at Xishan, Taizi Feng Zhan entered the palace this morning to preside over the court meeting and went to the south study to discuss matters as usual. He just returned to the mansion. When he was free, he practiced calligraphy in his study.


    Song Zhi came in: ¡°Your Highness, Princess of Zhaoren Mansion sent someone to invite Your Highness¡­¡± Song Zhi found it a little hard to continue.


    Feng Zhan raised his eyes.


    Song Zhi caught His Highness¡¯s displeased gaze, and knew His highness didn¡¯t like his subordinates¡¯ hesitation, but this¡­


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren sent someone to invite His Highness to go over to play horse tag.¡±


    Song Zhi was very surprised when he received the news just now.


    Horse tag? Horse tag!


    Only the Princess of Zhaoren could think of it, for someone as noble as His Highness, how could he play horse tag?


    Last time at the housewarming banquet at the Princess Mansion, His Highness reluctantly played because he was trapped by the heavy rain and could not refuse the honor of the host, Princess of Zhaoren. This¡­


    Feng Zhan put down his brush, cleaned his hands, and went out.


    Song Zhi¡­


    Why did it look like His Highness was waiting for a message from the Princess of Zhaoren?


    And it seemed that His Highness didn¡¯t care what the content of the message was, he was just looking for a reason to see her.


    Song Zhi followed right after.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After Shen Ying delivered the message outside the Taizi Mansion, she waited for him outside the mansion.


    Shen Ying¡¯s heart was full of slanders, her master thought that it was a good idea, but she didn¡¯t have much hope for such an unscrupulous invitation to invite the prince to play horse tag.


    But to Shen Ying¡¯s surprise, not long after, what she was waiting for was not Song Zhi who came out of the palace to reject her but saw Taizi Feng Zhan in black clothes coming out of the mansion, followed by Song Zhi and a group of the Taizi Mansion¡¯s guards.


    Shen Ying was slightly surprised.


    Seeing that the carriage prepared by the Taizi Mansion was her master¡¯s carriage, Shen Ying wondered, did the Taizi Mansion not even have a carriage?


    But she didn¡¯t ask much about her master¡¯s affair.

 CH 46.2

    Chapter 46          Unscrupulous Person (2/2)


    When Feng Xian finally picked out the fan, Shen Huai¡¯s voice sounded from outside the hall.


    ¡°Your Highness Taizi.¡±


    Feng Xian!


    Feng Yuyao!


    Really, she could really invite this great Buddha?


    Feng Zhan came in, looking at Qin Yan who was lounging on the couch. Her complexion was ruddy, and she seemed to be more beautiful than before. It seemed that she was living happily these days.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here!¡± Qin Yan said with a smile.


    Feng Yuyao and Second Prince got up and saluted.


    Qin Yan also got up but went straight to the chair in front of the card table and sat down.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get started.¡± Qin Yan smiled.


    Both Feng Yuyao and Feng Xian were shocked by Qin Yan¡¯s casualness in front of the Taizi, and the Taizi didn¡¯t seem to blame Qin Yan for her rudeness.


    These two¡­


    Feng Zhan walked to the card table facing Qin Yan and sat down.


    Feng Xian looked back and forth to observe Qin Yan and Taizi, there was a problem with these two¡­


    Feng Xian was looking for an opportunity to block the Taizi, so while sitting next to Qin Yan, he lazily said: ¡°Princess of Zhaoren said that she only wants to win money from outsiders. Thank you, Imperial Brother for coming to join us. Otherwise, we will be short of one with us three, and we won¡¯t be able to play. Imperial Brother is generous.¡±


    Feng Xian bit the word ¡°outsider¡± very hard, and after he finished speaking, he glanced at the Taizi with a smile.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s expression was a little dark. When he entered the hall and saw several people in the hall, Feng Zhan already realized that Qin Yan didn¡¯t specifically look for him.


    Feng Xian should talk about what should be said and shouldn¡¯t talk about what should not be said.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Since the last time at the bamboo house, several people were familiar with the game of horse tag. Although it had been a while, they all started to get used to it after a few rounds.


    Same as last time, Feng Xian still gave Qin Yan cards.


    Feng Yuyao was a little more familiar than last time, she didn¡¯t blindly lose the cards, but also won a few rounds.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s deep eyes looked at Qin Yan opposite from time to time, and when Qin Yan felt Feng Zhan¡¯s gaze, she also returned his gaze from time to time.


    Feng Yuyao was so focused on the card table that she didn¡¯t pay much attention to the unusual undercurrent between Taizi and Qin Yan.


    But Feng Xian kept an eye on Qin Yan all the time, so naturally, he didn¡¯t miss the occasional look at each other between the Taizi and Qin Yan.


    Feng Xian felt a little depressed, he occasionally raised his eyes and glanced outside the flower hall, the plum grove on the other side of the lotus pond. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Suddenly remembered that at the housewarming banquet last time, Feng Yunchao seemed to mention that a new wall was built in the plum grove, and it seemed that the Taizi had said¡­


    ¡°Imperial Brother Taizi, the wall you built between the north and south palaces is not to guard against Princess Zhaoren, right? Hahaha.¡± Feng Xian half-jokingly said, looking at the Taizi.


    Hearing this, Qin Yan raised her eyes and glanced at Feng Zhan, who was with a dark face on the opposite side.


    Feng Zhan now wanted Song Zhi to sew Feng Xian¡¯s mouth shut. If Feng Xian didn¡¯t mention this matter, Feng Zhan would have forgotten about it.


    That wall¡­ was as annoying as Feng Xian.


    Feng Zhan met Qin Yan¡¯s eyes seemed to be smiling but not smiling and turned his eyes away.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After about two hours, the game came to an end, and everyone moved to the main hall to have dinner.


    After dinner, Qin Yan didn¡¯t ask the guest to stay.


    ¡°Yanyan, I want to live in your residence today, or in that courtyard?¡± Feng Yuyao arranged herself without any politeness.


    Feng Xian also followed suit: ¡°Princess Zhaoren, is there any guest room in the mansion?¡±


    On behalf of the host, Taizi Feng Zhan chased away the guests in a cold voice: ¡°You can leave now.¡±


    Feng Zhan shifted his gaze to Qin Yan, who was slightly drunk after drinking.


    ¡°Princess Zhaoren, can I have a word with you to talk about some business?¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly deep.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the study of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.


    At the first glance, Feng Zhan felt that it was not like a woman¡¯s study when he first stepped into it.


    The layout of the room was simple and neat, with a row of bookshelves full of books, a small couch by the window, and a large sandalwood desk. Behind the desk was a simple antique shelf against the wall, and there were several large chairs lined up on both sides in front of the desk.


    There were no fancy decorations on the wall, not even paintings, or calligraphy. It could be imagined that Qin Yan looked as neat and straightforward as this study when she handled official business.


    Feng Zhan and Qin Yan sat opposite each other on the big sandalwood chairs, and Shen Huai served tea to them respectively.


    ¡°You all can go out.¡± Feng Zhan looked at Qin Yan and said indifferently.


    Song Zhi left the study immediately.


    Qin Yan waved her hand to let Shen Ying and Uncle Huai go out as well.


    Just as Shen Ying walked to the door of the study, she heard her master¡¯s voice coming from behind her.


    ¡°Shen Ying, close the door.¡± If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Hearing this, Shen Ying turned around after a pause, reached out her hand, and pulled the two doors close. The door was closed after Shen Ying retreated.


    Shen Ying felt suspicious. Although her master didn¡¯t pay attention to trifles matter, she still paid attention to the difference between men and women.


    If her master talked with Mister Ji or Jiang Mu and other men alone, the door of the study would be left open, and Shen Ying was either serving by her master¡¯s side or wait at the door.


    It would never be like today.


    However, her master was alone in the same carriage with His Highness Taizi that day¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    When Qin Yan asked Shen Ying to close the door, her eyes were fixed on Feng Zhan¡¯s handsome face.


    After a while, Qin Yan got up suddenly and walked slowly to Feng Zhan.


    Qin Yan leaned slightly, looked down at Feng Zhan who was still sitting, and then stretched out a slender white jade hand to caress Feng Zhan¡¯s side face.


    ¡°You¡¯re really good-looking!¡± Qin Yan said in admiration.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly but he was trying his best to restrain himself as he couldn¡¯t let the woman in front of him feel that he was unprovocative anymore.


    Qin Yan leaned over and imprinted her full red lips on Feng Zhan¡¯s thin lips.


    Feng Zhan narrowed his eyes, stretched out his hand suddenly, and pulled the woman in front of him into his arms. He clasped the back of Qin Yan¡¯s neck with the other hand and kissed her deeply.


    In the study, Feng Zhan was still sitting on the big chair, Qin Yan was sitting on Feng Zhan¡¯s lap, and the two kissed passionately.


    ¡°You seductress.¡± Feng Zhan said vaguely as if gritting his teeth.


    Qin Yan brought her red lips to Feng Zhan¡¯s ear and gasped softly.


    ¡°Your Highness, have you forgotten your business?¡±


    Feng Zhan calmed down his violent heartbeat.


    The two really talked about business in this posture.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan¡¯s two hands were placed on Qin Yan¡¯s waist on both sides. Looking at Qin Yan¡¯s delicate face which was very close to him with dark and deep eyes, he asked in a hoarse voice: ¡°Is Yu Qingfeng yours?¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯s white fingers were stroking Feng Zhan¡¯s thick black sword eyebrows back and forth.


    She had understood before that by acting under the feet of the Emperor, the Taizi would find out sooner or later, and she didn¡¯t let Mister Ji hide it. Qin Yan simply admitted.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you collecting grain?¡± Feng Zhan let the woman on him mess around. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s fingertips had now moved to the bridge of Feng Zhan¡¯s high nose.


    ¡°For personal gain?¡± Feng Zhan continued to ask.


    Qin Yan¡¯s hands paused for a moment, but her answer was not as candid as before.


    ¡°Sort of.¡±


    ¡°Say it again.¡± Feng Zhan suddenly pinched the soft meat on Qin Yan¡¯s waist with both hands.


    At this moment, Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes had a hint of danger. If Qin Yan¡¯s actions touched the righteousness of the nation, Feng Zhan would not be lenient because of his feelings for Qin Yan.


    With Yu Qingfeng closed down, couldn¡¯t the entire Taizi Mansion afford to support this woman who was messing with him?


    Feng Zhan controlled his strength as he was unwilling to give Qin Yan a heavy hand. Qin Yan felt a little ticklish when Feng Zhan pinched her waist and laughed out loud.


    After a while, Qin Yan spoke seriously.


    ¡°There are still some soldiers of the Pingxi Army who stayed in the Northwest to guard the border. We used to suffer from food shortages, but we made up for it in time, which didn¡¯t cause much impact. The process of asking the Ministry of War for provision was too long and slow. I always made some preparations. The grain establishment of Yu Qingfeng has also stockpiled grain in previous years, but this year, we did have some concerns about food shortage, so we collected more.¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯s statement said that it was for the public which didn¡¯t count, and she only considered the Pingxi Army that related to her.


    But it was for personal gain, she was not seeking huge profits for herself but leaving room for the soldiers guarding the frontier.


    Qin Yan was a combination of various contradictions that didn¡¯t contradict each other.


    She was frank and unrestrained as if she had the ability to look down on the secular world. Everything was insignificant to her, she was indifferent, almost cold and heartless.


    But she would do her best to protect the people or things she valued.


    There was righteousness in the heart, but it was not blindly overflowing with compassion.


    Only a few people in the world were so clear.


    At this moment, Feng Zhan suddenly felt that if there was someone Qin Yan could confide in, she would definitely risk her life to protect the person.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The posture of the two of them remained for a long time, and Feng Zhan¡¯s upright back slightly leaned against the back of the chair.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Feng Zhan suddenly frowned and gasped.


    Only then did Qin Yan realize that it was Feng Zhan¡¯s arrow wound from before.


    ¡°Let me see your injury.¡± Qin Yan said to Feng Zhan.


    Feng Zhan didn¡¯t say anything, Qin Yan took it as if he agreed.


    Qin Yan was still sitting on Feng Zhan¡¯s lap and had no intention of getting up.


    ¡°You take it off yourself or I¡¯ll do it.¡± A fine light flashed across Qin Yan¡¯s eyes.


    If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes darkened, Qin Yan was usually noble and indifferent outside, but when the two of them were alone, she was so open, like an unscrupulous person. Qin Yan just say it and did it right away.


    ¡°You do.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was hoarse, and his Adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down.


    Qin Yan smiled slightly and reached out to touch the jade belt around Feng Zhan¡¯s waist but couldn¡¯t find a way.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s breathing became heavier. He stretched out his hand to hold Qin Yan¡¯s soft white hand, pulled Qin Yan, and untied his belt.


    Qin Yan held the belt in front of him, sized it up, and then put it on the tables beside him.


    Qin Yan turned her eyes back to the handsome man in front of her, glanced from Feng Zhan¡¯s neck to his waist, reached into Feng Zhan¡¯s inner garment with both hands, grabbed the white inner garment and black outer robe at the same time, pulled hard at Feng Zhan¡¯s shoulders, revealing his strong chest.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes were red at the moment, he felt he was going crazy.


    Qin Yan sat on Feng Zhan¡¯s body with legs apart, leaned close to Feng Zhan¡¯s body, extended her arms to the back of Feng Zhan¡¯s shoulders, rested her chin on Feng Zhan¡¯s right shoulder, and untied the bandage covering Feng Zhan¡¯s wound with both hands.


    The arrow wound was slowly healing, and the bruise was no longer visible on the wound.


    ¡°Has the poison cleared up?¡± Qin Yan turned her head and asked Feng Zhan, her warm breath poured on his still red neck.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was low and hoarse, and his Adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down.


    Qin Yan re-bandaged the wound with gauze, stood up again, and pulled up the clothes on Feng Zhan¡¯s shoulders with both hands, but did not immediately cover the clothes. Instead, she glanced admiringly, and her fingertips ran across Feng Zhan¡¯s smooth abdomen muscle.


    Feng Zhan took a deep breath, covered his robe, took his belt, and put it on.


    After hugging Qin Yan into his arms, Qin Yan also seemed to be tired from playing, and obediently leaned into Feng Zhan¡¯s arms.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s banquet.¡± Feng Zhan said suddenly.


    ¡°My aunt also received the invitation. As the mistress of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, my aunt has to go. Shen Ci has official business and can¡¯t go. He asked me to watch over her.¡± Qin Yan closed her eyes, seeming a little sleepy.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be going, be careful by yourself.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone became lighter.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Qin Yan murmured in a low voice.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t your legs numb?¡±

 CH 47.1

    Chapter 47          Bargain (1/2)


    At Yu Qingfeng Bank.


    Yesterday Fourth Master Qin went to Yu Qingfeng to talk to the shopkeeper about borrowing money. The shopkeeper told Fourth Uncle Qin that he needed to consult Boss Ji for instructions because the borrowed amount was too large.


    Today, Fourth Master Qin waited in the drawing room of Yu Qingfeng Bank for about two hours before the legendary Boss Ji of Yu Qingfeng showed up.


    Looking at the young man with a gentle temperament in a moon-white brocade robe walking in front of him, Fourth Master Qin had some doubts that this was the helm of Yu Qingfeng, who was influential all over the Great Xia?


    But after they finished the negotiation, Fourth Master Qin hated himself for being blind and mistakenly thought that the other party was a soft persimmon*.


    (soft persimmon* ¨C someone who is easy to bully or is in a weak position)


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ji Nanfeng stepped into the drawing room, took the main seat, and drank tea from the cup at hand, without saying anything.


    Fourth Master Qin saw that the other party was much younger than himself, and that Boss Ji looked kind-hearted, not like an old crafty person, he felt more confident.


    Fourth Master Qin asked his subordinates to deliver the first-base land deeds on the tray to the shopkeeper standing beside Ji Nanfeng.


    The shopkeeper then placed the tray on top of the table to the right of Ji Nanfeng.


    Ji Nanfeng was still drinking his tea slowly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Seeing Ji Nanfeng¡¯s behavior, Fourth Master Qin began to feel a little uncertain.


    In business negotiations, one would not reveal one¡¯s cards to leave room for oneself and would avoid speaking first.


    But now Fourth Master Qin was asking for help from others, while the other party was still as steady as Mount Tai. Fourth Master Qin also couldn¡¯t put on airs, he eased the stiffness on his face, and said to Ji Nanfeng: ¡°Boss Ji, this is the land deeds and house deeds of a hundred shops, large and small, located in the East City and West City of the capital, which our Song Trading Establishment is prepared to mortgage to your bank.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng put down the teacup, without emotion on his face, raised his eyes, and looked at the tense Fourth Master Qin. He took several deeds on the tray and glanced at them, and then put them down casually.


    ¡°Boss Qin, how much do you want to borrow?¡± Ji Nanfeng said in a steady tone.


    Fourth Master Qin felt relieved, as long as the other party started to bargain, it would be his home court. Fourth Master Qin thought he had mastered the business world for more than twenty years and had crossed more bridges than the young Boss Ji in front of him. Fourth Master Qin leaned back on the back of the chair and raised his chin slightly. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡°Eight hundred thousand taels of silver.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Hearing this, Ji Nanfeng chuckled lightly, picked up the teacup, and started drinking tea again.


    Fourth Master Qin narrowed his dispirited eyes, what did he mean?


    After Boss Ji put down the teacup, there was an ambiguous smile on the corner of his lips, but he still didn¡¯t say a word. Fourth Master Qin was a little angry, this young man!


    ¡°Boss Ji, look at this¡­¡± Fourth Master Qin was interrupted by Ji Nanfeng.


    ¡°Two hundred thousand taels.¡± Ji Nanfeng said lightly.


    When Fourth Master Qin heard this, he stood up abruptly, and his eyes widened in disbelief, was there such a bargain?


    ¡°Boss Ji, the market price of these one hundred shops is at least five hundred thousand taels of silver, not including in the businesses of the shops.¡± Fourth Master Qin suppressed his anger. He had been doing business in the capital for more than ten years, and who didn¡¯t respect and flatter him? Even if it was just for the face of the Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng, Fourth Master Qin had never met such an arrogant fellow negotiating with him.


    ¡°Boss Qin, how can you still estimate the price of your shops¡¯ current businesses?¡± Ji Nanfeng looked at Fourth Master Qin with a sneer.


    ¡°Boss Ji, the price you offered is too¡­ five hundred thousand taels, no less.¡± Fourth Master Qin sat down and tried to calm his mind. He kept telling himself that now he was the one begging for help, so he had to restrain his anger! Restrain his anger!


    But Ji Nanfeng had a calm expression on his face, holding the red sandalwood bracelet in his hand, and ordered to see the guest off.


    ¡°Boss Qin, please find another bank.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Fourth Master Qin¡¯s pupils tighten when he heard the words, and only now did he feel that the gentleness of Boss Ji in front of him was just an appearance. Negotiations were so sophisticated that he was not inferior to the veterans who had been struggling in the business world for decades, and Yu Qingfeng indeed had the capacity to do this business or not.


    Fourth Master Qin took a deep breath, raised his hand, and asked his subordinates to take out a stack of land deeds from the box they brought, and hand them to the shopkeeper.


    Fourth Master Qin spoke again, but without the arrogance, he had before.


    ¡°Here are the land deeds for the other fifty shops. Now there are a total of one hundred fifty shops, and I want eight hundred thousand taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°Three hundred thousand.¡± Ji Nanfeng said in a low voice.


    Fourth Master Qin almost spat out blood with anger.


    Fourth Master Qin closed his eyes, took another deep breath, opened his eyes again, and gritted his teeth. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡°Add two villages from the southern suburbs of the capital, eight hundred thousand taels.¡±


    ¡°Four hundred thousand.¡± After Ji Nanfeng finished speaking, he drank tea again.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°You¡­¡­¡±


    Fourth Master Qin was so angry that his chest heaved until short of breath. The other party was taking advantage of his misfortune to rob him.


    He calculated his expenses, buying food grain, manpower, and warehouses, plus bribing up and down people, he needed at least five hundred thousand taels for this trip to the south of the Yangtze River.


    Fourth Master Qin had seen clearly this Boss Ji¡¯s method, he bargained hard. Then he had to ask for a higher price, so there would be room for bargaining.


    He said bitterly: ¡°One hundred and eighty shops, plus three villages in the suburbs of the capital, I want one million taels of silver.¡±


    Fourth Master Qin added all the properties that Song Mei entrusted to him.


    ¡°Six hundred thousand.¡± Ji Nanfeng said flatly.


    Fourth Master Qin stood up abruptly, and pointed at Ji Nanfeng, ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Half a million.¡± Ji Nanfeng interrupted Fourth Master Qin¡¯s words in a flat voice.


    Fourth Master Qin withdrew his hand and swallowed the words in his mouth.


    He felt that if he said one more word, the other party would cut another hundred thousand.


    Now that their business was going downhill, all the banks in the capital had received the news, and they have been extremely aggressive in the price reduction, only the powerful Yu Qingfeng could come up with so much money at once.


    Fourth Master Qin slumped on the chair helplessly.


    It had only been a while since Boss Ji stepped into the hall, Fourth Master Qin looked at Ji Nanfeng again at this time, and he saw a big change in the young man in front of him.


    Where was the gentleness of this man? This Boss Ji was a hungry wolf who eats people without spitting out bones, who was comparable to a crafty fellow in the business world.


    Fourth Master Qin sighed deeply and said: ¡°Deal.¡±

 CH 47.2

    Chapter 47          Bargain (2/2)


    In the main hall of the Prime Minister Mansion.


    Fourth Master Qin sat opposite Song Mei on the big chair.


    Both of them just drank tea and didn¡¯t speak.


    At this moment, the two of them simultaneously recalled the passion between them in the main hall of Fourth Master Qin¡¯s residence a few days ago¡­


    Song Mei raised her eyes to look at Fourth Master Qin from time to time, with a bit of shame on her face.


    Fourth Master Qin clenched his fist and coughed lightly, saying: ¡°I mortgaged one hundred eighty shops and three villages to Yu Qingfeng Bank, and got five hundred thousand taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°What, all the shops and villages have been mortgaged! You only got five hundred thousand taels of silver! In case¡­¡± Song Mei stood up in shock.


    ¡°There is no in case¡­ Just think about it, if there is a food shortage, we will earn five or ten times the money. And even if there is no food shortage, we can earn two or three times, which means two or three times the five hundred thousand taels.¡±


    Song Mei sat back on the chair again, her face was bad.


    ¡°They are lions with big mouths*, taking advantage of other people¡¯s misfortune.¡± Song Mei lowered her eyes to the ground and sighed.


    (lions with big mouths* ¨C a metaphor for the asking price or proposed conditions being very high)


    ¡°There¡¯s no other way, only them has the capacity to take out so much money all at once.¡± How could Fourth Master Qin not know that the other party suppressed the price aggressively? He still hadn¡¯t come out of the pressure and frustration of the disadvantage faced by Boss Ji of Yu Qingfeng. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Jiangnan tomorrow.¡± Fourth Master Qin said, looking at Song Mei.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, Fourth Uncle.¡± Song Mei was worried, feeling the uncertainty.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Song Mei went back to her courtyard with a heavy heart and met Qin Nian who was waiting there.


    ¡°Niannian.¡± Song Mei quickly adjusted her facial expression, only she and Fourth Master Qin knew about the idea of buying grain. She felt a little tormented, but after the money and the shops came back later, everything would be better.


    ¡°Mother, I have something I want to ask you.¡± Qin Nian could see that there was something wrong with her mother¡¯s complexion, but she didn¡¯t have the heart to care about it. Now her own life-long affairs were more urgent.


    The mother and daughter entered the room.


    Song Mei¡¯s room was much smaller and darker than that of the Qiushui Courtyard in Xi Garden before.


    ¡°Mother, has Father already negotiated my marriage with Marquis of Yongding?¡± There were only Song Mei and Qin Nian in the room, and Qin Nian went straight to the point.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Song Mei turned her thoughts back to Qin Nian at this moment.


    ¡°Is it true? Mother, why didn¡¯t you tell me? Marquis of Yongding came to the door yesterday and talked with Father in the study for more than two hours. I was just guessing, but it was true.¡± Qin Nian frowned.


    Song Mei saw her daughter¡¯s displeasure, but this matter was almost a foregone conclusion, and she was powerless to change anything.


    ¡°Niannian, the daughters¡¯ marriage is naturally decided by their parents. Didn¡¯t I tell you about the news before?¡±


    ¡°Your aunt, Imperial Concubine Shu, originally wanted to discuss marriage between you and the Second Prince, but your father firmly disagreed, saying that the Right Prime Minister Mansion would not participate in the affairs of the imperial family. Your father said that if the Second Prince participates in the seizure of the throne in the future, and if he fails, you will be implicated and will also implicate the Right Prime Minister Mansion.¡±


    ¡°Although Xie Zhao, the eldest son of the Marquis of Yongding, is only a concubine born, he is so valued by the Marquis of Yongding, and Xie Zhao himself built the General Mansion. You will be the General¡¯s main wife. Xie Zhao is just a martial husband, so how can you not handle him? Listen to Mother, this marriage is pretty good.¡±


    Qin Nian still frowned, quite disapproving of her mother¡¯s words.


    ¡°Mother, why can¡¯t it be Shizi Xie?¡±


    Knowing what her daughter was thinking, Song Mei sighed and said: ¡°Niannian, do you think I never asked your father? Do you know what your father said?¡±


    Song Mei pulled the corner of her mouth weakly and said: ¡°Marquis Xie said we can¡¯t decide on Shizi Xie¡¯s marriage as Shizi Xie is half of the imperial family. His Majesty decides about his marriage. Shizi Xie¡¯s concubine is bestowed by His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Niannian, don¡¯t make trouble. Now it¡¯s not far from the Longevity Festival. Your father and Marquis of Yongding also considered that His Majesty had a precedent for bestowing marriages on the Longevity Festival in previous years. If you don¡¯t decide on your marriage in advance and when the time comes, if His Majesty bestows a marriage on a random basis, no matter who the other party is, we will not be able to disobey the order.¡±


    ¡°The palace banquet hosted by Imperial Concubine Xian tomorrow invited the womenfolk of the official families to the palace and sent an invitation to our residence. You will go with me at that time.¡± If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    ¡°Your aunt sent someone to bring me a letter, asking you to dress up well. Our Right Prime Minister Mansion is your aunt¡¯s family, so we must not let your aunt lose face.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    After Qin Nian got the news she wanted to know from Song Mei, she left.


    Back in her courtyard, Qin Nian called the maid, Luqin, and whispered in her ear, ¡°Go and buy¡­¡±


    Luqin was shocked when she heard the words and froze in place.


    ¡°Remember, before going to the clinic, you should make up so that no one can recognize your real face, put on a woman¡¯s bun, and then put on a veil. If the doctor insists on getting the bottom of it, just say that you want to liven things up with your husband.¡± Qin Nian added.


    Luqin twisted her handkerchief, blushing, why did the young lady ask her to buy that kind of medicine¡­


    ¡°Go, if you can¡¯t do this job well, I¡¯ll sell you to the brothel in Qianshui Promenade.¡± Qin Nian threatened her silly little maid.


    Luqin immediately walked out quickly.


    Qin Nian took a deep breath.


    Opportunities were for those who were prepared. She wanted to see, was it fate played tricks on people, or if it was destiny.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Fourth Master Qin left the gate of Prime Minister Qin Mansion and returned to his residence.


    The five hundred thousand taels of silver borrowed from Yu Qingfeng had been sent back to his residence.


    Fourth Master Qin sat alone in the sedan chair, bouncing around. At this moment, his heart was not calm, and he was shaking.


    Fourth Master Qin was in a very complicated mood at the moment. He was excited about making a lot of money in his heart, but also a little unexplained anxiety.


    Passing through the lively West Market, the speed of the sedan chair slowed down, and occasional conversations from people on the street would come to Fourth Master Qin¡¯s ears intermittently.


    ¡°Did you see the notice posted at the gate of the city? The Yu family of Yangzhou, announcing that they have severed their relationship with their old man¡¯s adopted son, Wen Luo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the boss of Wen Trading Establishment, that Wen Luo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s him. Everyone in the business world knows that he has a ruthless character.¡±


    ¡°The notice says that Wen Luo¡¯s character is bad. Although he is not included in the family tree, he acted in the name of the Yu family outside. The Yu family can¡¯t wait to throw this person out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit unreasonable. Boss Wen has helped the Yu family do business for so many years. It can be said that now half of the Yu family is from Boss Wen.¡±


    ¡°Who knows what¡¯s going on? I wonder is it related to Wen Trading Establishment¡¯s actions in the capital?¡±


    ¡°Is it pressure from Prime Minister Qin Mansion?¡±


    ¡°A lean camel is bigger than a horse*. I know that Boss Wen hasn¡¯t had any business dealings with the Yu family for a long time. If he can make such a big business in the capital, there must be someone behind him.¡± If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    (A lean camel is bigger than a horse*- ¨C a metaphor which means that people who have special expertise in one aspect, even if they suddenly become poor in this aspect, are better than some people who have just come out in this aspect.)


    ¡­ ¡­


    These words reached Fourth Master Qin¡¯s ears, and Fourth Master Qin had mixed feelings.


    Their businesses were bleak because of the targeted suppression by Wen Trading Establishment.


    And they always thought that the person behind Wen Luo was the Left Prime Minister, but the Yu family, who had a close relationship with the Left Prime Minister, now announced that they severed their relationship with Wen Luo.


    Was the person behind Wen Luo Left Prime Minister? Or someone else?


    But now, he had already mortgaged the properties, and there was no way out.


    He only hoped that the trip to Jiangnan would be smooth and prosperous.

 CH 48.1

    Chapter 48          Reinforcement (1/2)


    Dajue Temple at Yuquan Mountain to the west of the capital.


    The Empress knelt in the Buddhist Hall and chanted sutras, kneeling in the same posture on the futon behind her were Princess Changle Feng Yunchao and An Yanxi.


    Two hours passed and the Empress was about to get up, Feng Yunchao and An Yanxi got up and went to help the Empress up.


    After the Empress stood up, she withdrew her arm and walked straight back to the meditation room.


    Feng Yunchao and An Yanxi also followed behind the Empress step by step, walking slowly without saying anything.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Yunchao looked at her imperial mother who was walking in front of her, and she was not disappointed as it was not true.


    Over these years, Feng Yunchao would go to Dajue Temple every year on Empress¡¯s birthday, but only when her imperial brother came occasionally, she could follow her imperial brother to see her imperial mother.


    Feng Yunchao also knew that her imperial mother left the palace shortly after she was born. There was not much affection between her imperial mother and her.


    And the ten months she spent in her mother¡¯s womb were also the most painful ten months of her imperial mother¡¯s life.


    After the Empress was pregnant with Feng Yunchao for three months and the fetus was stable, she informed the His Majesty, as well as the Empress¡¯s family, the Left Prime Minister Mansion.


    His Majesty was very happy and allowed the Left Prime Minister Mansion to send Empress¡¯s sister, Wang Qiang, Feng Yunchao¡¯s aunt, and now the Imperial Concubine Xian, to enter the palace to accompany and take care of the Empress.


    And Feng Yunchao¡¯s aunt, Wang Qiang, was really meticulous in taking care of her mother¡­ Oh, she even cared about her husband and climbed up to her brother-in-law¡¯s dragon bed.


    The Empress learned that her own sister was favored overnight, and she was made a concubine the next day. She was angry in her heart, but she still had to suppress her emotions and kept telling herself that she couldn¡¯t affect the child in her belly, her child.


    That day the Left Prime Minister entered the palace and asked to meet the Empress.


    The elder brother of the Empress tried to persuade the Empress earnestly: ¡°Now that you are pregnant, even if your sister doesn¡¯t accept favor, there will be another concubine.¡±


    The Empress felt sad when she heard this. This was the fate of the daughter of the noble family.


    If she married her husband and couldn¡¯t conceive an heir, her own sisters, or sisters in the family, would also be sent to her husband to continue the incense for her husband.


    Whereas for her, who married into the imperial family, even if she had already given birth to the eldest son, the current crown prince, she still couldn¡¯t escape when she was pregnant, her family still sent other sisters to win the Emperor¡¯s favor.


    And her husband, His Majesty, didn¡¯t care about this miserable woman who was pregnant.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Since that day, the Empress had stayed behind the closed door, as if she was raising her baby with peace of mind.


    Until one day, the Empress¡¯s favored younger sister, Wang Qiang, went to Kunning Palace with her pregnant belly to visit the Empress. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    At that time, the Empress¡¯s bedroom was just the two of them. During the time of a cup of tea, a woman screamed in pain. When the crowd rushed in, they saw that Wang Qiang was lying on the ground clutching her stomach, and her dress was already stained with blood.


    Wang Qiang suffered a miscarriage, and the Empress continued to tightly close the palace door.


    In order to appease Wang Qiang, the Holy Majesty named her the Imperial Concubine Xian.


    Afterward, the Empress gave birth to a princess and invited herself to Dajue Temple to worship the Buddha after her confinement period ended.


    The Emperor allowed the Empress to leave the palace, and gave the Empress¡¯s newly-born princess the title ¡°Changle¡±.


    After the queen left the palace, Imperial Concubine Xian became the head of the four concubines, taking over the Phoenix seal and commanding the harem.


    The head of the harem was changed from the Empress to Imperial Concubine Xian, and the only one that was not affected was the Left Prime Minister Mansion. Whether it was Empress or Imperial Concubine Xian, they were all the direct daughters of the Left Prime Minister Mansion and one family.


    Oh, one family.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Yunchao had heard about these things from the palace people, and some had been told to her by her imperial brother Taizi. She knew that since then, her imperial mother and her imperial brother Taizi had been estranged from the Left Prime Minister Mansion to the point of being almost strangers.


    Some people in the court thought that the Left Prime Minister Mansion was the aid of her imperial brother Taizi, but they didn¡¯t know that apart from official business, her imperial brother Taizi hadn¡¯t interacted with their Uncle Left Prime Minister in private for many years.


    As for herself, Feng Yunchao couldn¡¯t imagine the mood of her imperial mother during the pregnancy and gave birth to her.


    Feng Yunchao just felt sad that as soon as her imperial mother saw her, she would recall those heart-breaking things that happened when she was pregnant with Feng Yunchao.


    Her imperial mother was venting her anger, and Feng Yunchao didn¡¯t blame her imperial mother. Her imperial mother didn¡¯t kill her right to come to this world, so she should thank her imperial mother for her courage.


    If this kind of thing happened to Feng Yunchao herself, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to give birth to the child in her womb.


    ¡ª¡ª


    When they arrived at the meditation room, Empress knelt on the futon, washed her hands, and made tea after burning the incense.


    Feng Yun turned to Empress and said: ¡°Imperial Mother, I have no intention of forcing Imperial Mother to return to the palace at all. Imperial Brother Taizi also explained that whether to return to the palace depends on Imperial Mother¡¯s wishes. If Imperial Mother does not want to go back, can you allow me to stay here to spend more time with Imperial Mother?¡±


    Although Feng Yunchao entered the Dajue Temple and saw Empress in the past two days, Empress didn¡¯t even speak to Feng Yunchao, just tacitly allowed her to hang around.


    Seemingly hearing Feng Yunchao mentioning Taizi, Empress raised her eyes.


    ¡°How is your imperial brother?¡±


    Feng Yunchao knew about her imperial mother¡¯s favor for her imperial brother Taizi, and she didn¡¯t feel sad at all, let alone jealous.


    It didn¡¯t matter, if her imperial mother was willing to talk to her, Feng Yunchao would be happy all day long.


    Feng Yunchao also knew in her heart what her imperial brother Taizi meant to their mother and daughter.


    If her imperial brother Taizi hadn¡¯t been valued by the Grandmother Empress Dowager Xiao in the palace, she would have been easily disposed of when Imperial Concubine Xian had a miscarriage in Empress¡¯s bedroom for no apparent reason and it wouldn¡¯t be easy for her imperial mother to leave the palace and hide in peace. She had been away for more than ten years now.


    Now that her imperial brother Taizi was so powerful, if Emperor wanted her imperial mother to return to the palace today, he would not have sent the Ministry of Rites and them to invite her but might have asked the imperial army to forcefully escort her imperial mother back.


    ¡°Imperial Brother is fine, but he was assassinated a few days ago, luckily he¡¯s all right.¡± Feng Yunchao said to the Empress with a light smile.


    The Empress frowned upon hearing this: ¡°Assassinated?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    Feng Yunchao was ordered by her imperial mother to talk about this year¡¯s autumn hunting.


    ¡­ ¡­


    ¡°However, on the evening of the day of the assassination, Imperial Brother and Princess Zhaoren left the forest area safely, and there was no serious problem.¡±


    Feng Yunchao had never talked so much in front of her imperial mother. If she could talk about the autumn hunting for a day, she would never just talk for half a day.


    ¡°Princess of Zhaoren?¡± Empress seemed suspicious.


    The Empress hadn¡¯t returned to the palace for a long time, and she was not interested in the news in the palace, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention to the newly conferred princess.


    Feng Yunchao was stunned for a moment and then realized that her imperial mother didn¡¯t know about Qin Yan.

 CH 48.2

    Chapter 48          Reinforcement (2/2)


    Feng Yunchao was about to speak.


    An Yanxi who was beside her interjected: ¡°Empress, Princess Zhaoren was conferred by the decree of His Majesty. Her father is the Right Prime Minister, and her mother is Shen Shiying from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion.¡±


    When An Yanxi said this, she raised her head to look at Empress, carefully observing Empress¡¯s expression.


    And if she saw it right, when she mentioned the name Shen Shiying just now, Empress frowned subtly.


    It seemed that she guessed right.


    Since An Yanxi thought Qin Yan was a threat, she sent someone to investigate Qin Yan.


    Qin Yan¡¯s mother, Shen Shiying, was known as the number one beauty in the capital.


    From Qin Yan¡¯s beauty, one could imagine Shen Shiying¡¯s brilliance back then.


    While investigating Qin Yan¡¯s mother, Shen Shiying, An Yanxi guessed that there might be some hidden meaning behind it.


    Back then, Shen Shiying and Shen Shiyan, the brother and sister, had many interactions with His Majesty, Princess Anyang, and the current Youzhou Wang.


    An Yanxi guessed whether this had something to do with Qin Yan being conferred as the princess.


    As a woman, An Yanxi keenly grasped the possible problems that arose among them.


    The result of testing the Empress today was just as she had guessed.


    Of, if the Empress mind about Shen Shiying, what would she think of Qin Yan?


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the study room of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion.


    On the sandalwood desk, there were several stacks of sorted letters. Qin Yan sat behind the desk, took the papers one by one, and quickly read them.


    Shen Ying served tea at the side, and Ji Nanfeng stood in front of the desk, waiting for his master to question.


    The aroma of tea swirl in the study room without any sound.


    Ji Nanfeng went to the capital city to do some business yesterday, and it was already the evening when he returned to the Princess Mansion.


    Ji Nanfeng saw the carriage of his master whom he hadn¡¯t seen for several days in front of the Princess Mansion, and next to the carriage were the guards of the Taizi Mansion.


    After Ji Nanfeng entered the mansion, he learned that his master was in the study and went straight to the study.


    But outside the study, he saw Shen Ying, Uncle Huai, and Lord Song of the Taizi Mansion outside the securely closed door. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Obviously, his master and the Taizi were in the study at the moment.


    Ji Nanfeng was surprised that his master was so open about being alone with the Taizi.


    It was like this on the carriage back home from the paddock in the western suburbs that day, and today it happened again¡­


    Not long after, the door of the study opened from the inside, and the Taizi and his master came out one after another.


    And his master¡¯s eyes were a little hazy as if she had just woken up from sleep¡­


    Ji Nanfeng was surprised, his master used to be so vigilant, but how she fell asleep when she was in the same room with the Taizi?


    Was his master serious about this Taizi?


    However, the imperial family¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan suddenly made a sound, interrupting Ji Nanfeng¡¯s thoughts: ¡°What¡¯s the situation with Concubine Song?¡±


    Ji Nanfeng said: ¡°The fish has taken the bait. However, it¡¯s not our bait. They could no longer do business in the capital as they have mortgaged all the shops and villages in the capital to Yu Qingfeng. I don¡¯t know what they will use the money for.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng guessed again: ¡°Are they thinking about collecting grain?¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯s voice was slightly cold: ¡°Then they are courting death.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Is the mansion peaceful these few days?¡± Qin Yan asked Ji Nanfeng.


    Ji Nanfeng knew that his master had asked about the security situation of the Princess Mansion and replied: ¡°There is no abnormality in the mansion, and the number of secret guards protecting Young Master Jiang has increased to five people. Young Master Jiang only goes back and forth between the Princess Mansion and the Imperial Academy every day, and there is no special situation.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Qin Yan picked up the teacup in hand and took a sip.


    Ji Nanfeng frowned slightly: ¡°Silver needle tea is cold in nature, and it has the same nature as that of a rhinoceros horn. Master should not drink too much.¡±


    Turning to Shen Ying, he said: ¡°Replace Master¡¯s tea with Fenghuang oolong tea these days.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng was proficient in medicine, and Qin Yan¡¯s diet had always arranged by Ji Nanfeng.


    Ji Nanfeng said again: ¡°Early this morning, Second Prince sent someone to the mansion to pick up Princess Jingyi to Dajue Temple. Before Princess Jingyi left, she left a message saying that if she still couldn¡¯t return to the palace, she would stay in the Princess Mansion these days.¡±


    ¡°When the princess is in the mansion, add additional guards to her courtyard.¡± After Qin Yan finished speaking, she looked at the teacup that had been replaced on the desk.


    The tea was clear, and the green tea leaves were red-rimmed when the leaves unfolded, which was a good tea.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Ji Nanfeng didn¡¯t disturb his master tasting tea. He recalled in his mind last night, as the housekeeper of the Princess Mansion, he sent His Highness Taizi out of the mansion on behalf of his master.


    When they reached the outside gate of the mansion, Taizi stopped suddenly, turned around, and looked at Ji Nanfeng coldly.


    Taizi¡¯s voice was cold, spoke without haste or slowness, and paused at every word, Ji Nanfeng was startled when he heard it, ¡°You¡¯d better hide your feelings forever.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng was shocked. He thought he was hiding well, but he could not hide from this Taizi.


    After Taizi got on his horse and left, Ji Nanfeng was still standing outside the gate of the mansion, unable to calm down for a long time.


    Taizi was truly as imposing and thoughtful as the rumors said.


    It was true that only a person as good as Taizi could match up with his master.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Seeing Qin Yan put down the teacup, Ji Nanfeng said: ¡°When His Highness Taizi left yesterday, he left behind Master¡¯s carriage.¡±


    ¡°En.¡± Qin Yan took a blank piece of paper, ready to write down her opinion on today¡¯s City Gu intelligence.


    ¡°His Highness Taizi asked me to bring a message to Master that His Highness said that the carriage should be reinforced.¡± Ji Nanfeng struggled to repeat the exact words of Taizi Feng Zhan.


    Ji Nanfeng was twenty-two this year. Although he had never had a woman, he often walked in the business world and knew a thing or two about men and women.


    The day before yesterday, his master and Taizi were in the same carriage, and when they got off the carriage, it was obvious that they had done something in the carriage. And what Taizi asked him to tell his master yesterday was also a warning to Ji Nanfeng about the relationship between Taizi and his master.


    Qin Yan put down her writing brush when she heard what he said, leaned against the back of the chair, and a slight smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, ¡°I thought he was so proper.¡±


    ¡°Mister Ji, make a shock absorption reinforcement for the whole carriage.¡±


    After thinking about it, Qin Yan added another item, ¡°Lay an extra layer of thick and comfortable velvet blanket in the carriage.¡±


    Ji Nanfeng¡­


    The author has something to say:


    Do you know why it¡¯s necessary to lay an extra layer of thick velvet blanket?

 CH 49.1

    Chapter 49          Misunderstanding (1/2)


    On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Imperial Concubine Xian held a moon appreciation banquet in the imperial garden of the inner court.


    Xie Changyuan came from the Northern Yamen Imperial Army Camp and waited for the carriage of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion at the Xihua Gate of the imperial city.


    A Yan and Xie Qing got off the same carriage, and Xie Changyuan had used to the interaction between the two of them.


    Since Taizi Feng Zhan talked with Xie Changyuan in Western Suburb Camp last time, Xie Changyuan revisited his mother¡¯s affairs back then, and his anger towards Xie Zhao and Xie Qing decreased a lot.


    The Marquis of Yongding Mansion had not had a mistress for these years. Xie Qing, as the young lady of the Marquis Mansion, was in charge of the affairs of the mansion and had done a good job.


    A Yan¡¯s current status was only a concubine bestowed by His Majesty to Xie Changyuan. According to regulations, the concubine could only be allowed in after Xie Changyuan married his legitimate wife, so A Yan¡¯s marriage was delayed.


    A Yan didn¡¯t have many friends in the capital, so she just played more with Xie Qing, and Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t stop them.


    When he arrived at the place where the seats were set up, Xie Changyuan scanned the audience.


    But she wasn¡¯t here yet.


    Xie Changyuan planned to take advantage of today to explain the previous misunderstanding to Qin Yan. He asked Xie Qing to take A Yan to the table, saying that he still had official business to do and left by himself.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan and Fang Su had just entered the imperial garden when a person came to them.


    ¡°Madam Shen, Princess Zhaoren.¡± Xie Zhao stepped forward and stopped two steps away from Qin Yan.


    Fang Su looked puzzled as she had never seen the man in front of her before.


    Xie Zhao introduced himself, ¡°Madam Shen, I¡¯m from the Pingxi Army.¡±


    Xie Zhao seemed unwilling to have anything to do with the Marquis of Yongding, and never mentioned his father¡¯s name outside.


    At this time, at the corner of the corridor five steps away where Qin Yan and Xie Zhao stood, there was a thicket of bamboo. Xie Changyuan came from another direction, just in time to hear Xie Zhao¡¯s greeting to Qin Yan.


    Xie Changyuan stopped. He was going to wait for Xie Zhao to leave before going out. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Xie Zhao looked at Qin Yan, ¡°Princess Zhaoren, can I have a word with you?¡±


    Qin Yan nodded.


    After Fang Su left, Xie Zhao said to Qin Yan: ¡°Princess Zhaoren, I am the eldest son of Xie An, Marquis of Yongding.¡± Xie Zhao was a little ashamed to reveal his identity, but if he didn¡¯t say that Qin Yan might not know who he was at all.


    ¡°General Xie, I have seen your skills in the imperial garden and western suburb paddock.¡± Qin Yan made no secret of her admiration for the other party¡¯s skills.


    Behind the bamboo thicket, Xie Changyuan¡¯s heart sank when he heard such an unfamiliar and strange conversation between Qin Yan and Xie Zhao. They didn¡¯t seem to have any interaction before. So, what happened to the rumor that Qin Yan tried her best to protect Xie Zhao in the Northwest Pingxi Army Camp?


    Xie Zhao solemnly said to Qin Yan: ¡°I want to thank Princess Zhaoren, this thank you is three years late. When Shizi Xie went to the Pingxi Army to look for me, I was outside the tent of the Duke, and I heard what Princess said. Without the great righteousness of Princess back then, there would no Xie Zhao today.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say thank you, this is your own good fortune. General Xie, excuse me.¡± After saying that, Qin Yan left.


    Xie Zhao looked at Qin Yan¡¯s leaving back, still standing where he was.


    Xie Changyuan was shocked and confused.


    He was shocked by Qin Yan¡¯s estrangement from Xie Zhao, so what was the heart knot with Qin Yan over the past few years because of Xie Zhao?


    He wondered again, what did Qin Yan say back then that the Duke of Zhenguo wouldn¡¯t hand him over and let Xie Zhao remember her for so many years.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan came out, and Xie Zhao turned around to look at Xie Changyuan.


    After a while, Xie Changyuan said: ¡°What did Qin Yan say back then?¡±


    Xie Zhao soon realized that Xie Changyuan should have listened to the conversation between him and Qin Yan just now. And Xie Zhao just looked at Xie Changyuan indifferently, without saying a word.


    Xie Changyuan suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Xie Zhao¡¯s lapel with one hand.


    ¡°Say.¡± Xie Changyuan¡¯s tone was a bit harsh and there was a hint of threat in his tone.


    Xie Zhao lowered his eyes indifferently and looked at Xie Changyuan¡¯s hand holding his lapel.  He had some doubts about whether Commander Xie of the Northern Yamen Imperial Army would lose his mind in front of him and fight with him in the Imperial Garden.


    At this moment, Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t know whether he was angry at Xie Zhao¡¯s silence, or himself for the probable misunderstanding of Qin Yan. If you are enjoying the novel, please support this translation and get direct access to new releases by reading it at the translator¡¯s original website: https://justforfuntrans.com


    Xie Changyuan narrowed his eyes, took a deep breath, released his hand, took a few steps back, and was two steps away from Xie Zhao again, but his eyes were still staring coldly at the indifferent Xie Zhao.


    Xie Zhao seemed to understand something at this moment. Back then, Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t get the person he wanted from the Pingxi Army, so he should have blamed the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, or even Qin Yan.


    Could it be that this was the reason why Xie Changyuan denied his marriage contract with Qin Yan at the city gate?


    If that was the case¡­ Heh, Xie Zhao didn¡¯t mind telling Xie Changyuan the truth. He wanted to see how the proud and arrogant Xie Shizi regretted it.


    Xie Zhao looked at Xie Changyuan, and said: ¡°Back then when you asked the Duke of Zhenguo to hand me over to me in the Pingxi Army camp, the Duke asked Qin Yan for her opinion before he made a decision.¡±


    ¡°At that time, I was outside the Chief Commander¡¯s tent, and I personally heard what Qin Yan said to the Duke.¡±


    ¡°She said, ¡®Since he joined the army, his identity has been just a soldier guarding the border, a son who defends his home and country. At this moment, he is the son of all the people in Great Xia, and he is no longer the son of anyone, let alone anyone¡¯s illegitimate child.''¡±


    After Xie Zhao finished speaking, shock, guilt, and remorse were seen in Xie Changyuan¡¯s eyes.


    Xie Zhao raised the corner of his lips and left with satisfaction.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan stood alone in the corridor, unable to calm down for a long time.


    If it was said that Qin Yan tried her best to protect Xie Zhao, it was indeed true.


    But if it was said that Qin Yan didn¡¯t care about her fianc¨¦, Xie Changyuan, it didn¡¯t count.


    How could Xie Changyuan not understand that if the Pingxi Army agreed to hand over Xie Zhao due to personal relationships, it would have adverse effects on the army, and the soldiers would feel uneasy, which was a great taboo?


    Xie Changyuan only felt that the Duke of Zhenguo might consider this and wouldn¡¯t hand him over.


    But he didn¡¯t expect that Qin Yan, a mere woman, would have such insights and have such a vision and bearing.


    At this moment, Xie Changyuan hated himself for losing his mind due to hatred and anger and misunderstood Qin Yan for so many years to the extent that he and Qin Yan were like strangers now.


    If there were no misunderstandings back then, Qin Yan would still be his fianc¨¦e, or maybe even his wife.


    If there were no misunderstandings back then, there would no other men.


    Other men with ulterior motives towards Qin Yan, such as Xie Zhao, the Second Prince, and the Taizi.

 CH 49.2

    Chapter 49          Misunderstanding (2/2)


    Imperial Concubine Xian ordered people to set up an incense table in the imperial garden, and after leading the imperial concubines to perform the moon sacrifice ceremony, everyone took their seats at the table one after another.


    Today¡¯s banquet was not of a high standard, and there were only imperial concubines and womenfolk of various officials at the banquet.


    Since the empress had not yet returned to the palace, Imperial Concubine Xian prepared today¡¯s banquet and the Longevity Festival with the Ministry of Rites.


    Imperial Concubine Xian also invited the other four imperial concubines to make arrangements together.


    Imperial Concubine De refused because she had no experience, and Imperial Concubine Jing said that she was not in good health and couldn¡¯t exert herself.


    Only Imperial Concubine Shu readily agreed to Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s proposal.


    Imperial Concubine Xian wanted to gain the fame of being virtuous, while Imperial Concubine Shu wanted to build support for the Second Prince.


    After the banquet, Imperial Concubine Xian said to everyone: ¡°The banquet held today is to prepare for the upcoming Longevity Festival. In recent days, I¡¯ve been discussing with the Ministry of Rites about the program to celebrate His Majesty¡¯s birthday. If the young masters and ladies at your mansion have good talents, you can be reported to me, or Imperial Concubine Shu of Qiangong Palace.¡±


    When everyone heard this, their minds became enthusiastic.


    It was a rare opportunity if they could show their face at the Longevity Festival to gain glory for the family and win His Majesty¡¯s favor.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Wang Jingyan, the second daughter of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, was very sociable. She went to Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s side and kept talking non-stop, making Imperial Concubine Xian all smiles.


    As usual, Wang Jingyi just quietly observed the people at the banquet.


    Wang Jingyi¡¯s eyes occasionally glanced over at Xie Zhao.


    That day, Xie Zhao came to her rescue and killed the tiger in the hunting ground in the western suburbs. After that, Xie Zhao chased her out-of-control horse, jumped behind her on a slope, took her away, and landed safely. In one day, Xie Zhao saved her twice¡­


    Xie Zhao was very different from the sons of noble families in the capital that Wang Jingyi knew.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Wang Jingyi had something on her mind, so she left the banquet to sober up, and met a palace maid on a small path.


    ¡°Miss.¡± The palace maid saluted Wang Jingyi.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Wang Jingyi, the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister and the niece of the Empress and Imperial Concubine Xian, often walked around the palace, and also placed her eyeliner in Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s Jingren Palace.


    The palace maid stepped forward and whispered something in Wang Jingyi¡¯s ear.


    Hearing this, Wang Jingyi turned around and looked at Qin Nian, the second daughter of the Right Prime Minister Mansion, who was about to leave the banquet in the distance.


    She didn¡¯t expect Qin Nian to be so daring.


    ¡ª¨C


    Xie Changyuan was full of worries, drinking his sorrows away and without paying attention at all. The palace maid who replaced him with a full jug looked a little wrong.


    Not long after, a palace maid came to Xie Changyuan¡¯s seat and said: ¡°Shizi Xie, Miss A Yan is a little drunk, so she asked Shizi Xie to pick her up at the Qichun Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xie Changyuan raised his head and drank the wine in his cup. After drinking, he glanced at Qin Yan again, got up, and left the table.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The maid serving at Qin Yan¡¯s table changed another jug of wine for Qin Yan¡¯s table. Qin Yan picked up the jug and poured herself a cup, picked it up, and brought it to her lips, but suddenly stopped.


    Qin Yan frowned, she seemed to smell a special scent in the wine.


    Qin Yan¡¯s eyes became fierce, and she turned her head to look at the palace maid who had just delivered the wine.


    But at this moment, there was no one behind her.


    Just as Qin Yan was about to put down her wine cup, a blue figure suddenly rushed toward her.


    Qin Yan immediately got up to avoid it.


    ¡°Ah, Elder Sister, be careful¡­¡±


    It was Qin Ming who fell in front of her.


    Qin Ming got up in embarrassment, and quickly said: ¡°Elder Sister, I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    The cup of wine in Qin Yan¡¯s hand just now had all been spilled on Qin Yan¡¯s neckline. The cold wine dampened Qin Yan¡¯s outer robe, and the aroma of the wine mixed with a trace of a special scent inside rushed into Qin Yan¡¯s nose. Qin Yan suddenly felt a little heat rising in her body.


    Qin Yan immediately realized that it was a love potion.


    She took a glance at Fang Su, and Fang Su and Imperial Concubine De were talking happily.


    Qin Yan ignored Qin Ming who was still apologizing in front of her and strode away from the banquet.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Eldest Sister, Eldest Sister¡­¡± Seeing that his eldest sister seemed displeased, Qin Ming felt bad. He had come here to greet his eldest sister, and someone tripped him just now.


    Qin Ming scanned his side and saw Wang Jingyu with a smirk on his face.


    Qin Ming stepped forward in two steps, ¡°Was it you?¡±


    Wang Jingyu said lazily, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Qin Ming raised his fist, ready to punch Wang Jingyu in the face.


    Wang Jingyu took a step back and laughed: ¡°Today¡¯s banquet is jointly organized by Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu. Why, are you going to mess things up?¡±


    Hearing this, Qin Ming withdrew his fist bitterly.


    He couldn¡¯t cause trouble for his aunt.


    ¡°If I were you, I would stop making trouble in front of Princess Zhaoren. People should have self-knowledge,¡± Wang Jingyu said lazily with a dragging voice.


    Qin Ming was angry, but he couldn¡¯t let it out.


    He knew about the conflict between his eldest sister and his parents, but that was a matter of the previous generation, and he was his eldest sister¡¯s younger brother after all.


    ¡°Wang Jingyu, just wait for me.¡± Qin Ming said a harsh word and then walked away.


    Wang Jingyu looked at Qin Ming¡¯s leaving back and snorted slightly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Wang Jingyi quickly caught up with Xie Changyuan not far from the banquet.


    ¡°Shizi Xie.¡±


    Xie Changyuan frowned and turned around. It was Wang Jingyi, the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister Mansion and He Xiao¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but Xie Changyuan had no interaction with her.


    Wang Jingyi said to Xie Changyuan: ¡°I have reliable news that there is something wrong with the wine at the banquet today. Shizi Xie, please proceed carefully. I don¡¯t want anyone to have an accident at this banquet which will implicate Imperial Concubine Xian who is hosting the banquet.¡±


    Xie Changyuan was so preoccupied just now that he was somewhat absent-minded, so he drank a few more cups. Only now did Xie Changyuan realize that his body¡¯s dryness and hotness were abnormal, which was not like the usual reaction when he was drunk.


    At this moment, after being reminded by Wang Jingyi, Xie Chang Yuan realized that he must have drunk the problematic wine.


    Then A Yan¡­


    Xie Changyuan said: ¡°Just now a maid told me that A Yan was in Qichun Pavilion after she was drunk, did Miss Wang see A Yan?¡±


    Wang Jingyi frowned and recalled: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her. I don¡¯t know who this scheme is aimed at today. If you manage to find the person, leave quickly. I have to go to Princess Zhaoren. When I left the table just now, I saw Princess Zhaoren¡¯s expression seemed wrong and she also left alone.¡±


    Xie Changyuan was startled, ¡°Which direction did Qin Yan go?¡±


    Wang Jingyi pointed to the other side.


    Xie Changyuan said, ¡°Thank you¡±, and then quickly walked toward the direction Wang Jingyi pointed.


    And that direction was exactly opposite to Qichun Pavilion.


    Wang Jingyi looked at Xie Changyuan¡¯s leaving back and sighed in her heart, which also confirmed her previous speculation.


    Everyone felt that Shizi Xie broke his engagement with Princess Zhaoren because he favored Miss A Yan in the mansion.


    But there seemed to have another inside story.


    Wang Jingyi called the palace maid she had placed in Jingren Palace before, whispered a few words in her ear, and returned to the banquet.


    ¡ª¡ª


    About the time of a stick of incense, a palace maid walked quickly to the side of Imperial Concubine Xian, who was at the seat of honor at the banquet, and said something in a low voice.


    Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s expression changed drastically. She immediately got up and left the table. Before leaving, she called Imperial Concubine Shu to follow her.


    Everyone didn¡¯t know the reason why.


    What happened?

 CH 50.1

    Chapter 50          Charming (1/2)


    Half an hour ago, He Xiao was chatting and laughing with a beautiful lady from a noble family sitting next to him. He Xiao wandered among the flowers all year round, and with a word or a look, he could make the young lady laugh excitedly.


    A young master next to him joked, ¡°Young Master He, aren¡¯t you afraid that your fianc¨¦e will be jealous?¡±


    He Xiao picked up the wine cup which was about to send it to his mouth, turned his head, and looked up at the seat in front with a smile in his eyes.


    Heh, his nominal fianc¨¦e, the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, Wang Jingyi, was looking at the wine cup on her table. It seemed that the people or things at the banquet were not as interesting as the wine cup she held up in her hand.


    ¡°Have you seen a wooden beauty jealous?¡± He Xiao smiled at the young master sitting next to him with a sinister face.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Young Master He is really funny¡­¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    The young masters and young ladies on He Xiao¡¯s side laughed together, and from time to time they looked at the eldest young lady of the Wang family, Wang Jingyi, who was sat quietly and a little out of place at the banquet with a little contempt.


    The eldest young lady of the Wang family was born into a wealthy and influential family, so what if she had a noble status?


    The fianc¨¦ made jokes with other young ladies in front of the young lady of the Wang family and still said something bad about her. This young lady of the Wang family, how pitiful¡­


    Wang Jingyi had always been good at observing, and the group of young masters and young ladies beside He Xiao squinted at her with sarcastic smiles, how could Wang Jingyi not notice them.


    Those people looked at Wang Jingyi with disdain, ridicule, sympathy, and pity.


    Wang Jingyi sneered in her heart. Oh, let¡¯s see who is more pitiful in a while.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this time, a little palace maid walked to He Xiao and whispered in He Xiao¡¯s ear: ¡°Young Master He, Miss An twisted her foot when she just entered the palace and is currently resting in the Qichun Pavilion. Miss An asked this servant to bring a message, saying that she has something important to discuss with Young Master He.¡±


    The little palace maid left quickly after finished speaking.


    He Xiao narrowed his eyes, feeling a little unbelievable in his heart, but more so hesitance.


    Miss An? An Yanxi? An Suyue?


    He Xiao had always been following An Yanxi¡¯s schedule. A few days ago, An Yanxi went to Dajue Temple following the guards of honor to welcome the Empress.


    Did she come back today?


    An Yanxi was He Xiao¡¯s obsession, whether it was true or not, He Xiao was ready to take a look.


    He Xiao immediately got up and left.


    ¡ª¡ª


    He Xiao stepped into the Qichun Pavilion, and bursts of strong and intoxicating fragrance rushed into his nose.


    After taking two steps in, He Xiao immediately saw a woman in white lying on the couch with her back to him.


    Yanxi?


    He Xiao stepped forward, reached out, and turned the thin shoulders of the woman on the couch.


    It was Yan Xi, the woman he thought about day and night.


    He Xiao was not an upright gentleman, so how could he control himself when his beloved woman was in his arms?


    He Xiao pressed against the woman on the couch, and the room atmosphere became ambiguous.


    Outside the Qichun Pavilion, when a little palace maid heard the shameful voices of the man and woman inside, she blushed and left after closing the door.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    After the clouds scattered and the rain stopped*, He Xiao regained his clarity.


    (the clouds scattered and the rain stopped*- ¨C a metaphor for the end of sexual affairs between a man and woman)


    He finally got Yanxi. What he didn¡¯t expect was that Yanxi was still so enthusiastic. He planned to ask the Emperor to bestow him a marriage at the Longevity Festival. Now it seemed that there was no need to be so troublesome.


    ¡°Yanxi¡­¡±


    He Xiao calmed down his breath, raised his head, and looked affectionately at the woman below him.


    ¡°Why is it you?¡± He Xiao was shocked.


    Beneath He Xiao was Qin Nian, the second young lady of the Right Prime Minister Mansion who was still under the influence.


    Qin Nian slowly opened her spring-like eyes, and when she saw the man in front of him, her eyes suddenly opened wide.


    ¡°Why you?¡±


    However, before the two who were still hugging each other naked recovered from the extreme shock, the door of Qichun Pavilion was pushed open from the outside.


    The two quickly separated, pulling the scattered clothes on the couch to cover up the important parts indiscriminately.


    Those who came in were Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu who hosted the banquet today.


    Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu both turned pale.


    ¡°Tidy up your clothes, and then tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± Imperial Concubine Xian stepped out after finishing speaking.


    Imperial Concubine Shu glanced at Qin Nian who was in a mess on the couch in shock and disappointment, then turned around and went out.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    In the south study room of the front court.


    Today was the mid-autumn festival and was a rest day for the courtiers, so there were no Hanlin scholars on duty in the south study room.


    Taizi Feng Zhan sat alone in front of a desk, holding a scroll in his hand, but he didn¡¯t read a word for a long time.


    Song Zhi suddenly walked in quickly.


    ¡°Your Highness, the secret guard came to report that something has happened in the Imperial Garden.¡±


    Feng Zhan got up suddenly, stepped out of the south study room, got on his horse, and galloped away.


    Song Zhi didn¡¯t have the privileges to ride a horse in the palace, so he could only walk quickly.


    But after a while, His Highness disappeared.


    Song Zhi¡­


    His Highness didn¡¯t even ask what happened¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    At Qichun Pavilion, the doors and windows were wide open at this moment, and the sinful smell in the room was almost gone.


    Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu sat on big chairs separately.


    He Xiao with a frosty face and Qin Nian with an unnatural posture stood in front of them.


    ¡°Are you unable to distinguish the occasion?¡± Imperial Concubine Xian¡¯s tone was cold.


    Qin Nian¡¯s expression turned pale, and she bowed her head in silence.


    He Xiao¡¯s face was livid, he took a deep breath and said: ¡°Miss Qin and I are in love with each other. I drank two more glasses today and couldn¡¯t hold back, so I made Miss Qin¡­¡±


    Qin Nian looked up at He Xiao in shock, when did she and He Xiao fall in love?


    Then she suddenly understood something, Qin Nian was completely disheartened, and her head drooped again.


    At this moment, He Xiao and Qin Nian were very clear in their hearts. If the two insisted on being framed for what happened in Qichun Pavilion today, no matter whether they could find out the person who framed them later, Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu who hosted the banquet might make the Emperor displeased due to poor supervision.


    Moreover, the Right Prime Minister Mansion and the Ministry of War Minister He Mansion would also blame this matter on Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu.


    As for He Xiao and Qin Nian, they were caught in such an intolerable state, and neither of them could prove their innocence.


    There was no turning back.


    Now that the matter had come to this, instead of offending Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu, it was better to just go down the monkey* and do her a special favor.


    (just go down the monkey* ¨C a common saying, which means to find a step to go down with embarrassment)


    ¡ª¡ª


    Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu were both people with experience. Seeing their reactions, they could probably guess what happened today, and there must be something fishy going on.


    And He Xiao¡¯s statement and Qin Nian¡¯s silence without protest could be regarded as the two of them still knowledgeable about the current affairs.


    ¡°All right, today¡¯s Mid-Autumn night is also the night of appreciating the moon and seeking a partner. I can understand that you young people can¡¯t help it. I will ask His Majesty for a marriage decree for you.¡± Imperial Concubine Xian said with satisfaction.


    Qin Nian raised her head suddenly and quickly hung down in despair. An ugly smirk appeared on her lips, this could only be the result, otherwise what else could it be?


    Imperial Concubine Shu looked at Qin Nian disappointedly and sadly. Her always well-behaved niece was originally her favorite candidate for daughter-in-law, but unexpectedly¡­


    Imperial Concubine Shu and Imperial Concubine Xian left together and returned to the banquet.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Inside the Qichun Pavilion.


    He Xiao¡¯s expression was furious, he gritted his teeth and said to Qin Nian: ¡°Don¡¯t let me find out that this matter is related to you!¡±


    He Xiao left angrily.


    Qin Nian slumped on the cold ground with an ashen face.


    It¡¯s over.


    Why was it not Shizi Xie? But He Xiao?


    Oh, He Xiao¡­


    A well-known dandy in the capital city, wandering around the brothels in Qianshui Promenade all year round.


    Everyone in the circle knew He Xiao¡¯s thoughts on the eldest young lady of the An family of the Grand Scholars Mansion, and he was even often quoted as a joke by the young masters and young ladies of the noble families.


    And He Xiao also had a fianc¨¦e who was about to get married, Wang Jingyi, the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister Mansion.


    And what happened today¡­


    How would her father handle it?


    What would the Wang family do?


    Could she settle for the rest of her life like this?


    With He Xiao, a prodigal dandy? Or start in such an unbearable way?


    Qin Nian buried her head on her knees, weeping silently.

 CH 50.2

    Chapter 50          Charming (2/2)


    The cold moon was like frost, the moonlight tonight was not clear as if rain was coming.


    Qin Yan had just walked to a rockery garden at the southern end of the Imperial Garden when she ran into Feng Zhan who was striding towards her.


    When Feng Zhan saw the woman in front of him, his tense frowns relaxed slightly.


    Fortunately, she was fine.


    Qin Yan stopped, and when Feng Zhan walked in front of her, Qin Yan stretched out her hand to caress Feng Zhan¡¯s angular side face.


    ¡°You delivered yourself to the door.¡±


    Qin Yan¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse, and her outstretched hand went down, across Feng Zhan¡¯s strong hard chest, suddenly grabbed Feng Zhan¡¯s lapel, and pushed Feng Zhan behind the rockery.


    Qin Yan¡¯s graceful body was close to Feng Zhan¡¯s strong hard body, and a pair of slender white hands wandered up and down Feng Zhan¡¯s sturdy body.


    Feng Zhan frowned slightly, there seemed to be something wrong with Qin Yan. Just as he was about to take Qin Yan away from here, there was the sound of heavy footsteps approaching.


    Feng Zhan immediately put his arms around Qin Yan and hid the two of them behind a thicket of wide banana leaves.


    Qin Yan looked so charming now and Feng Zhan didn¡¯t want anyone to see her.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Xie Changyuan couldn¡¯t find Qin Yan anywhere, but he himself became hotter and hotter. Xie Changyuan knew that he had been drugged with aphrodisiac.


    And where was Qin Yan, had she also been drugged?


    Xie Changyuan walked outside a rockery, propped one hand on top of the rock, and opened his lapel with the other hand, trying to calm down his increasingly chaotic and irritable body.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan¡­¡±


    A woman came from the opposite side.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, you are here¡­¡±


    Xie Changyuan grabbed the woman in front of him, brought her to the side of the rockery, pressed her against the rough rocks, and buried his head in the woman¡¯s neck, panting violently.


    ¡°Yanyan, Yanyan¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Changyuan¡­¡±


    A Yan¡¯s lips were blocked by Xie Changyuan¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Feng Zhan and Qin Yan, who were behind the banana leaf further inside the rockery, were forced to listen to an erotic scene just like this.


    The rustling of the clothes, the man¡¯s repressed panting, and the woman¡¯s soft moans.


    Feng Zhan saw that Qin Yan seemed to be listening with great interest, so he pinched her lower back in displeasure.


    The movement on the outside subsided after a while.


    ¡°Yanyan, Yanyan¡­¡± Xie Changyuan murmured to calm down his rapid breathing.


    ¡ª¡ª


    After Xie Changyuan¡¯s release, he gradually became sober.


    He affectionately smoothed the messy hair on the forehead of the woman in front of him, but his eyes widened in an instant.


    A Yan in front of him looked shy and buried her head in Xie Changyuan¡¯s arms again feebly.


    Xie Changyuan raised his head in despair, feeling sad in his heart.


    Why was it her?


    Xie Changyuan clenched his teeth tightly, resisting the sudden bitterness in his chest. He clenched his fist tightly and suddenly punched the rockery in front of him.


    A Yan turned her head when she heard the sound, and immediately pulled Xie Changyuan¡¯s right hand that hit the rock. The four knuckles of Xie Changyuan¡¯s clenched fist were already bloody.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, don¡¯t blame yourself. I will be yours sooner or later, and I am willing today.¡± A Yan softly comforted the pained Xie Changyuan who was in front of her.


    Xie Changyuan felt extremely heartbroken at this moment, he had just realized that there was only a misunderstanding between himself and Qin Yan, but what should he do now?


    ¡°Brother Changyuan¡­¡±


    Without saying a word, Xie Changyuan put away his thoughts, quickly sorted out their clothes, carried A Yan, who had become soft and weak, and walked away quickly.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan, who was still in Feng Zhan¡¯s arms, glanced in the direction where the footsteps were leaving and then turned her gaze back to Feng Zhan in front of her. Her eyes swept across the man in front of her, seeming a little suspicious: ¡°So fast?¡±


    Feng Zhan¡¯s face darkened in an instant, and his long and narrow eyes narrowed dangerously. He looked at the delicate face of the woman in his arms and fumed with rage: ¡°I will let you know whether it¡¯s fast or not.¡±


    ¡ª¨C


    Xie Changyuan carried A Yan and rushed out of the palace gate, put A Yan into the carriage of the Marquis Mansion, ordered the driver to go back to the mansion, and ran back to the palace.


    ¡°Brother Changyuan, Brother Changyuan¡­¡± A Yan supported her uncomfortable body, lifted the curtain of the carriage, and called weakly to Xie Changyuan¡¯s back, but Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t turn around.


    ¡°Stop, I¡¯m going to wait for Brother Changyuan to go back to the mansion together.¡± A Yan told the coachman.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At this time, the banquet in the Imperial Garden was over, and everyone was leaving the palace one after another.


    Xie Changyuan met Fang Su, the mistress of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, who was escorted out of the palace by Imperial Concubine De¡¯s maids.


    Xie Changyuan stood in front of Fang Su, speaking anxiously: ¡°Madam Shen, where is Qin Yan?¡±


    Fang Su recognized the famous Shizi Xie in front of her.


    Oh, Shizi Xie.


    Fang Su didn¡¯t give him a good face, so she took a sidestep and was ready to leave.


    Xie Changyuan then took another step to block Fang Su¡¯s way and said: ¡°Madam Shen, I¡¯m worried that Qin Yan might have drunk the problematic wine. Where is she?¡±


    Xie Changyuan stared closely at Fang Su¡¯s expression.


    Fang Su frowned, just now Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu suddenly left the banquet at the same time, and then came back with a bad look, she wondered if something had happened.


    However, Yanyan¡­


    ¡°Madam Shen¡­¡± Xie Changyuan asked anxiously again.


    ¡°Lord Song from the Taizi Mansion came to pass a message, saying that Yanyan left with Taizi.¡± Fang Su didn¡¯t want to be entangled with the young man in front of her and just wanted to send him away quickly.


    Fang Su scoffed in her heart, Xie Shizi made such a worried look about Yanyan at this moment, why didn¡¯t he do that before?


    Xie Changyuan was startled when he heard the words, then turned around and rushed out.


    Taizi did not attend the banquet today. If Taizi was in the palace, he should have gone to the front court.


    Whenever Taizi entered the front court, his carriage always entered and exited through the Donghua Gate of the imperial city.


    Xie Changyuan rushed out of the palace gate, jumped on his black horse, and galloped away.


    On the carriage of the Marquis of Yongding Mansion, A Yan kept raising the curtain and looked towards the palace gate until Xie Changyuan came out but saw that Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t even cast a glance at her carriage but got on the horse and rushed out in another direction.


    A Yan¡¯s newly unfolded smile froze on her face.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    Taizi¡¯s carriage outside Donghua Gate was about to leave.


    Xie Changyuan rushed over on his horse, before the horse stopped, Xie Changyuan jumped off the horse and rushed to the side of Taizi¡¯s carriage but was stopped by Song Zhi.


    Xie Changyuan forcefully pushed away Song Zhi who was blocking him and shouted urgently: ¡°Qin Yan!¡±


    ¡°Qin Yan!¡±


    Song Zhi tried his best to stop Xie Changyuan a few steps away from the carriage.


    ¡°Shizi Xie, His Highness is going back to the mansion.¡±


    ¡°Qin Yan, I know you are inside. I was wrong. I misunderstood you when I said I wanted to end the marriage contract at the gate of the city. It was because you prevented me from taking Xie Zhaso away last time. I thought¡­¡± Taizi Feng Zhan suddenly made a sound in the carriage, interrupting Xie Changyuan¡¯s eagerness to speak again and again.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s voice was cold, and the words that he spoke reached Xie Changyuan¡¯s ears who were three steps away from the carriage.


    ¡°Commander Xie, on what occasion and what to do, I don¡¯t need to teach you.¡±


    Xie Changyuan¡­


    What did Taizi mean?


    After a while, another lazy female voice came from inside the carriage.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s already autumn¡­ the rockery is still a bit cool¡­¡± It was Qin Yan¡¯s voice, and when he listened carefully, there was still a hint of charm in her voice.


    A group of soldiers from the Taizi Mansion escorted Taizi¡¯s carriage away.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan still maintained the stance just now, standing stiffly in place.


    Qin Yan and Taizi, they saw¡­


    Saw himself and A Yan in the Imperial Garden¡­


    He did that kind of thing with Ah Yan¡­


    In front of Qin Yan¡­


    Xie Changyuan covered his face in pain with his hands, curled his fingers, and pressed them against his head.


    Xie Changyuan closed his eyes tightly and grabbed his hair with both hands. He suddenly pulled out the jade crown on the top of his head and threw it out with all his strength.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Xie Changyuan held his head and knelt down on the cold ground.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s hair was disheveled, and his body was trembling with pain as if he was suppressing low sobs.


    The wind suddenly picked up and then was followed by cold rain.


    At this moment, Xie Changyuan¡¯s heart was like this sudden autumn breeze and autumn rain, already cold.


    ¡ª¨C


    On Taizi¡¯s carriage.


    Qin Yan¡¯s slender white fingertips hooked the jade belt on Feng Zhan¡¯s waist.


    At this moment, Qin Yan, under the influence of alcohol and the remaining aphrodisiac, was so enchantingly beautiful.


    She leaned over and pressed her full and moist red lips to Feng Zhan¡¯s red ears, with a charming voice.


    ¡°Is your carriage reinforced?¡±

 CH 51

    Chapter 51          Cut the Loss


    Taizi¡¯s carriage left the Donghua Gate and stopped outside the Meridian Gate not long after.


    In the blurred rain curtain ahead, there was the carriage of Princess Zhaoren Mansion and the guards of the Princess Mansion.


    Shen Ying, who was dressed in a black dress, jumped down from the carriage and walked over quickly with an umbrella.


    ¡°Lord Song, is my master in the carriage?¡±


    Song Zhi nodded to Shen Ying and took a step aside.


    Shen Ying walked outside Taizi¡¯s carriage with the curtain closed.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    In the carriage, Qin Yan¡¯s hair was in a loose bun and her clothes were a bit messy. The hand that had just reached into Feng Zhan¡¯s lapel stopped suddenly.


    The delicate white fingertips touched the skin on Feng Zhan¡¯s hard chest, and it felt hot. Qin Yan was in a daze for a moment, as if it was His Highness Taizi in front of her who had been drugged, not herself.


    Qin Yan slowly closed her eyes and sighed softly.


    She thought she could indulge one last time, but it was a dream that she would eventually have to wake up.


    Qin Yan opened her eyes, her seductive phoenix eyes disappeared instantly and regained full clarity.


    Feng Zhan frowned, looking at the stunning beauty who was leaning over in front of him, slowly stood up and arranged her loose hair and robe with her slender fingers.


    Qin Yan spoke with a cold voice: ¡°Shen Ying, send the secret guard back to the Princess Mansion quickly and tell Mister Ji that I have been drugged with aphrodisiac, let him be prepared.¡±


    Shen Ying took the order and left.


    After tidying up, Qin Yan turned around and got out of the car, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Feng Zhan who was behind her.


    Qin Yan frowned and turned around.


    Feng Zhan was just guessing, but now he was sure that Qin Yan had indeed been drugged.


    Qin Yan¡¯s slender neck and small face showed an abnormally intoxicating bright red, which meant that the medicinal properties had not yet dissipated.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s face darkened slightly.


    ¡°What did you ask him to prepare?¡±


    Qin Yan was stunned for a moment and then came to her senses.


    She smiled and said, ¡°Of course the antidote.¡±


    Feng Zhan frowned.


    He knew it was the antidote, but what kind of method?


    Qin Yan said lightly: ¡°Mister Ji comes from the Medicine King Valley.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Qin Yan with an indulgent look traced the handsome man in front of her with her eyes, the full forehead, the strong jawbones, the slightly raised sword eyebrows, the deep eyes, the tall nose bridge, the sexy thin lips, the imposingly tall and straight figure, the lean waist, and the strong long legs¡­


    Qin Yan spoke with a cold tone, like cold water at night:


    ¡°Your Highness Taizi, let¡¯s stop here.¡±


    Feng Zhan¡¯s face sank.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    Qin Yan spoke gently and slowly: ¡°Literally.¡±


    Qin Yan withdrew her hand but was pulled back with sudden force by Feng Zhan, who brought Qin Yan into his arms.


    Feng Zhan¡¯s eyes were cold and fierce, suppressing the urge to strangle the beautiful woman in his arms.


    Qin Yan raised her head, smiled lightly, and said leisurely: ¡°Flowers are half-bloomed, and drink till slightly drunk*. Whether the dream is long or short, it¡¯s a dream after all. Let¡¯s part happily.¡±


    (Flowers are half blooming, and drink till slightly drunk* ¨C the best time to enjoy flowers is when it¡¯s budding, and the feeling of drinking is the best when one is half drunk ¨C it means to have reasonable control over one¡¯s desire)


    Feng Zhan¡¯s breathing paused and loosened his arms.


    Qin Yan escaped from Feng Zhan¡¯s restraints and got off the carriage.


    Shen Ying returned and raised the umbrella over Qin Yan¡¯s head, the master and servant strode away.


    Qin Yan got on her carriage, the carriage of the Princess Mansion, and the twenty guards behind the carriage galloped away.


    Song Zhi saw that Princess Zhaoren had left, but His Highness Taizi had no movement for a long time. He didn¡¯t understand, so he asked: ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Follow them.¡± Taizi Feng Zhan¡¯s cold voice suddenly came from inside the carriage.


    Song Zhi jumped on his horse, and the entourage galloped away.


    ¡ª¡ª


    An hour later, the carriages of Qin Yan and Feng Zhan arrived in front of the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion in Xishan.


    Qin Yan got off the carriage and walked into the mansion without looking back.


    The carriage of the Taizi Mansion stopped not far behind her.


    Song Zhi was puzzled, why His Highness didn¡¯t go back to the mansion, nor did he get out of the carriage?


    The curtain of the Taizi¡¯s carriage had not been lifted from the beginning to the end.


    About the time a cup of tea, Taizi Feng Zhan in the carriage suddenly made a sound.


    ¡°Go back to the mansion, call the secret guards who were in the Imperial Garden to the study immediately.¡±


    Taizi and his entourage left.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the study room of the Taizi Mansion.


    After Feng Zhan sat at the desk, the lights in the desk area were not lit, and Feng Zhan, who was hidden in the shadows, had a somewhat dangerous aura.


    There were three men in black standing in front of the desk.


    Song Zhi said: ¡°Please explain what happened in the Imperial Garden today.¡±


    A secret guard said: ¡°This subordinate was responsible for protecting Princess Zhaoren secretly. After Princess Zhaoren took the seat, everything was normal until the son of the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion came over and fell on Princess Zhaoren. The princess got up to avoid him. However, the wine cup spilled out some wine and spilled on Princess¡¯s robe. Then Princess left the banquet, and this subordinate followed her. Then Princess met His Highness¡­¡± After that, the secret guard did not dare to get too close, as His Highness and Princess Zhaoren¡­


    Another secret guard continued: ¡°This subordinate was responsible for keeping an eye on the drinks and food at Princess Zhaoren¡¯s table. During the banquet, the maid serving the drinks and dishes for Princess was replaced temporarily. The maid replaced the pot of wine for the princess and left immediately. This subordinate was suspicious, so I followed her. The maid met Qin Nian, the second young lady of the Right Prime Minister Qin Mansion. This subordinate suspected that the second young lady of Qin ordered the maid to tamper with Princess¡¯s wine.¡±


    The third secret guard said: ¡°There is another matter. In the Qichun Pavilion, the second young lady of Qin of the Right Prime Minister Mansion, and He Xiao, the eldest son of the He Mansion of the Ministry of War, were caught by Imperial Concubine Shu and Imperial Concubine Xian while doing that.¡±


    After finishing speaking, the three secret guards stood quietly in the distance.


    Song Zhi spoke, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Withdraw.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    The secret guards left.


    After a while, Feng Zhan said coldly: ¡°Go to the Princess Mansion and inform Princess Zhaoren of the news.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, now?¡± Song Zhi asked suspiciously, wasn¡¯t it a little late at this time?


    ¡°Immediately.¡± Feng Zhan looked at Song Zhi with displeasure.


    Song Zhi¡­ so urgent?


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Song Zhi took the order and left, leaving Feng Zhan alone in the shadow.


    Qin Yan, as the name suggested, was like a wisp of smoke, full of nothingness that couldn¡¯t be grasped.


    What should he do with her?


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the hot pool of Qin Yan¡¯s bedroom at the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion in Xishan.


    Qin Yan leaned against the edge of the pool, and the medicine in the pool soaked into her body from Qin Yan¡¯s opened pores, slowly relieving her dryness.


    Qin Yan¡¯s mind suddenly flashed through the last look she had on Feng Zhan, Feng Zhan¡¯s cold eyes.


    Qin Yan had never concealed her appreciation for excellent people.


    Taizi Feng Zhan was highly respected and dignified with great power in his hands. Whether it was his means or his appearance, they all hit Qin Yan¡¯s checklist on the spot.


    Unfortunately, Feng Zhan was from an imperial family and an established Taizi.


    Qin Yan originally thought that it would be worthwhile to start a short relationship with such an excellent person.


    But today¡­


    When Qin Yan caught sight of the tall and handsome man, Taizi Feng Zhan who came under the moonlight in the imperial garden, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.


    This strange feeling made Qin Yan out of control and became alert, which was far from good.


    It was just for fun initially, but it almost moved her heart.


    Fortunately, she was able to cut the loss in time.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Shen Ying was outside the room divider.


    ¡°Master, Lord Song from the Taizi Mansion just came over and said His Highness sent him to tell Master what they found about the Imperial Garden today.¡±


    ¡°Say.¡± Qin Yan¡¯s voice was cold.


    Shen Ying repeated what Song Zhi conveyed.


    Qin Yan narrowed her eyes slightly.


    Qin Nian?


    Qin Yan was silent for a moment, then ordered in a cold voice: ¡°Before noon tomorrow, ask Mister Ji to send the information of Qin Nian, He Xiao, and people related to them to the study.¡±


    As for Taizi Feng Zhan¡­


    ¡°Shen Ying, ask Mister Ji to deliver the information of Fourth Master Qin to the Taizi Mansion. I don¡¯t like to owe favors.¡±


    Shen Ying took the order and left.


    Shen Ying, who walked out quickly, murmured in her heart.


    These days, the relationship between her master and Taizi was ambiguous, and it could even be said that they were passionately in love with each other.


    On the way back from the city just now, His Highness Taizi and his entourage followed them to the gate of the Princess Mansion, and they left after a long time.


    And Lord Song from the Taizi Mansion was instructed by His Highness Taizi to come and deliver the news overnight, which was enough to show that His Highness Taizi attached great importance to her master.


    But her master being like this¡­


    Why did Shen Ying feel that her master was like a scumbag to His Highness Taizi from beginning to end¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Not long after, Song Zhi returned to the mansion, and Feng Zhan was still sitting in the study, without even changing his posture.


    Song Zhi reported: ¡°This subordinate has passed the news to Shen Ying, who is next to Princess Zhaoren. When this subordinate left the Princess Mansion, Mister Ji, the steward of the Princess Mansion, came out and said that Princess Zhaoren ordered to deliver information to His Highness Taizi. The Qin family of the Right Prime Minister Mansion, Fourth Master Qin, is collecting grain in the south of the Yangtze River.¡±


    After Song Zhi finished speaking, he stood aside, waiting for His Highness¡¯s instructions.


    But His Royal Highness hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time. Song Zhi glanced at him, and His Highness¡¯s face became darker.


    Feng Zhan was hidden in the shadow, his heart was slightly cold.


    Qin Yan, she was exchanging information.


    She wasn¡¯t showing her temper but was seriously drawing a line with him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t startle the snake first, find out how much the Right Prime Minister is involved in this matter.¡± Feng Zhan¡¯s tone was cold.


    ¡°This subordinate obeys.¡± Song Zhi wondered, what happened between His Highness and the Princess of Zhaoren?


    Why did he feel that His Highness was like a resentful husband who was abandoned by the Princess of Zhaoren¡­


    Pooh, pooh, pooh, what foolish thinking¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    Xie Changyuan was drenched in the rain for an hour outside Donghua Gate, then stumbled to get on his horse, and went under the curtain of rain.


    The curfew was lifted during the mid-autumn festival night. There were usually many people on the street market looking at the lanterns and admiring the moon, but the sudden rain caused everyone to disperse unhappily and return home.


    Xie Changyuan galloped on his horse, and at an intersection, he collided with a carriage coming from the side.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s horse fell to the side, and he himself fell to the ground.


    Xie Changyuan was exhausted. After falling to the ground, he spread his legs and arms and lay on his back on the muddy ground, letting the raindrops hit his face and body.


    The horses of the carriage were frightened, and the coachman was finally able to calm down the horses.


    A panicked female voice came from inside the fragrant carriage*, and after a while, the voice asked: ¡°What happened?¡±


    (fragrant carriage* ¨C refers to carriage made of fragrant wood like red sandalwood to highlight their status and power)


    The coachman got out of the carriage and took a look at the man who fell on the ground and quickly turned back.


    ¡°Miss Nanxu, he looks like Shizi Xie from the Marquis of Yongding Mansion.¡±


    Hearing this, Nanxu held up an umbrella, got off the carriage, and walked quickly to Xie Changyuan¡¯s side.


    Then, disregarding the muddy water staining the hem of her skirt, she squatted down and touched Xie Changyuan¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Shizi Xie, Shizi Xie¡­¡±


    Xie Changyuan closed his eyes without saying a word.


    Nanxu stretched out her hand to test Xie Changyuan¡¯s breath, and when she reached Xie Changyuan¡¯s face, her hand was immediately caught by him.


    At this moment, Xie Changyuan opened his eyes, his eyes were cold, but he still didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Shizi Xie, I am Nanxu.¡±


    Nanxu didn¡¯t know what happened to Xie Changyuan, so she called the coachman.


    ¡°Help Shizi Xie into the carriage.¡± Nan Xu instructed the coachman to head toward Shuyu Lane.


    The coachman immediately stepped forward, picked up Xie Changyuan who was at his mercy, and got into Nanxu¡¯s carriage.


    Nanxu closed her umbrella and followed into the carriage. Xie Changyuan lay on his back in the carriage with his eyes closed, while Nanxu sat on her knees beside Xie Changyuan.


    The coachman outside asked: ¡°Miss Nanxu, where are we going?¡±


    Nan Xu looked at Xie Changyuan, but Xie Changyuan still didn¡¯t speak.


    Nan Xu said: ¡°Go back to Shuyu Lane.¡±


    The coachman responded and drove towards Qianshui Lake. Meantime, Nanxu took out a towel from the carriage and gently wiped the rainwater off Xie Changyuan¡¯s face. Xie Changyuan, who was still lying down with his eyes closed, didn¡¯t stop her.


    Nanxu brought another thick blanket and covered Xie Changyuan with it. Then she sat quietly aside, without asking more questions.


    The fragrant carriage stopped at Shuyu Lane. Even then, Nanxu still sat quietly for a while.


    Xie Changyuan spoke suddenly, his voice a little hoarse: ¡°Is there any wine?¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    Nanxu¡¯s Xingyun Pavilion in Shuyu Lane.


    Xie Changyuan was leaning on the low couch by the window on the second floor, with an unrestrained attitude, holding a jar of wine in his hand and gulping down from time to time. On the top of the low table, there were a dozen or so small black pottery wine jars, and on the other side of the table sat an elegant and indifferent Nanxu.


    The Qianshui Lake outside the window was covered with a layer of veil due to the continuous rain, and the humid mist was brought into the pavilion by the occasional cool breeze. Nanxu just sat quietly, neither talking nor asking, only just unsealed the wine jar for Xie Changyuan and pushed it in front of him from time to time.


    Since Xie Changyuan entered the pavilion, he just drank without saying a word. After a big drink, Xie Changyuan passed out in front of the window.


    Nanxu got up, walked out slowly, and called two manservants from Shuyu Lane.


    ¡°Move the person to the bed.¡±


    Nanxu pointed to her embroidered bed to the servant. The manservant moved in response.


    ¡°Take off his clothes.¡± Nanxu continued to order but felt relieved.


    The manservant was stunned for a moment. Miss Nanxu was the number one prostitute in Shuyu Lane and never sleep with men in Xingyun Pavilion. Moreover, Miss Nanxu was taken care of by Young Master He, this¡­


    ¡°Shizi Xie¡¯s clothes are wet. Do you want me to take them off?¡±


    The two menservants didn¡¯t hesitate any longer, they moved the tall Xie Changyuan together, took off all the wet clothes on his body, and then left.


    Nanxu then ordered the little maid serving her to bring a basin of warm water and asked the little maid to close the door on the way out.


    Nanxu wrung a handkerchief, walked to the embroidered bed, and sat down, carefully wiping Xie Changyuan¡¯s naked body with a handkerchief. Before today, Nanxu had never seen a man¡¯s naked body, but at this moment her heart was very calm.


    After a while, Nanxu got up, put the handkerchief back into the basin, then walked to a cabinet on the inside, and took out a small paper bag from underneath.


    Nanxu walked to a fragrant incense burner in the corner, opened the paper bag in her hand, poured the white powder into the incense burner, and lit the incense.


    Smoke rose in spirals from the burner.


    Nanxu got up, called for water, and went into the inner room to take a bath alone.


    When Nanxu stepped out of the bathtub wearing a towel, the room was already filled with a special intoxicating fragrance. Nanxu took a deep breath and turned to look at the man on the embroidered couch.


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s thick eyebrows frowned slightly as if he still couldn¡¯t be happy in his dream. Nanxu slowly got on the bed, Xie Changyuan¡¯s whole body was scalding hot, and so was Nanxu.


    The fine mist from the lake coming in through the window, and the shadows from the lights were like a dream. The pitter-pattering sound from outside the window never stopped.


    Xie Changyuan frowned and murmured softly, ¡°Yanyan¡­¡±


    Finally¡­¡­


    About the time of a stick of incense, Nanxu got off the bed.


    Looking back, Xie Changyuan who was on the bed was breathing evenly and seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.


    Nanxu put on a silk robe, wiped Xie Changyuan¡¯s body again with a handkerchief, and then covered Xie Changyuan with a thin quilt.


    Have a good dream, Shizi Xie.


    ¡ª¡ª


    He Xiao stayed up all night.


    Early the next morning, He Xiao galloped out.


    He Xiao was upset. The officials had a three-day rest during Mid-Autumn Festival, and Xie Shizi couldn¡¯t shirk off this time due to his official duties, so he went straight to the Marquis of Yongding Mansion to find Xie Changyuan for a drink.


    At Marquis of Yongding Mansion.


    ¡°Shizi Xie didn¡¯t return home last night? Is he still in the Northern Yamen Army Camp?¡± He Xiao was a little surprised when he heard the news from Li Zhong, was Shizi Xie so diligent?


    Li Zhong was about to speak but was interrupted by A Yan who was helped by the maid.


    ¡°Uncle Li, Brother Changyuan didn¡¯t come back last night? Where did he go?¡±


    He Xiao squinted at A Yan¡¯s unnatural walking posture, and seemed to guess something in his heart, did Shizi Xie have his first time?


    But if he had his first time, then why wasn¡¯t he in the mansion last night?


    At this time, another servant hurried over from outside and said to Li Zhong: ¡°Miss Nanxu from Shuyu Lane sent someone to pick up a change of clothes for Shizi.¡±


    He Xiao!


    A Yan!


    ¡°Bye.¡± He Xiao turned around and left the mansion, got on his horse, and headed towards Qianshui Lake.


    A Yan was stunned for a while, then said: ¡°Prepare the carriage and go to Shuyu Lane.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    The next day, the guards of honor waiting to welcome the Empress at Dajue Temple in Yuquan Mountain finally received the good news that the Empress agreed to return to the palace.


    After the guards of honor entered the palace, Feng Yuyao immediately returned to the Princess of Zhaoren Mansion in Xishan.


    In the study, Qin Yan just finished reading the information that Ji Nanfeng found.


    Qin Yan put down the stack of paper in her hand and chuckled lightly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there are so many love-hate entanglements among these noble young masters and young ladies in the capital. It¡¯s really interesting.¡±


    Shen Huai came in, ¡°Master, Princess Jingyi is here.¡±


    In the reception hall at this season, there was only a pool view of withered lotus in the lotus pond.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been suffocated these past few days. Yanyan, let¡¯s go out with me for a while today.¡± Feng Yuyao had been going to Dajue Temple to listen to the bells every day because of the task assigned by her imperial father these days. The entourage gave the Empress more than enough respect and sincerity.


    Qin Yan had no interest.


    ¡°Hey, Yanyan, you said last time that you would invite me to see the dancers from the Western Regions after winning the money. You have won twice, why are you reneging on your debt?¡± Feng Yuyao glanced at Qin Yan with an askance look.


    Qin Yan laughed helplessly, ¡°Shen Ying, prepare the carriage.¡±


    Feng Yuyao smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve inquired about the place, Hongxiao Lane in Qianshui Promenade. I heard that there are enchanting dancers there, and there are also pretty and talented young ladies. Yanyan, you have to go to see the world too¡­¡±

 CH 52

    Chapter 52          Catch Adultery


    Shuyu Lane at Qianshui Promenade in the south of Capital City.


    From the moment He Xiao stepped into the gate to the time when he walked to Nanxu¡¯s Xingyun Pavilion, he frequently felt eyes of unknown meaning cast on him.


    He Xiao looked back suspiciously, and the maids at the Shuyu Lane all avoided his eyes. At this moment, He Xiao felt without any doubt that in their eyes that he seemed to have been cuckolded and came to catch adultery.


    He Xiao uttered a curse in his heart.


    When he arrived at Xingyun Pavilion, He Xiao strode upstairs. When he reached the door of Nanxu¡¯s room, He Xiao raised his right hand and was about to knock on the door when he stopped suddenly.


    What was he doing?


    Why should he knock on the door when he wanted to show the vigor of a master to catch adultery?


    He Xiao adjusted his fierce expression, pushed hard with both hands, and the door slammed open.


    This door¡­ was not bolted¡­


    He Xiao was stunned for a moment, the people in the room didn¡¯t seem to be guilty?


    He Xiao walked in and saw Nanxu who was fiddling with dishes by the window. Then, he turned his head to look at Nanxu¡¯s embroidered couch inside and immediately widened his eyes.


    At this moment, Xie Changyuan¡¯s hair was disheveled, and he was only wearing a slightly wrinkled white one-piece shirt loosely. He sat on the edge of the embroidered couch with his legs apart, resting his head on one hand while pressing his forehead.


    He Xiao¡­


    Shizi Xie looked like this, what was wrong¡­


    Nanxu looked up and saw the visitor, and smiled softly: ¡°Young Master He, have you had breakfast yet?¡±


    He Xiao¡­


    Eat¡­ breakfast?


    At this moment of catching adultery, was it appropriate to talk about breakfast?


    ¡ª¡ª


    He Xiao regained his composure, and with a harsh tone: ¡°You two! Tell me! What happened last night?¡±


    Nanxu was still fiddling with the cup and plate in her hand, and Xie Changyuan kept silent, ignoring He Xiao.


    He Xiao spoke again: ¡°You¡­ you two didn¡¯t even call me¡­¡±


    There was a bang outside the door.


    ¡°You stepped on me.¡±


    ¡°It was pushed from behind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it has been discovered.¡±


    ¡­


    Xie Changyuan, who had been drooping his head in silence, suddenly said coldly: ¡°Get lost!¡±


    The little servants, maids, and old servants who had just been hiding outside the door and eavesdropping in the corner reluctantly left, and their whispers came through the house.


    ¡°So playful?¡±


    ¡°Three people together?¡±


    ¡°As expected of Young Master He who has experienced so many things¡­¡±


    ¡­


    He Xiao turned his head and said in a cold tone, ¡°Get out of here immediately.¡±


    Several people hurried down the stairs.


    A servant came back timidly and closed the door behind him.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Inside the room, Xie Changyuan was still rubbing his forehead. After a hangover, he had a splitting headache.


    Nanxu picked up the tray, walked towards the embroidery couch, and said softly: ¡°Shizi Xie, you drank too much yesterday. Drink some clear porridge to warm your stomach.¡±


    Xie Changyuan still lowered his head: ¡°Water.¡± Xie Changyuan¡¯s voice was hoarse.


    Nanxu returned to the low couch, put down the tray, and poured a cup of water.


    Xie Changyuan raised his head and reached out his hand to take it, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Nanxu was gentle and polite, and Xie Changyuan always respected her.


    Nanxu smiled softly.


    Xie Changyuan drank the tea in his hand in one gulp.


    He Xiao was a little puzzled, the two of them didn¡¯t seem like anything had happened. He was about to continue asking but was interrupted by a few knocks on the door.


    ¡°Miss Nanxu, Shizi Xie¡¯s clothes have been brought back.¡±


    Nanxu walked out slowly, brought in a stack of clothes, and put them on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go out first,¡± Nanxu said and left the room.


    Xie Changyuan rubbed his forehead again, glanced at his clothes, and was about to change, but suddenly turned his eyes to He Xiao who was still staring at him with an unhappy expression.


    ¡°Get out.¡± Xie Changyuan¡¯s tone was not kind.


    He Xiao laughed evilly: ¡°Which part of our body is different?¡±


    Seeing Xie Changyuan¡¯s darker face, He Xiao gave up the idea of joking.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going out.¡±


    He Xiao took two steps outward, then turned back suddenly.


    ¡°You two last night¡­¡± He Xiao looked at Xie Changyuan with a smirk.


    Xie Changyuan gave He Xiao a cold look, ¡°I¡¯m so drunk, what can I do?¡±


    Hearing this, He Xiao sighed in his heart, what a pity.


    He Xiao went out, closed the door, and saw Nanxu leaning against a pillar under the porch.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told him your feelings yet?¡± He Xiao asked.


    Nanxu smiled lightly, ¡°Now I¡¯ve become a lowly official prostitute, what can I say?¡±


    Nanxu recalled that last night, Xie Changyuan kept muttering ¡°Yanyan¡­¡± in his sleep.


    Shizi Xie must love that canary in his mansion very much.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Well, that canary came already.


    A Yan stood at the pavilion downstairs, looking at Nanxu and He Xiao from below, feeling a little unbearable and ashamed.


    At this moment, she looked like a poor woman who couldn¡¯t control her husband who was out in brothels and wanted to go to this kind of red-light district to catch adultery.


    But Brother Changyuan, he was so gentle to her yesterday¡­


    A Yan was about to go up when Nanxu¡¯s door opened again. It was Xie Changyuan, who had already been tidied up, who came out.


    A Yan!


    Brother Changyuan was really here.


    Moreover, he also changed his clothes.


    Then last night¡­


    Xie Changyuan also saw A Yan downstairs. He didn¡¯t want to see her right now as he didn¡¯t know how to face what happened yesterday¡­


    He Xiao noticed some problems between Shizi Xie and Miss A Yan. Shizi Xie seemed to want to avoid her, and no wonder he didn¡¯t go home last night.


    ¡°There are a few new dancers here in Red Silk Square, who are not bad. Shizi Xie, let¡¯s go and have a look?¡± He Xiao spoke leisurely.


    Xie Changyuan really didn¡¯t want to face A Yan at the moment, so he spoke coldly, ¡°You lead the way.¡±


    He Xiao didn¡¯t expect Xie Changyuan to agree so quickly, and said, ¡°Refreshing.¡±


    The two went downstairs.


    Passing by A Yan, Xie Changyuan spoke in a low voice: ¡°This is not where you should be.¡±


    ¡°Brother Changyuan¡­¡± A Yan heard that He Xiao asked Brother Changyuan to go to Red Silk Square.


    ¡°Go back,¡± After leaving two words, Xie Changyuan strode away.


    A Yan felt uneasy and uncomfortable and followed two steps, but because of the discomfort between her legs, she couldn¡¯t catch up.


    A Yan turned around and looked upstairs. Nanxu leaned on the railing of the upstairs with a faint expression and smiled at her gently.


    A Yan left in embarrassment.


    Nanxu looked at A Yan¡¯s walking posture and chuckled.


    Then she caressed her lower abdomen, wondering if she was so lucky.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In Red Silk Square, He Xiao and Xie Changyuan entered a private room on the second floor.


    He Xiao knew that Xie Changyuan didn¡¯t like this, so he only called two girls to accompany him.


    The two started drinking.


    He Xiao suddenly saw that the curtain of the private room across the atrium of the stage was opened, and there were two women inside.


    It was Princess Jingyi Feng Yuyao and Princess Zhaoren Qin Yan.


    ¡°Shizi Xie, we have met an acquaintance.¡± He Xiao teased Xie Changyuan.


    Xie Changyuan raised his eyes indifferently. When he saw that beautiful woman, he was first surprised that Qin Yan would appear in such a place, and then embarrassed because he let her see such an unbearable scene yesterday¡­


    Xie Changyuan withdrew his gaze, just drinking.


    Qin Yan and Feng Yuyao had just arrived at Red Silk Square not long ago, and of course, they also saw the two people in the opposite room.


    Qin Yan summoned Shen Ying and explained a few words.


    Shen Ying went out and went straight to Xie Changyuan¡¯s private room.


    ¡ª¡ª


    At the first sight of Qin Yan, Xie Changyuan wanted to leave due to embarrassment. However, he seemed reluctant to have such a rare opportunity to see Qin Yan.


    He drank one cup after another until the servant guarding the private room came in.


    ¡°Princess Zhaoren sent someone over with a message.¡±


    He Xiao looked at Xie Changyuan with a smirk, ¡°Shizi Xie, Princess Zhaoren is looking for you?¡±


    Xie Changyuan¡¯s chest froze¡­ What did Qin Yan want to say him?


    Shen Ying came in with a cold voice: ¡°Young Master He, my master has something to say. Can you take a step outside to speak?¡±


    He Xiao looked at Xie Changyuan in surprise, and at this moment Xie Changyuan¡¯s face turned so dark that water was going to drip out.


    He Xiao followed Shen Ying out of the room, and not long after, He Xiao came back. He took a sip of wine after sitting down, and his face was extremely dark.


    ¡°You two go out.¡± The two girls who accompanied the drinking reluctantly left in response.


    ¡ª¡ª


    He Xiao drank another cup of cold wine and said, ¡°At the banquet in the Imperial Garden yesterday, I was designed by someone. It was Qin Nian, the second young lady of the Right Prime Minister Mansion¡­ and was bumped into by Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu¡­¡±


    Xie Changyuan paused when he heard the words and looked at He Xiao in surprise.


    He Xiao took another sip of wine: ¡°I originally planned to ask for a rewarding marriage on Longevity Day. Heh, now¡­¡±


    Xie Changyuan interrupted He Xiao¡¯s words, ¡°At Qichun Pavilion?¡±


    He Xiao was shocked, Imperial Concubine Xian and Imperial Concubine Shu would not have publicized what happened yesterday, Shizi Xie¡­


    ¡°How does Shizi Xie know?¡±


    Xie Changyuan put down his wine cup and told He Xiao about being called to go to Qichun Pavilion by a palace maid after drinking the problematic wine yesterday and meeting Wang Jingyi on the way.


    He Xiao¡¯s face turned black like the bottom of the pot.


    ¡°Just now, Shen Ying, the maid of Princess Zhaoren, came to inform me that the culprit of what happened yesterday was Qin Nian of the Right Prime Minister Mansion.¡± He Xiao said with a fierce expression.


    Now, both Xie Changyuan and He Xiao had a clear understanding of what happened yesterday.


    Qin Nian wanted to design Xie Changyuan by sleeping with him.


    This matter was discovered by Wang Jingyi in advance and stopped Xie Changyuan who was about to fall into the trap.


    As for He Xiao¡­


    At this time, He Xiao suddenly recalled the meaningful look in Wang Jingyi¡¯s eyes that he had inadvertently caught a glimpse of before he left the table.


    He Xiao¡¯s eyes widened.


    It was Wang Jingyi who designed him, He Xiao!


    ¡ª¡ª


    He Xiao was so angry that he raised his head and drank a cup of cold wine, his eyes turning red. He Xiao looked at Xie Changyuan, who looked unhappy.


    Shizi Xie was drugged yesterday and A Yan¡¯s unnatural behavior today, so¡­


    ¡°Shizi Xie, did you eat meat yesterday?¡±


    Xie Changyuan just kept drinking and said nothing.


    Since Qin Yan knew that someone set up a scheme yesterday, would she¡­ would she also understand that he was drugged yesterday, and he had to¡­


    He Xiao half-jokingly again: ¡°Shizi Xie, you have to remember that I suffered for you yesterday. When this brother encounters a difficult situation, don¡¯t forget to give me a hand.¡±


    Xie Changyuan raised his wine cup, touched the cup in He Xiao¡¯s hand, and drank it all in one gulp.

 CH 53

    Chapter 53          It¡¯s Over


    The Red Silk Square by the Qianshui Lake.


    On the high platform of the atrium, various handsome men and beautiful women took turns coming on stage. Beautiful beauties were playing the zither and flute, sexy dancers swaying their hips and dancing hotly. There were also handsome young men reciting poems while painting, and strong men showing their skills¡­


    There were all kinds of styles with hundreds of flowers blooming.


    According to the rules of Red Silk Square, the seated guests could participate in the auction at every other hour, and the one with the highest price bid could designate a girl or man in the square to accompany the guests in the workshop for an hour.


    Of course, it was merely just for fun.


    With the sound of gongs and drums, it was time for another round of bidding.


    Feng Yuyao¡¯s eyes showed excitement, but of course, she was just watching the fun and didn¡¯t intend to participate in the bidding.


    Whereas Qin Yan¡¯s expression was indifferent. She traveled all over the country over these years and saw everything that should be seen and what should not be seen.


    In some places where the sky was high and the emperor was far away, some of the games played by the local nobles didn¡¯t even treat people as human beings¡­


    In the capital city, at the feet of the emperor, the places for the nobles to have fun were fairly well-behaved, and even though they were a little out of line, it was harmless.


    When she saw those muscular men just now, the smooth and beautiful muscle lines on Feng Zhan¡¯s chest and abdomen flashed in Qin Yan¡¯s mind, but it was a pity that she hasn¡¯t touched it seriously¡­


    ¡ª¡ª


    The bidding was very intense, and everyone¡¯s tastes were also very different. Most of the young ladies bid for men, while most of the young masters bid for beauty, but some unconventional people disregard the secular standards.


    ¡°One thousand taels of silver, I want that zitherist in white.¡± A wicked male voice rang from a private room on the second floor.


    The bids just now range from a few taels of silver to tens of taels to hundreds of taels. But it was extremely rare to spend a thousand zithers of silver to play zither for an hour.


    As for the zitherist in white, he was only a handsome man sitting cross-legged playing the zither by the stage, but the bidder was also a young master¡­


    Everyone followed the voice and saw it was He Xiao, the eldest son of the He family of the minister of the Ministry of War.


    Young Master He didn¡¯t know anyone. Since he had been hanging out in various places for nobles to have fun in the capital all year round, those who came out to play were familiar with him even though they hadn¡¯t been in contact with each other.


    Beside the stage, the white-clothed zitherist sitting cross-legged playing the zither raised his head when he heard the words, and his handsome face was full of surprises. He only arrived at the square today and was only a zitherist, not a male prostitute accompanying the guests.


    The host of the auction was Mama Liu Shisan, the owner of Red Silk Square. Seeing that the one who opened the bid was Young Master He from the minister family of the Ministry of War, Mama Liu Shisan beamed with joy.


    The eldest son of the He family played around Qianshui Lake often and had a very good reputation. He was generous, understood the rules of the trade very well, never caused trouble, and occasionally offered to the girls he likes. The bosses of the major places for nobles to have fun in Qianshui Promenade liked these kinds of wealthy guests.


    ¡°Send zitherist Su Qing to Young Master He immediately.¡± Mama Liu Shisan summoned two strong men, pulled up Su Qing who was still sitting cross-legged on the futon with a shocked expression on his face, and dragged him to the second floor.


    Su Qing struggled desperately, turned his head, and shouted anxiously to Mama Liu Shisan, ¡°Mama Shisan, I just came here to borrow a place to play the zither and didn¡¯t sell myself to your Red Silk Square. You have no right to arrange me without permission. Mama Shisan, you¡­ um¡­¡±


    The strong man who was dragging Su Qing punched Su Qing in the stomach. Su Qing clutched his stomach and groaned, lost his words, and let the two strong servants continue to drag him upstairs.


    ¡ª¡ª


    This kind of forced buying and selling was not uncommon in these kinds of places for nobles to have fun. At this time, there was another round of dancers with flowing sleeves coming to the stage, and everyone began to appreciate the beauty¡¯s dancing posture with great enthusiasm. With the beauties¡¯ occasional exposed slender waist, no one paid attention to the poor zitherist.


    Only Feng Yuyao frowned, ¡°How can this be?¡±


    Feng Yuyao¡¯s eyes followed the three people who were still going upstairs. When they were about to reach the second floor while the two strong men were not paying attention, Su Qing suddenly broke free from the shackles and ran away.


    Two servants pursued Su Qing closely. Su Qing stumbled, but he had a clear purpose. There were two noble women in the private room not far away on the second floor, and one of them was amazingly beautiful, even overshadowing the handsome men and beautiful women in the Red Silk Square.


    Everyone in the square had been paying attention to them since they entered the square, including Su Qing, of course.


    Those two women, whose identities were uncertain, might have higher status than the eldest son of the He family.


    When Su Qing was caught, he happened to be not far from Qin Yan¡¯s private room.


    ¡°Help me, miss, help me¡­¡± Su Qing shouted with a clear voice.


    Shen Ying frowned and stood quietly outside the room with her arms folded, without moving.


    In the private room, Feng Yuyao heard the commotion outside. She turned her head to look at Qin Yan with a frown as if asking for Qin Yan¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°Yanyan¡­¡±