Heavenly King's Escape Concubine: The Abdominal Black Two Treasures 106 Qin Wang

  Huā Yù Yán's reputation is now notorious. In the past, she was said to be weak and incompetent, a beauty who brings disaster. Now, she is also being said to be ruthless and cruel.

  Of course, the common people in the city did not say those words about her, only remembering the rare sight of birds gathering around a phoenix on the day she returned to the palace. Those who spoke ill of her were all people with vested interests who had not gained any benefits from her.

  The grievances and anger in Princess Long's heart were like her tolerance for Hua Yu Nian had reached an extreme. If it weren't for Hua Yu Nian exposing the secret of the Prince Consort back then, causing Princess Long to lose all face, she would not be so weak and lacking in confidence in front of Hua Yu Nian and the Emperor until now. At that time, she thought that since Li Ji Yao had a good relationship with Hua Yu Nian, even if it was just for the sake of their friendship, Hua Yu Nian should have stood up for Li Ji Yao. But thinking about it now, she realized she was truly foolish to think so.

  "Your Majesty is also a formidable person. Since I returned to the palace, everything I've seen and heard has made me feel that Your Majesty's methods are even more impressive than those of our elders back in the day. Of course, it's impossible for a woman to do as she pleases in the harem without the Emperor's backing. All I can say is that, even if only to curry favor with the Emperor, Your Majesty probably wouldn't dare contradict him even if he just clears his throat."

  In the end, it's all about making her give up. But Princess Chang refused to give up: "I have only one daughter, and if she really marries into Qin State, I'd rather die. If His Majesty dares, I'll smash my head against the wall for him to see."

  "Miss Chen's face turned pale, and she hastily said: 'Your Highness, please don't do anything stupid. If you die, I'm afraid you won't even be able to enter the imperial mausoleum.'"

  It is said that Hu Taihou dared to oppose Li Zimo, no matter if they were related by blood or not. After their death, Li Zimo would still throw them into the wilderness.

  "What's there? Anyway, the husband is not buried inside." The Empress Dowager had a stubborn temper that no one could persuade.

  Chen Shi was truly worried, worried to the point of being half dead. She didn't want to offend anyone, neither the Emperor nor Hua Xiyan, nor the Eldest Princess.

  "If not, then let's discuss it with the empress?" Chen slowly opened her mouth, "If Your Highness is not convenient, I'll go and test the waters with the empress first."

  The Empress Dowager's words made the Princess feel much better, and she stood up to bow: "Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty. From now on, no matter where our family's princess marries, we will never forget the grandmother of the emperor."

  Chen knew it was just a polite remark, and she only hoped that in the future, she wouldn't take out her anger on her again because of Li Jiuyao's affairs.

  After Princess Chang left, Chen Shi thought for a moment and sent someone to the Yueshi Hall to ask if Hua Xiyan was free, then she got into her sedan chair and went to meet Hua Xiyan.

  Hua Yuanyan is playing on a swing in the garden with her two sons.

  The young prince only played for a short while and sat in the pavilion to read a book. Xiao Mu Mu sat on the swing with great interest, pushing the small table away.

  Two sons with completely different personalities, Hua Xiyan often found it strange.

  The maid reported that Madame Chen had arrived.

  Huayu walked up to the pavilion and ordered someone to prepare tea and refreshments. She said to Xiaotai, "This lady should not have seen you before."

  The little prince nodded obediently: "I haven't seen it. The palace remembers that a long time ago, the old ladies said they all left the palace and went out of the house."

  The monk only has Ci. Chen Shi was forced by the situation, in the palace, he was afraid that there would be no more Ci to rely on, and at that time, Hu Shi's faction was in power, if he stayed, he would be killed by Hu Shi. So he went to Jing Ci An with Ci together. Now, Chen Shi who returned to the palace seems to still be used to enjoying the glory and wealth of the palace, and does not seem to have much nostalgia for the simple life of a monk. It can be seen that Ci and Chen Shi are two kinds of palace concubines with completely different attitudes.

  Huayu occasionally sighed: If Nianci were alive, she might have had more elders to guide her in the palace. Because it can be seen that Nianci's character is gentle and has a long-term vision, and will not care about gains and losses. Unlike Chen Shi, Chen Shi cannot be said to be like Hu Taihou, who is always against her and wants to harm her, but Chen Shi is after all a selfish person, who first thinks of how to protect herself.

  Liu Auntie led Chen's wife into the garden.

  Chen stood far away and saw the silhouettes of two little children, one gentle and elegant, the other lively and innocent, surely they were those two young princes rumored about.

  The emperor and empress's two children rarely appeared in front of the crowd. Chen knew that it was not easy to see these two children, to know that she had been thinking about it before but hadn't been able to see them. She didn't know why Hua Yu Yan made an exception today and let her see them. How could she have known what Hua Yu Yan was thinking? In fact, Hua Yu Yan had never thought of stopping her from seeing the two young princes. It's just that those times coincidentally couldn't be arranged, but today they happened to coincide, so she let her see them.

  "Come on, Momo!" Hua Yuexuan waved at her little son who was running around on the grass.

  Xiao Mu Mu was playing with a dog, that Taishi Gong sent his female dog, which he named Pi Pi.

  When Huaxi Yan heard the name her son had given to the Shih Tzu, she was speechless. The male piglet was named Nini, a girl's name, and the female Shih Tzu was named Pippi, a boy's name. Her son had completely reversed psychology, doing everything opposite of what others did.

  "Pipi, go play with Nini." Xiaomuomuo waved his hand commandingly, like a general commanding thousands of troops, directing the little dog and little pig.

  According to Lin Xingqi, the instructor who taught the two princes horse riding, Xiao Mu has the potential to become a great general.

  Huā Mù Róng This child is quite naughty, but has a good foundation. His riding and archery skills are already quite impressive with just a bit of training.

  The little table came over, wiped the sweat for him, and helped pat off the dust and grass clippings that had accumulated on his robe while playing. Seeing that his small shoes were covered in mud, she also used force to wipe them clean. Xiao Mu Mu frowned as he watched her do these things. If it were before in the countryside, country children would play and get dirty, and their parents wouldn't care, only waiting until they were tired from playing and couldn't move, then calling them back home to take off their clothes and wash up with water, wasn't that just fine? In the palace, there were too many rules, everything was inconvenient.

  Xiao Mu Mu walked up to the pavilion and saw an old lady with white hair, wearing beautiful golden hairpins and jade bangles, dressed in luxurious silk fabrics. The young prince beside him held his hand and told him: "Call her Old Lady".

  "Great Grandma." Little Mu Mu called out in a milky and endearing tone to Chen Shi.

  Madam Chen listened to the child's voice, as if she suddenly became younger by countless years. In the imperial palace, although she was originally a noble empress, she had not been able to give birth to even one son or daughter for the emperor. Emperor Mingcheng Gaozu was a very strange person; apart from Empress Ci being the mother of the previous emperor, the other two empresses he established did not have any children either.

  For the children, Chen liked them of course. Yes, she was unable to give birth to sons and daughters for the emperor at that time, but there were not a few children who were sent to her knees to raise. Ming Cheng Huang Zu knew that this person was very careful and heavy, in order to survive in the harem, everything had to be thought of first to save herself, but she was good, as long as there was no one who threatened her, she was extremely good to people. For several children who were not born to her, they were all good. Like the second princess who married into the Qin state, she was raised on her knees for a while that year. The second princess treated her as her own mother.

  This time, the second princess returned home and caught her attention for this reason.

  "Ah, good child." Madam Chen responded with a warm smile, like the gentle glow of the Virgin Mary, lingering on her slightly curved lips.

  At this moment, her expression was completely that of an old lady smiling at a child with pure and simple affection.

  Chen's thoughts drifted away, looking much younger on one hand, and on the other hand, without any worries, it seemed like an old foolish appearance.

  Huā Yùyán had her son sit down and personally poured tea for Chen Shi.

  "Mother, I'm hungry and want to eat shaobing." Xiaomu missed the street food in the city that was completely despised in the palace.

  "Osmanthus cake, crab roe dumplings, chicken meat buns, which one isn't your favorite? People work hard to make them, and you pick and choose, wanting to eat roasted flatbread instead? Mu Mu, Mom didn't teach you that way. In the city, how many kids can't even afford to eat meat?"

  Xiao Mu Mu was silenced by his mother's words and secretly glanced at the young prince with the corner of his eye. The young prince almost never ate snacks or desserts, but elegantly drank tea.

  Madam Chen looked at the two children, her eyes narrowing into a curved line, seemingly smiling but not quite. The words of encouragement from Hua Yu Cai to the children reminded her of how she used to scold them in the past.

  Xiao Mu Mu picked up a dumpling with chopsticks and chewed slowly. A small eater is still a small eater, after eating one, his stomach felt something, and he immediately regained his energy and swept away in a frenzy.

  Others, as long as they see him with a happy and contented look on his face, can't help but feel delighted and relieved.

  Chen shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, this child looks like she hasn't eaten for several meals."

  Hua Yuanyan sat down and continued her words: "He eats like this. If he shows off in front of Old Lady today, he will definitely be laughed at by Old Lady."

  Mr. Chen slowly took a sip of tea, feeling the increasingly fierce autumn wind sweeping through the garden, meaning that the footsteps of autumn are approaching, and winter is not far away either.

  "Your Majesty, I have come to see you today to ask you something." said Chen Shi.

  Huā Yùyán said: "Please instruct, Imperial Grand Empress Dowager."

  Chen said: "It's like this, a few days ago, I heard that the Ning Wangfei of Qin Guo is coming back to Dongling with the King of Qin. Does the Empress know about this?"

  "Your Majesty, I have heard some rumors from the palace that Ning Wangfei was originally the second princess of Dongling. She was married off to Qin Guo in accordance with the edict of Emperor Mingcheng's great-grandfather. However, I haven't verified this information with Your Majesty, and no one from Qin Guo has arrived yet, so I dare not say whether these words are true or just baseless rumors spread by idle gossipers."

  Chen heard her say this, and it was clear that she didn't want to express her opinion. It seemed to confirm what she had said to the Empress Dowager earlier, that Hua Xiyan would definitely have to listen to the Emperor's opinion first before making a statement. She let out a long sigh and said, "Since the death of the Crown Prince, there has only been one person in the manor, it's very quiet. If our daughter were to marry far away, I'm afraid we would never see her again. This kind of life is almost as good as being dead."

  "How could it be almost as good as dead?" Huā Xīyán absolutely disagreed with this remark.

  She thought of the mothers in modern times, living well on their own without men and children. Can't women live alone? Are they destined to be slaves to men and children? It's not even slavery, it's more like being a parasite. Women who don't value their own existence will only be looked down upon by men and children.

  Chen seemed to be startled by her tone.

  In this ancient era, Hua Yuexuan's way of thinking was absolutely an outlier, a unique outlier among the masses.

  "The princess is tying herself up too tightly. The child will eventually leave her one day. She can't just live for the child alone. That's not helping the child, it's restraining the child, and restraining the princess. It's not good for the princess, it's adding trouble to the princess, becoming a burden to the princess."

  Hua Yuexuan thought that Li Jiuyao's naive and romantic personality was also a result of the education and pampering by Princess Chang. Now, Princess Chang regrets it, fearing that her daughter's personality would be taken advantage of when she goes out. In fact, Princess Chang should take most of the responsibility for this. However, one must think that mothers cannot accompany their children for a lifetime. Sooner or later, there will come a day when Princess Chang will leave before the princess. At that time, who can protect the princess like Princess Chang?

  It's time to let go, actually it's long overdue. As a mother, I should have let my child go and allowed them to be independent. Although watching from afar as they stumble and fall is heartbreaking and painful, this is an inevitable process.

  "The Empress Dowager is now letting go, it's still not too late." Hua Xiyan said lightly.

  Chen saw her faint expression and was shocked in her heart, especially when she thought that everyone said she and Li Jiuyao had a deep relationship like close sisters.

  Hua Yu Yan regards her feelings for Li Ji Yao very deeply, but she can't protect Li Ji Yao all her life like a mother hen protecting her chicks. Besides, this woman is married and generally speaking, it's like spilled water, people from the maiden family can't interfere with the affairs of the other family. In the end, Li Ji Yao can only be like her, encountering gods and killing them.

  Li Ji Yao must become independent earlier and give up those unrealistic ideas.

  Ancient times were absolutely unlike modern times, it was an environment much more cruel than modern times, especially for women whose status was obviously lower than that of men.

  "Actually, the Princess didn't mean to say that she wouldn't marry off her daughter. The young lady will eventually get married anyway. It's just that sometimes the Princess wants the young lady to return home for a visit, can't it be less troublesome?"

  The distance between Qin State and East Ridge was not quite clear to Hua Xiyuan. However, no matter how far it was, if the county master couldn't return to East Ridge, Princess Chang had a mind to visit the county master, and the long journey wasn't a problem.

  There must be other reasons why Princess Chang is so worried, it's absolutely not just a matter of distance.

  The King of Qin? The Two Princesses?

  Huā Yùyán was pondering in her heart.

  Chen said these words and hesitated to tell her about the pear flower incident last time, reiterating that she was deceived.

  Huā Yùyán didn't take her words seriously and just let them go in one ear and out the other. What's past is past, she didn't want to bring it up again.

  Madam Chen was so worried about her indifferent attitude that she became mentally exhausted, wondering what she was thinking, and nervously returned to her own palace.

  As she was about to leave, Hua Yu Cai called her two sons to come and pay their respects to her. She also said: "If the Empress Dowager is feeling lonely in the palace, next time please let me know and I will have my two princes accompany you."

  At her words, Chen was overjoyed and repeatedly agreed, and when she left, her footsteps were noticeably lighter.

  Liu Auntie listened to her ambiguous attitude towards Chen Shi, as if looking at flowers in the fog.

  Huā Yùyán patted her two sons' heads and asked: "What do you think of this grandma?"

  "Not good, not bad."

  The young prince heard his brother's words and smiled at the corner of his mouth.

  Chen is not good or bad. Since she's neither good nor bad, why must we really force her to the opposite camp? It's better to occasionally win her over and make her heart lean towards our side a bit more.

  Sweetness must be given, and intimidation is also necessary. Let Chen Shi finally understand that she can only stand on the side of Hua Xiyan.

  The young master sat back in the pavilion, flipping through the book in his hand. It wasn't until now that Hua Xixi saw clearly what her eldest son was reading - it turned out he was reading "Emperor's Instructions".

  A child of seven years old is already thinking about how to be an emperor.

  Feeling her gaze on him, the young prince's lips curved into a smile: "Mother, I won't leave you."

  I guess it's because I just overheard her talking to Chen about those things.

  Hua Yu Yan looked at her youngest son again, who was still lying on the table with a mouthful of baozi and jiaozi, and suddenly felt a headache.

  The emperor, having finished his work in the Yongning Palace, heard that his wife and son were playing in the garden and came over with great enthusiasm to join them for a small gathering. As he walked into the garden, he saw two dogs and one bird chasing after a little piglet. Without a doubt, it was another masterpiece of his young son's beloved pet pig.

  Little Piggy NiNi looked left and right, seeing that there was almost nowhere to hide. Ahead, she vaguely saw the dragon shadow of the Emperor. With no time to lose, she rushed straight to the feet of the Emperor. Just as Li ShunDe let out a cry of surprise, Little Piggy NiNi's pig ears were grabbed by her master.

  Her eyes met the deep, ocean-like gaze of Dong Ling Tianzi, and Xiao Zhu Ni Ni blinked her piggy eyes without a hint of fear, only her body trembled slightly.

  Two dogs and a white heron following behind, seeing the Eastern Mausoleum's Emperor as if they saw the God of Death, some ran away, some slipped away.

  The prince's pets are all afraid of me, but this little pig raised by the young son is not afraid at all.

  Li Zimo poked the little pig's body with his finger, and Little Pig Nini opened her small mouth, humming and making unknown sounds, whether she was angry or scared.

  In the pavilion, Xiaohuo heard that Xiaochun was calling. He lifted his head from the small bowl and saw that his little pig had been picked up by someone. He jumped up from the stool in an instant and shouted: "Nini, it's not good to eat!"

  This kid's words have always been unscrupulously straightforward, leaving people both amused and annoyed.

  Li Zimo's fingers relaxed and he let go of the little pig.

  Little Piggy NiNi ran straight to Little Master's place.

  The dragon robe followed closely and walked up to the pavilion.

  Hugging a little pig, Xiao Mu Mu didn't even have time to wipe his mouth after eating, with an unfinished dumpling still in his mouth, standing on the railing, wanting to jump out and escape from the pavilion.

  Huā Yùyán watched from the side, not intending to intervene in the game between the father and son.

  Unexpectedly, Li Zimo's fingers easily grasped the back of the little boy's collar as he tried to escape.

  Xiao Mu shrunk his head and was carried back into the pavilion by him, unable to utter a single word.

  Dad's thumb tapped on his son's forehead again: Are you working hard or not? Am I that scary?

  The young prince always thought that his father's attitude towards his younger brother was unprecedentedly gentle. It's just that Xiao Mu Mu is the kind of person who becomes more afraid when others are gentler to him.

  Huā Yùyán took a handkerchief and lazily covered her mouth, this autumn fatigue, after eating, she felt even more lethargic.

  "If you want to sleep, go ahead and sleep. I'll stay here with Father and Mu Mu." The young prince said considerately.

  Hua Yuye agreed with him and reminded Liu Gugu to clean up the things here, pay respects to the emperor, and prepare to go back to sleep for a while.

  The emperor's mind was all on fighting with his youngest son, so he let her go.

  After she left, Li Zimo asked his two sons: "Just now, your mother was talking with whom?"

  "Great Grandma." The two children chimed in unison.

  Chen's family name. The emperor's eyes rolled slightly, and he could roughly guess why Chen had come to see him.

  The young prince closed his book and asked, "Father Emperor, is it true that the princess of Hua has been married off to the state of Qin?"

  "Do you like the young lady?" Li Zimo asked his two sons with profound meaning.

  Xiao Mu Mu's impression of Li Ji Yao is that she likes to laugh loudly and freely when talking, but they are neither strangers nor very close, so there's nothing much to say.

  The little son who usually couldn't wait to express his opinion was silent, and Li Zimo raised that cloud-shaped eyebrow, like a flying cloud rising upwards. He picked up the teacup, lightly tapped the tea lid, and then asked another question to the two sons: "If in the future your mother gives birth to a little sister for you, and one day your little sister has to leave you to get married, can you bear it?"

  Xiao Mu tightly hugged the little pig in her arms, still silent.

  The young prince said: "I understand the emperor's meaning. As a daughter of the imperial family, one must make sacrifices for the country. If my sister does not understand, I will help her understand."

  He is indeed the eldest son who grew up by his side, and he understands at once.

  Li Zimo looked at the book in his eldest son's hand, and the curved degree of his ink pupils was a bit satisfied: "The crown prince should focus on studying, listen to things around him, put them in his heart and ponder, children are not yet old enough, don't speak lightly."

  "Yes, Your Majesty." The young prince replied.

  Xiao Mu Mu's fingers started playing with the pigtail.

  Li Zimo's gaze fell on his younger son's stubborn face.

  The Gong family, today is the birthday of Gong Taishi. At the invitation of the Gong family, some colleagues of the old masters of the Gong family came to the Gong family for a banquet. In the evening, when the lights were first lit, the usually quiet Gong family was bustling with excitement. The lively atmosphere made Old Master Gong drink a few more cups of wine, and his face turned red.

  Mingxiang carefully circulated among the guests, not daring to drink too much, because after the banquet was over, some follow-up work still had to be done by him. Seeing that his father was in high spirits today, he really drank a few more cups with all his heart.

  Mr. Guo was over the moon, not just because of his own birthday, but also because his daughter had returned and brought back a lovely little grandson for him, he was so happy that his mouth couldn't close.

  Among the guests, it was known that the host family were relatives of the emperor and had never been short of people inquiring about news from them. Thus, Madame Wang learned that her second daughter who had married into the state of Qin would be returning, and might even bring with her a son-in-law to marry into the Eastern Hills branch of the family.

  Everyone says that the eldest princess should be satisfied this time. If Li Jiayao, the princess of the county, really marries into Western Qin and becomes the queen, she may not only have the title of queen but also become the empress of the great country of Western Qin in the future.

  Madam Gong was shocked and frightened. Being the queen of Western Qin was not an easy job. With Li Jiayao's naive personality, she might be taken advantage of by someone one day without even realizing it.

  Gong Xiangru turned back, saw her mother's face turning pale and white, walked back to Madame Gong's side and said: "Mother, if you're tired, go back to your room to rest. I'll take care of this."

  Madam Wang was really a bit tired. For the past few days, she had been busy with her husband's birthday banquet and hadn't been able to rest well. Yesterday, her daughter came over and added another worry to her mind. Today, all she heard were bad news. With one piece of bad news after another, she felt mentally exhausted.

  At first, when her daughter married into the royal family, she was actually the most opposed to it. However, at that critical moment, if her daughter didn't marry, her husband would be finished. After much thought, she could only choose to sacrifice her daughter and let her enter the palace to serve the emperor.

  She thought of her own sister, who had married the master of the Cloud Clan and enjoyed wealth and glory, but died young, which made her feel uncomfortable.

  Extreme prosperity must decline. Madame Wang had always believed in this principle. It's just that the women of their family, the Zhous, seemed to be one by one, as if they couldn't escape this fate.

  Mingxiangru led his mother back to her room, and he also had his own thoughts. He walked slowly back to the main hall to continue greeting guests.

  After the birthday banquet was over, all the guests who came left one after another.

  Gong Taishi was drunk and couldn't get up from the chair, so Gong Xiangru had to personally support his father into the house. When Gong Taishi was drunk, he didn't forget to tell his son: "Take him to another room to sleep, don't disturb Madame Gong's rest."

  Father is truly doting on Mother.

  Miyuki nodded slightly with a faint smile at her father.

  Just after helping his father into the room and onto the bed, Sixth Uncle suddenly rushed in and made a gesture to him.

  "Who did you say came?" Gong Xiangru saw his gesture and didn't quite believe it.

  Sixth Uncle nodded vigorously at him, indicating that it was correct.

  Gong Xiang furrowed his handsome eyebrows, his steps seeming somewhat irritated, and he brushed off his robes to leave. From behind him came a voice from Gong Tai Shi: She's the county princess, show some respect.

  The person who came was Li Ji Yao.

  Li Ji-yao heard about Gong Tai-shi's birthday and insisted on sending a gift to the Gong family. However, the Gong family did not invite her, so she had to wait for an opportunity when all the guests left before coming over.

  Sanqi followed her, all the way talking about her, saying that she was probably willing to give in, but the other party didn't care about her gift at all. However, Li Jiuyao had always been a self-centered person who didn't care what others thought of her. She only thought about how good her relationship with Hua Xiyan was, and since Hua Xiyan's father was having a birthday, she couldn't not come to congratulate him.

  He brought a landscape painting by a certain painter who was said to be the favorite of Gong Taishi, and rushed over in the dead of night while Princess Changping was not paying attention.

  Gong Xiangru walked into the main hall and saw Li Jiuyao sitting on the master's chair, with a calm face as if she didn't think she had done anything wrong. Gong Xiangru took two steps forward and bowed: "Your subject greets the young mistress."

  "No need for courtesy." Li Ji-yao's eyes sparkled as she looked around, searching for Gong Tai-shi and Madame Gong.

  Gong Momo's mouth was pursed into a straight line: "My parents have already returned to their room to rest, I'm afraid they won't be able to get up to welcome the county master."

  "Oh—" It's said that everyone has fallen asleep, a hint of loneliness flashed across Li Ji Yao's eyes. Following that, she beckoned San Qi to bring out the birthday gifts she had prepared.

  Gong Momo had no choice but to accept it with both hands, saying: "I thank the county master on behalf of my father."

  "What's there to thank? As long as Gong Taishi likes it." Li Jiuyao seemed to wave her hand magnanimously.

  Jiang Xiangru only hoped she would leave early. However, Li Jiuyao didn't know what was going on and seemed reluctant to leave even if it meant sitting here bored.

  "County Master?" Gong Xiangru raised an eyebrow again.

  Li Ji-yao's eyes flashed quickly, and she smiled at him: "The princess has heard that previously, Miss Qi was beaten by someone in the White Dragon Temple, and it was Lord Gong who saved Miss Qi's life like a god descending from heaven."

  This was precisely the topic he did not want to discuss with anyone.

  Gong Xiangru said in a slightly cold tone: "I just happened to pass by and saw injustice, I'm just doing my duty and responsibility."

  "Alas..." Lei Jiyaou sighed and leaned back in her chair.

  At this time, no one expected that another unexpected guest would come to the Gong family.

  Only at night, the autumn wind swept by, bringing a burst of yellow leaves and autumn rain. Amidst the fluttering golden hues, the noble blue robe seemed to have stepped on the moon and landed gently on the roof of the Palace of the Imperial Family.

  Ling saw a person standing on the roof of the house, and the bowls and chopsticks in his hand clattered to the ground.

  Gong Xiang hurriedly walked out of the main hall and into the courtyard. The man standing on the roof had already flown down from the rooftop and was standing under the willow tree in the courtyard, tall and slender, with a majestic aura, like a moon goddess.

  "Your Majesty!" Minister Gongsun and others were all shocked.

  The courtyard was packed with people kneeling all over the ground.

  Yun Chen Jing waved the white fan in her hand, her bright blue eyes gazing down at the crowd with a smile: "Get up, all of you. I just wanted to come to the Palace to drink a cup of wine for Palace Tai Shi's birthday, who knew I'd be delayed on the way, am I late?"

  Qīng Hǔ followed him to the back of the Gong family's courtyard, where he saw the young maids of the Gong family holding basins and bowls, indicating that the longevity banquet had ended. Therefore, his master knew this, but still deliberately came down.

  "Master——" Qinghu whispered into his master's ear. It's so late already, let it go.

  Her blue eyes narrowed, and the cloud-patterned fan shook back and forth as it tapped against his head: "How dare you say that! Who is it that can't even walk on a road without getting lost?"

  Lost your way?

  The road from Yunzu to Dongling, Yunchenjing has come and gone back and forth countless times, how could he get lost? So, is Yunchenjing not coming from Yunzu to Dongling?

  Li Ji-yao heard the noise and couldn't help but come out of the main hall. She first stuck her head out from the door, saw the white fan with Yun Chen's emblem on it, and was taken aback for a moment. Just as she was about to withdraw her head, she heard Yun's leisurely voice say: "Your Excellency, won't you invite your guest in for a cup of tea?"

  Sanqi saw that his master was searching everywhere in the main hall, wanting to crawl under the chair, and quickly reached out to grab Leishi Yao's hem: "Young lady, this is not our home!"

  Aiya. Li Ji Yao stomped her foot, unable to do anything about it, and quickly hid behind a screen the moment she saw one.

  Looking at the entrance, someone's figure is about to enter. Under the helpless circumstances of San Qi, he can only follow his master and hide together.

  Yun Chen Jing fanned herself into the house, sat down in the chair where Li Ji Yao was sitting, and casually picked up the cup of tea that Li Ji Yao hadn't finished drinking. She smiled and said: "Palace Lord, you must have a spiritual connection with me, knowing I'm coming, and preparing tea for me in advance."

  Jade-like face as if she had nothing to say for a moment, seeing him lift the tea lid to take a sip, opening her lips: "This—"

  The green tiger can see that the tea cup has been drunk by someone. After scanning the room again, he quickly discovered two people hiding behind the screen. So, he wanted to slap his forehead. Obviously, the master knew what was going on and did it on purpose.

  Li Ji-yao hid behind the screen, watching that certain scumbag wanting to drink the tea she had drunk, and thought nauseatingly in her heart: Does he want to drink my saliva or what? Go ahead, go ahead, poison yourself.

  When the two eyes were emitting a poisonous curse, they didn't expect that certain lazy person was actually holding up the tea she had drunk and took a sip. In an instant, her head hit the screen and almost got nauseated to death.

  Sanqi hastily supported her and said: "Young lady, don't faint, or it will be exposed."

  Li Jiyaoh took a deep breath: She certainly wouldn't faint.

  Next, someone finished drinking the tea and slightly raised an eyebrow, saying: "How come this tea tastes strange, like a pig's bath water, Your Excellency?"

  Gong Xi Ru was speechless once again.

  Li Ji Yao kicked the screen with her foot: Dare to despise the saliva of this county master, looking for death!

  This time, Sanqi couldn't stop it. All he saw was Li Jiyao's foot, like a sharp national foot, directly kicking over the screen.

  There was a loud crash in the hall, and the screen fell to the ground.

  Several little maidservants shrieked in unison.

  Gong Xiangru's eyes turned even colder, almost to the bottom. Their Gong family had always been a knowledgeable and reasonable household, and nothing like this had ever happened before.

  The screen had been flipped over. Li Ji Yao coughed, covering her lip with a handkerchief, walked out from behind the chair and saluted Cloud Dust Jing with a slight bow: "Your humble servant greets the Master of the Cloud Sect."

  "Could it be that the county master is here? Is the county master here to celebrate Palace Historian's birthday?" The hand holding the white fan was playing with it, and the blue eyes were slightly narrowed, with a hint of depth and playfulness.

  "Yes." replied Li Ji Yao.

  "Please sit down, young lady." The fan head knocked against her palm, as if she was distracted.

  Li Ji-yao had no choice but to sit down in the chair on his left side, and after sitting for a while, he was naturally uncomfortable all over.

  The green tiger looked at it with wonder, she was originally able to bid farewell and go home, why didn't she bring it up?

  Sanqi is indeed aware of the master's thoughts. It's not because of the rumors outside that are getting more and more intense, it seems that Li Jiuyao's marriage to Qin Wang has become a certainty. The eldest princess is annoyed in the mansion, and whoever she catches is scolded. Li Jiuyao feels increasingly uncomfortable as she watches, so she can only run out to get some fresh air.

  Marry who? Even if it's marrying the King of Qin and going to distant Western Qin. In her heart, Li Ji Yao didn't have many thoughts about this. Because she was a princess of the imperial family, most daughters of the imperial family couldn't escape this kind of fate. As the treasured daughter of the Grand Duke's estate, she had received too much love in the past, so now that the Emperor wanted her to make some sacrifices, it was only natural.

  Li Ji Yao was annoyed by Chang Gong Zhuang's attitude.

  It can't be said that the Empress Dowager didn't love her, however, as Hua Yexuan said, parents' love that is too heavy is equivalent to adding a burden to their children's hearts.

  "Isn't anyone going to serve tea to the young mistress?" Yun Chen Jing's soft voice broke the silence in the room.

  Linglong hastily brought up a cup of hot tea, and then saw Yunchen Jing drinking that mouthful of tea, wondering if she should help him change it. Yunchen Jing did not respond, as if he didn't want her to change it.

  Yun Chenjing gave Gong Xiangru a look. Gong Xiangru understood and immediately drove the group of people below out of the main hall.

  Li Ji-yao lifted the tea lid, and it was as if she had been drinking without knowing what she was drinking, her mind completely distracted.

  Next to him, a gentle voice came over: "Has the princess been to Xiqin?"

  "No." She slightly frowned, thinking he already knew and had heard it all.

  This news will spread very quickly.

  "Has the princess ever heard of Western Qin?"

  "It is said that Western Qin is near the northwest, where there are vast grasslands as vast as those of Da Yan."

  "It's said to be similar to Dayuan, but actually, the customs and people are more like Dongling." Yundeng's tone was casual as he explained knowledge of Xi Qin to her, "If you see what the people of Xi Qin wear, you'll find it's almost the same as Dongling."

  "I heard that Second Aunt married into the Western Qin——"

  "The second princess married into Western Qin and became the Ning Wangfei. It's said that she's doing well over there too."

  Li Ji-yao listened to him speaking and heard him constantly praising the good things about Xi Qin, and couldn't help but suspect that her imperial brother had sent him as a persuader.

  When she saw her inquiring eyes, Yun Chenjing knocked the tea lid again and again. With a slight smile, he said: "What our sect master told you just now is true. However, after all, it's a lifelong event like getting married, so it ultimately depends on whether or not you like it yourself."

  "Have you seen King Qin?" Li Jiuyao felt her heart racing.

  "I've seen it."

  "What kind of person?"

  "You'll understand once you see the county master."

  It seems like there's more to his words. Li Ji Yao's eyebrows and eyes jumped.

  Yun Chen's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if gazing at the tea leaves floating in the teacup.

  Qing Hu thought about what kind of expression Li Ji Yao would have when she saw the King of Qin, but couldn't imagine it. However, thinking about what kind of expression Chang Gong Zhuang would have when she saw the King of Qin was completely imaginable. Chang Gong Zhuang would probably be furious and want to kill the Emperor with her sword.

  However, both Li Zimo and his master thought this marriage was a good thing.

  So the master immediately rushed back from afar after hearing the news, and hurriedly returned to probe Lei Jiayao's thoughts first.

  They did not want Li Jiayao to refuse. Because it took Qin Wang a lot of time and effort to make up his mind.

  The King of Qin?

  Jing Xiangru slightly furrowed his brow.

  Li Ji Yao thought that they all looked strange, but didn't know what was strange about them. Could it be that her future husband looked terrifying, even more terrifying than Yelu Qi, the second prince of Da Yan?

  Hua Yuexuan said she was going to take a nap in the Moon Room, but actually, she walked halfway to the Moon Evening Pavilion. Because Chen mentioned West Qin, it made her think of some past things. Speaking of West Qin, she had never been there and heard very little about it because West Qin is too far from Dongling, and few people from Dongling go to West Qin. However, she remembered that he had gone to West Qin and brought back something for her.

  Unlike Xiqin and Dongling, what is abundant here is not white jade but black stone, which can be called marble in modern eyes. The black stone of Xiqin is as famous as the white jade of Dongling. He had people carve the black stones he brought into black chess pieces, and the white jade into white pieces, dividing them into two boxes and presenting them to him.

  It just so happened that she had just returned that day, and Xiao Mu accidentally knocked over the box of chess pieces.