Hugging her knees, Meili shrunk into a corner of the bed, with the pastries sent by Su Ying's mother placed beside it. Su Ying's mother was very eloquent and said with a smile when she delivered them: "These were specially prepared by Madam Fu for her daughter, thank you for taking care of our daughter."

  What she said was just a polite remark... but how she wished she had a mother who could make polite remarks for her, and how she wished she had a home to return to. When she went back to her parents' home... all she could do was pay respects to her ancestors.

  After marrying into this place and leaving the Qian Wang Fu, she... no longer had a home.

  "Master, there's someone named Hai Shu who has brought a little girl to see you." Yuet Brow came in to inform her, and upon seeing Hai Shu's attire, Yuet Brow thought he was a poor relative coming to rely on Ce Fu Jun.

  "Uncle Hai?" Mei Li was taken aback, the sourness in her heart suddenly bursting forth, tears streaming down. Her family... seemed to be just this aged butler! "Let him come in quickly." Afraid of Uncle Hai being distressed, she wiped away her tears, unable to force a smile, only managing a dull expression.

  Hai Shu walked with Jiang Liu, sizing up the courtyard of Mei Li, gradually revealing a satisfied smile. King Jing Xuan was indeed good to his princess, and their residence was very luxurious and elegant.

  Meili didn't expect Hai Shu to rush from Beijing just to bid her farewell.

  "The king has sent someone to take over the humble prince's estate, and I can finally relax and return home to enjoy my old age." Hai Shu sighed with emotion, and smiled wistfully.

  Jingxuan took over the Qianwang Fu's estate? Meili frowned, was her family's meager property worth his trouble? She sneered, making good use of everything that belonged to him was also one of his strengths.

  "I've also dismissed the servants in the mansion, and the prince has specially assigned people to take care of cleaning. Jiang Liu has been following you for quite some time, and she doesn't have any relatives at home either. I took her here with me as your dowry maid."

  Her maid servant... smiled lightly, and Meili nodded, "Uncle Hai, you all go down to rest first, we'll talk another day."

  "No, Gigi. My hometown is only thirty miles away from here, I haven't been back for many years, and I miss it a lot. Jiang Liu will stay behind, and the old slave will settle down before coming to see you again, anyway, it's convenient." Hai Shu said with a smile, his intention was firm.

  Meili lowered her eyes, and Hai Shu was considered to have retired and returned to his hometown. Fortunately, Jingxuan had given her a lot of silver in the past, so she wasn't short of money. "Yue Mo, give 200 taels of silver to Uncle Hai," she instructed.

  "No, no, no!" Hai Shu waved his hand repeatedly. "The king has already rewarded me with a pension, I cannot accept this one from you."

  Did he give up?

  Meili smiled faintly, "Hai Shu, take it. Besides this... I don't have anything else to give you."

  Jingxuan also entered the room at that moment. Hai Shu wanted to kneel, but he waved his hand to dispense with it. Yue Mo had a keen sense of propriety and ushered them out.

  He sat on the bed with a good mood, took out a stack of silver tickets from his pocket and stuffed them into her hands. "The property of your Wang Fu is managed by someone I've arranged, this is the account for the first half of the year, it's your private money." He smiled. "After I leave, Old Feng will send you rent every three months, you keep it well, if it's not enough, tell Old Housekeeper, I've already instructed him."

  Meili looked at the thick stack of silver bills in her hand, "The income of Qianwang Fu is not that much."

  He frowned, "Take it! Are you going to bite my hand?! Before she could say anything else that would anger him, he loudly ordered towards the door, "Come in, everyone!"

  The maids in the Mei Li room said that there were more than a dozen, all of whom came into the room and crowded together. Mei Li felt a bit cramped because she was only casually dressed and hadn't even worn her formal outer jacket, and she shrank back onto the bed, unable to get down from it due to Jing Xuan blocking her way.

  "After I leave, you must serve carefully! Your wages are all paid by the humble king's mansion, you are not the maids of this mansion, but the maids of the humble king's mansion, your master's maids, do you understand?"

  The maids and servant women all knelt down in response.

  "Yue Mo, I see you've become more mature. You're in charge of supervising these servants now. Don't listen to the orders of others in this mansion." He glanced at Yue Mo, who hastily kowtowed. He turned back and snatched a silver note from Mei Li's hand, tossing it to Yue Mo, "This is a reward from your master, divide it among yourselves."

  He saw the pastry box on the bed, frowned, and let the servants take it away when they left.

  Is he afraid that after he leaves, she will be bullied by Su Yun?

  Her nose was a little sour, he had already turned around and hugged her, tears dripping on his shoulder, but he didn't see it.

  "Meili, I'm leaving tomorrow... He tightened his arm, "Choose four maids to follow you into the palace, I've spoken with the old ancestor, you'll be staying in the palace for a while."

  This time... even her heart felt sour, her body had no strength to struggle as she was held in his arms.

  "Master Wang... Master Wang..." Su Yings' nanny shouted from outside the door, her voice intermittent. Jing Xuan furrowed his brow and let out a sound of annoyance before finally releasing Mei Li. "I'll go take a look."

  Meili nodded and watched him leave in a hurry. Actually, just now, she was nestled in his arms and wanted to say to him: Thank you...

  I wanted to say thank you for a long time, but he never came back.

  Because the master is going to war, before dawn breaks, the entire palace is already bustling. The king enters the palace to ask for orders, the ladies all go to the city gate to see him off, and Mei Li is also called up early, wearing the formal attire of a side concubine.

  Everyone was lined up on both sides of the main gate to see off their masters. When Mei Li arrived, Jing Xuan's personal bodyguards had already led the horses over. Su Yan had too many servants, all crowded around the prince and the madam, staring at the master in the center of the crowd, Mei Li couldn't even get close.

  She saw Su Ying smiling with tears in her eyes, and when she left, Yue Mo also reminded her that on a day like today, she couldn't cry, it was unlucky, she could only smile and wish Wang Ye good luck. She... didn't want to cry, couldn't cry.

  Jingxuan saw her standing outside the crowd, she was calmly watching him, and didn't rush to his side. He suspected that even if no one blocked her way, she would still stop at a distance, looking at him with neither sadness nor joy.

  Although he didn't want to get angry when leaving, he still couldn't help but glare at her, "Come here!" He pointed at her with his chin, and the people below automatically made way for a path.

  Su Ying wiped the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, watching Mei Li approach. She was a bit worried that Mei Li would make some kind gesture, and then Jing Xuan would again make embarrassing promises and actions in front of the servants.

  It's okay, Mei Li still had a faint smile on her face, very dignified and courteous as she wanted to kneel down to see him off, but he waved it off with a hint of anger, and instead bowed his head to bid her farewell.

  Su Ying also quickly helped her up.

  Just as her mother had instructed her before she got married, for Meri, as long as she didn't ask any questions and responded to everything politely, that was enough.

  She was really glad that Mei Li had Yong He in her heart, and glad that Mei Li was cold to Jing Xuan... Although Jing Xuan would be more attentive to her because he couldn't get her, but as time went by, the feelings would eventually fade. Even if Mei Li changed her mind, what's the use? Life is never just about emotions alone.

  Meili... is still an innocent and naive child who doesn't understand the ways of the world.

  Even if she has Jingxuan's heart, it doesn't mean she has everything, let alone the fact that she still doesn't know how to cherish and make use of it.

  Perhaps she didn't need to personally take action to defeat Mei, time would naturally replace her. As long as she endured... She wasn't in a hurry, she already had more than half of what she wanted, and for the rest, Su Yining smiled sweetly, she still had a lifetime to strive for it.

  The Emperor and Empress Dowager saw off the departing generals all the way to the city gate, where the cheers of the crowd drowned out all sorrow of parting.

  He sat tall on his warhorse, the copper rivets on his armor glinting in the sunlight. Mei Li gazed up at him from among the crowd, feeling secure and at peace only when she looked at him from a distance. She used to love it when he wore his armor, so handsome that it made her want to scream... Now that she belonged to this handsome and valiant man, she couldn't help but feel that he didn't belong to her.

  She didn't even have a chance to say one last word to him before they parted ways.

  As he exited the city gate, he dismounted his horse again to bid farewell to the Emperor and the elderly ancestors. After performing the usual kneeling and bowing rituals, his cold yet enchanting eyes accurately found her in the crowd. He gazed at her for a moment before turning back, once more kneeling down low to say something to the Empress Dowager. The elderly ancestor pulled him up, patted his arm, seemingly reassuring him.

  Su Ying stood very close to the front, softly calling out to him, and the people around them all laughed, sympathizing that they were newlyweds. The emperor even walked over and jokingly said a few words.

  Meili was still trapped in the crowd, she stared straight at Jingxuan who patted Su Yan's hand sympathetically and spoke softly.

  Heart, it didn't hurt any more, she was glad he didn't come back for a whole night, and glad he didn't give her any chance to say goodbye!

  He glared at her again before mounting his horse, and she looked back at him with a faint smile.

  Seeing her smile, he was stunned. After waiting for a whole morning, she just stood there like a block of wood in the crowd! Wouldn't she say anything to him? Not even a polite phrase?

  He said such things to her, how can she still be so virtuous?! Is she angry with him? Because he didn't come back last night?

  Yes! He was detained by Su Ying! At least she still knew to find him, still knew to say gentle and affectionate words to him, still knew how to please him! Because he wanted to leave with tears in his eyes, reluctant to part! What about her?!

  He spurred his horse's belly and galloped away quickly!

  Leave for a while, wait until she's no longer resentful towards him... He vomited again, forget it, just pretend not to see and calm down!