Has your father arrived in Dingzhou?

  Lu Hong's eyebrows relaxed, and he smiled as he nodded. He naturally turned to Ling Jingxian: "Jingxian sister-in-law, I and Ah Qian are going to the dock to pick up Father. We can only come another day to admire the flowers."

  Ling Jingxian's reaction was somewhat strange, her already pale face almost lost all its color, the thin smile on her lips disappeared completely. Her dark and shiny pupils contracted slightly, but quickly returned to normal: "Lu Biao, please do as you like."

  The originally gentle voice suddenly became as cold as winter snow.

  Lu Hong felt secretly puzzled in his heart, but didn't think much of it.

  Lu Qian's body trembled, and he looked at Ling Jingxuan with a complex gaze, as if wanting to say something. His lips moved, but in the end, he didn't open his mouth. He lowered his head and left with Lu Hong.

  After Lu Hong's two brothers left, Ling Jingxu stood still for a long time.

  It wasn't until much later that Bai Yu and Ling Xiao both sensed that something was off.

  Ling Xiao couldn't see, unaware that Ling Jingxuan's pretty face was as pale as snow, her expression stiff. Bai Yu, however, saw it clearly and felt a pang in her heart: "Miss, what's wrong?"

  "Ah-jiao, why haven't you spoken up all this time?" Ling Xiao felt his way forward, grasping Ling Jing-xiu's sleeve with a face full of concern and anxiety: "Weren't you fine just now?"

  "Don't worry, I'm fine." She repeated again: "I really am fine."

  She has been reborn into her youthful years, the humiliation she suffered in her past life is forever a thing of the past. She doesn't have to be afraid, she will never let herself fall into the same situation as before...

  Ling Jingxu repeated it several times in her heart, and her trembling hands finally calmed down.

  This appearance, where does it look like nothing's wrong, clearly something big is going on.

  Ke Ling Jing did not want to say more, and Bai Yu and Ling Xiao could not force her, so they had no choice but to accompany her silently.

  ......

  The footsteps from afar and near broke the silence.

  Ling Xiao's ears were the most sensitive, he furrowed his brow and asked loudly: "Who is it?"

  "It's me." A familiar girl's voice sounded, and it was Ling Jingxian who had arrived. She was in a hurry, and the usual sweet smile on her face was gone. Upon closer inspection, there was even a hint of gloominess between her eyebrows.

  A look of coming to pick a fight.

  Ling Jingxu was preoccupied with her thoughts and reacted a bit slowly: "Yan Tang sister, what brings you here?"

  Ling Jingxian tugged at the corner of her lips, letting out a cold laugh, her voice sharp and piercing: "This is the Ling family's Peony Garden, you can come, but does that mean I'm not allowed to?"

  After finishing speaking, he looked around and asked with a displeased face: "Where's Hong Shu? Didn't he go to Peony Garden with you? Why isn't he here now?"

  It is said that Lu Hong and Ling Jingxuan came to Peony Garden together, and Ling Jingxuan's heart was filled with jealousy and hatred, and soon found them.

  Ling Jing's mood was extremely bad, with a belly full of anger and frustration that had nowhere to vent. Ling Jing sent her over in a servile manner, but she wouldn't be polite: "His legs are his own, he can come if he wants, leave if he wants, no one can control him. If Sister Xian wanted to see him, she should have informed us earlier, or directly had someone stop him and make him wait for her here."

  Ling Jingxian: "......"

  Ling Jing's face turned bright red with anger, her eyes flashing with indignation as she gritted her teeth and said: "Ling Jingyu! You clearly promised me that day..." Her gaze flicked to Ling Xiao's figure in the corner of her eye, and she swallowed back what she was about to say next, instead saying: "What did you promise me? You can't have forgotten, can you?"

  Ling Jingyu coldly raised an eyebrow: "I didn't agree to anything."

  Ling Jing's expression changed suddenly. Just as she was about to say something, Ling Jing Xuan's cold and calm voice rang out again: "I'm not interested in what you want at all. What you want to do has nothing to do with me either. If you mention another word to me, don't blame me for turning against you."

  The tone is very impolite.

  Ling Jingxian listened to these words, the angry look on her face quickly dissipated, and she even revealed a flattering smile: "Good sister, just now I was in a hurry and said something wrong. As your elder sister, I'm here to apologize to you. You mustn't take it to heart."

  Ling Xiao listened to the side, a head of fog, couldn't help but interrupt and ask: "Yan Tang sister, what are you and Ah Shu talking about? I didn't understand a single word?"

  Before Ling Jing could open her mouth to answer, Ling Jingyan hastily replied: "It's a little secret between us sisters, so don't pry."

  Ling Xiao's temperament was kind and gentle, Ling Jingyan said so, and he indeed stopped asking questions.

  Ling Jingxian's eyes rolled around, and she couldn't help but ask again; "Xiao Tangdi, Hong Shangge was with you guys when we came to Peony Garden earlier, where did he go now?"

  Ling Jingyu has become a completely different person lately, with a cold and aloof temperament and sharp words. It's really not easy to get along with her. Ling Xiao is still easier to talk to.

  "Just now a servant came to report that Uncle is already at the dock, and Hong Shixiong and Qian Shidi have gone to receive him." Ling Xiao said quickly.

  It turned out that it was my uncle who came.

  Ling Jing's eyebrows relaxed, and she smiled: "Aunt has been nagging every day, and Uncle finally arrived. Speaking of which, Eldest Uncle's family should be arriving soon too! Grandmother's birthday is approaching, if they don't return now, they won't make it in time."

  As soon as the words fell, a maid came to report with a happy face: "The old lady ordered me to come and deliver a message to the young masters and misses. The whole family of Master Lao has also arrived at the dock. They are now moving their luggage onto horse-drawn carriages and will soon arrive at the mansion together with Master Gou. Please ask the young masters and misses to go to Yonghe Hall together."

  "Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives." Ling Jingxian was taken aback, then smiled warmly and took Ling Jingyu's hand: "Let's go together, it'll be more lively. Uncle and the others haven't returned for five or six years either. Looking at this, later on, we'll probably have to cry like when Auntie came back."

  She thought what she said was humorous and amusing, and then giggled.

  Ling Jingxu looked at her with no expression.

  Ling Jingxian was originally smiling very happily, but being stared at with such a expressionless face, she gradually smiled somewhat awkwardly: "If you don't want to go over, then I'll take the lead and leave first."

  She couldn't help but mutter to herself. Eldest uncle and his family returned, and her maternal uncle, whom she had never met before, also came back. The whole family was reunited, which was a great joyous occasion. Why didn't Ling Jingxu's face show any signs of happiness?

  Although Bai Yu didn't understand the reason, she remembered that when Ling Shi and others returned that day, Ling Jingxian deliberately avoided her. She said in a low voice to Ling Jingxian: "If Miss doesn't want to show up, I'll go to Yonghe Hall to report it now and say that Miss is not feeling well..."

  "It's okay!"

  Ling Jingxian took a deep breath and interrupted Bai Yu: "I'll go with Yantang sister."

  You can hide for a moment, but you cannot hide forever.

  What's meant to come will come, what's meant to be faced will be faced. She must stand tall and face the nightmares of her past life.

  ......

  All the way, Ling Jingxian wisely didn't talk too much.

  Since Ling Jingxu woke up from her high fever, her temperament and behavior have undergone significant changes. When Ling Jingxu's face is calm and serene, it unexpectedly exudes a chilling coldness that makes one's heart skip a beat.

  To be honest, Ling Jingxian is just a paper tiger with a fierce appearance but weak inside. Normally she would be arrogant and domineering, but as soon as she faces the calm and composed Ling Jingyu, she immediately becomes timid...

  Upon arriving at the Yonghe Hall, Ling Jingxuan immediately suppressed the chill that had spread throughout her body. Smiling, she stepped forward to pay respects and ask after everyone's well-being, then quietly stood beside her stepmother, Li Shi.

  Ling Jing covered her mouth and smiled secretly. Just now, she must have been seeing things, thinking so much nonsense. Ling Jing was still the same gentle and soft-spoken person!

  Everyone chatted idly while waiting for Old Man Ling and Uncle Lu to return.

  "Big brother has been working in the Ministry of Works for many years and is said to be highly appreciated by the Minister. The old Minister of Works, Qiao, is about to retire, and the vacant position that will be left behind will probably go to big brother."

  Ling Wu usually came and went with officials, and was quite familiar with the promotion of the Great Zhou government. At this time, he spoke eloquently and convincingly.

  Ling Siye smiled and took over: "Brother, after serving as the Minister of Works for so many years, it's time to promote your official position."

  The position of Gongbu Si Lang Zhong is a fourth-rank official. If one can be promoted to Gongbu Shilang, it would be a third-rank official.

  As a third-grade official, in the capital city where nobles are as numerous as dogs and imperial relatives are everywhere, it's not considered a high-ranking position. However, among civil officials, it's already a remarkable achievement. After another decade or so of hard work, perhaps he could further advance to become a chief official of one of the six ministries.

  Whenever the eldest son is mentioned, Mrs. Ling's face is filled with pride and joy: "Of course, it's best to be promoted. But what's most important is safety. At my age, I don't ask for anything else, just hoping that all my children and grandchildren are safe and sound."

  Is your family at peace?

  Ling Jingxu sneered and curled up the corner of her lips.

  Mrs. Ling thought it was good, but unfortunately, her husband was not content with being ordinary and had to get involved in the whirlpool of imperial power struggles, bringing great disaster upon himself and ending up in the Heavenly Prison of the Ministry of Justice. The Ling family sold their property and sought help everywhere to rescue him from prison, finally finding a way through the Lu family and managing to get him out.

  After this incident, Mr. Ling lost his official position and never recovered. The vast family business of the Lings also declined by more than half, gradually falling into decline.

  It was precisely because of this that Lu An dared to detain her in the mansion without any scruples, completely disregarding the face of the Ling family. After she managed to escape back to the Ling residence with great difficulty, Old Lady Ling refused to forgive Lu An for this and ruthlessly had her bound and sent back to the Lu household...

  A person lives a lifetime, can't escape the two words "power and interest", but the one who pays the price is innocent and pitiful her.

  ......